Recycled Cooking Oil Processed for Bio-fuel
West Chicago, Illinois: October 23, 2013 - The upcoming holidays bring some great recycling opportunities in West Chicago. The West Chicago Environmental Commission will be spearheading a post-Thanksgiving cooking oil collection event on November 30, 2013 in the City Hall parking lot at 475 Main Street from 9:00 a.m. - noon.; and a holiday lights and extension cords collection at five locations throughout town beginning on December 2, 2013 and running through January 24, 2014. Plus, old televisions and other unwanted electronics shouldn't be put at the curb because landfills no longer accept electronic waste and they will not be picked up. For your convenience, and the good of the planet, bring them to one of two locations in West Chicago for disposal. See details below.
Used Cooking Oil
Keeping grease and cooking oil out of the sewer system benefits both residents and the City by reducing the costs associated with oil and grease build-up in the system. Cooking oil sticks to sewer pipes, causing clogs and breaks that are costly for homeowners and the City to fix. Oils and grease also interfere with the processes at West Chicago's wastewater treatment facility.
Therefore, to help residents safely dispose of their used cooking oil, the Environmental Commission, in cooperation with the City of West Chicago, has scheduled this collection event. Residents should bring their used cooking oil (no motor oil) in milk jugs, 5-gallon buckets, or the container in which the oil was purchased. Members of the Environmental Commission and their partners SCARCE and Green Grease Environmental will be on hand during the event to receive the used cooking oil and answer any questions residents may have. All oil collected will be processed into environmentally friendly bio-fuel by Green Grease Environmental.
Holiday Lights
Strands of incandescent and LED holiday lights and household extension cords in any condition are also being collected this season. Recycling containers will be available from December 2, 2013 through January 24, 2014 at the following locations:
Murphy Ace Hardware, 319 South Neltnor Boulevard (Route 59)
First United Methodist Church of West Chicago, 643 E. Washington Street
West Chicago Public Library, 118 West Washington Street
West Chicago City Hall, 475 Main Street
West Chicago Water Treatment Plant, 1400 West Hawthorne Lane
Electronic Waste
Since January 1, 2012, landfills are no longer able to accept electronic waste. This includes televisions, computers, VCRs and more. Do not leave these items at the curb. The City of West Chicago has contracted with Groot Industries, Inc. to provide residents with free drop-off of electronic waste at its e-waste facility located at 1995 Powis Road on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. Contact Groot at (877) 775-1200 with any questions. Additionally, Sims Recycling Solutions, at 1600 Harvester Road, will accept residential electronics for recycling at no charge during normal business hours, Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more information, call Sims at (630) 231-6060.