DuPage wants more residents to use hazardous waste center
DuPage County officials are planning a promotional campaign to encourage more residents to use a household hazardous waste collection facility in Naperville.
The county provides up to $100,000 for the operation of the facility at 156 Fort Hill Drive that accepts items such as antifreeze, asbestos, batteries, household cleaners, oil-based paints and mercury.
But some county board members raised questions about how a facility in Naperville benefits residents in other parts of DuPage. They pointed to data showing many of the residents who used the facility last year were from Naperville.
To encourage residents from other areas to use the facility, officials have developed a social media campaign that's slated to begin next month.
"We really want to have outreach because hazardous waste collection is very important," said Elizabeth Chaplin, a county board member who serves as chairwoman of the environmental committee.
The Naperville location is one of only four facilities in Illinois that accept household hazardous waste.
Chaplin says she believes more residents would use the facility if they knew about it.
"I think it's a matter of education - people knowing that it's there," the Downers Grove Democrat said.
Other steps to promote the facility include highlighting it on the county's website and in the county newsletter.
County staff members will reach out to waste haulers to discuss offering more comprehensive information to residents about recycling and disposal options. They also will ask municipalities to help promote the facility through their newsletters and websites.
Meanwhile, officials are seeking alternatives for residents who live in other parts of the county.
DuPage, for example, will ask the Illinois EPA to host one-day collection events "in the regions farthest from the facility in Naperville."
"We want more people to use it (the Naperville facility)," Chaplin said. "But I also think it's important to have a one-day event in the northeastern part of the county. We need to make it more convenient for folks in that area."