Recycle your electronics at Kane County facilities
Kane County's electronics recycling program is fully up and running. The newly instated program includes three daily drop-offs throughout the county, as well as the return of the one-day collection events in St. Charles.
The next one-day collection event is 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 8, behind the Kane County Circuit Clerk Branch, 540 S. Randall Road in St. Charles. Electronics and books will be accepted at this event.
There is now a fee for TVs and computer monitors - both tube and flat screen - across the board for all drop-off locations and the event. The fee that you pay for screened equipment goes directly to the county's contracted electronics recycler, eWorks, a nonprofit whose main mission is to employ developmentally disabled individuals.
The fee is $25 for screens under 21 inches, measured diagonally, and $35 for screens 21 inches and larger. All other acceptable electronic items can be dropped off for free. See the full list of items that can be recycled at www.countyofkane.org.
The fee may be paid online in advance or on-site by exact cash or card. It is recommended that you pay online in advance at recycle.eworksesi.org, if possible, and bring your receipt to any drop-off or the collection event. You must have the receipt with you.
Since opening the three daily drop-off locations in September, they have already served around 400 residents. All locations are staffed during open hours, and the attendant will be there to help you unload and take payment for TVs and monitors.
All locations will receive the following items free: cable and satellite receivers, cables and cords, cellphones or PDAs, circuit boards, computers, CPUs, laptops, tablet PCs, computer batteries, digital converter boxes, digital recorders, DVD players, fax machines, hard drives, keyboards, mice, phones, portable digital music players, printers, scanners, small scale servers, VCRs, and video game consoles.
There are three locations at various sites around the county. The southern location is at 517 E. Fabyan Parkway in Batavia. Drop-off hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. The central location is at the old South Elgin public works facility, 735 Martin Drive in South Elgin. Drop-off hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
The village of West Dundee, one of the previous drop-off locations, has reopened its gates at the public works facility, 900 Angle Tarn in West Dundee. Drop-off hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Note, these hours are an hour earlier than the other two drop-offs.
On Saturday, Nov. 12, in addition to electronics and books, included will be confidential document shredding and liquid latex paint recycling as previously planned. The fee applies to screened equipment at the events as well, payable by cash or card only.
Latex paint also has a per can fee of $3.50 per gallon, payable by cash or check only.
The new drop-off locations will be staffed full time to avoid the previous dumping issues, such as businesses taking advantage of the residential program and dumping large quantities of TVs, or residents dumping unacceptable and/or hazardous materials at the sites.
Security cameras that detect motion will monitor the sites after hours and offenders will be fined. Illegally dumping a TV or any other material at the drop-off sites after hours is a Class A misdemeanor, which has a maximum fine of $2,500, a jail sentence of up to 364 days, or both.
Visit the Kane County Recycles webpage frequently to find the most current updates on the program. For questions, contact Jennifer Jarland, Kane County recycling coordinator, at (630) 208-3841 or recycle@countyofkane.org.