Retire your old electronics at library recycling event

With small electronics making up a good percentage of holiday purchases this year, the question becomes: what to do with the old ones?

Luckily, collection bins positioned at places like the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Arlington Heights Park District community centers and village hall, offer an easy and satisfying solution.

Residents can discard their small electronics at any of these locations, including cell phones, DVDs, game consoles, MP3 players, print cartridges, digital cameras and digital video recorders, as well as laptop computers.

Library officials are partnering with a nonprofit company called Recycling Avenue, which is run by clients from Avenues to Independence in its sheltered workshop in Wheeling, to retire the electronics.

They claim nearly all of the parts of a cell phone, for example, are recyclable, and that by doing that, they spare the environment from its chemicals, which can pollute up to 158,000 gallons of water.

At the library, a collection bin is located in the so-called Green Corner, near the circulation checkout desk, while the park district offers them near the registration desks at each community center.

Deb Whisler, communications and marketing director for the library, says the community has responded in droves, and that the bins have to be emptied at least once a week. Now, with the holidays over, they expect an even greater response.

They caution, however, that they cannot accept larger electronics, like TV sets, computer monitors, printers, toner cartridges or personal computers.

Recycling Avenue was started by a group of physically challenged young adults who want to make a difference in their world, and increasingly, they're drawing more interest in their services.

Besides Arlington Heights, the group is also partnering with officials in Buffalo Grove, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg Township, Winnetka, Wilmette, Northbrook, Northfield, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Glencoe and Kenilworth.

However, Recycling Avenue seek even more offices and businesses to take it up on its offer to hold recycling drives. To find out more Recycling Avenue and how to obtain its collection bins, visit www.recyclingavenue.com.