info@gogreenwilmette.org
PO Box 954 Wilmette, IL
Recycling Resource Guide
For Households and Businesses
March 2010
This guide provides information about how to recycle various items in the Wilmette area most efficiently. The easiest way to get rid of most things is through our regular curbside pick up program in Wilmette. Go to wilmette.com for details of the village recycling program. There will be a new recycling program implemented in the village in March 2010. New recycling containers will be distributed. Go to wilmette.com to learn how to recycle old bins. Plastic labeled #6 is recycled in the Wilmette program but this includes only styrofoam cups and plastic clamshell food containers. Plastic bags and paint are not part of the regular pick up program. Look below for ideas for recycling these and many other items - locally!
Appliances
Goodwill (708-442-3606 or 847-566-0636) or Salvation Army (773-477-1300) accept working appliances. Or contact the Steel Recycling Institute (800-YES-1-CAN, www.recycle-steel.org) or C&R Scrap Iron & Metal (773-585-3030) to recycle them.
Veolia (847-272-4145) will remove and recycle all major appliances for free. Call for free pick up.
Abt Electronics (1200 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview, 847-967-8830) now accepts all TVs for recycling for no charge. They also accept styrofoam. Call for pick up of large items for a small fee.
Best Buy (9625 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, 847-982-1263) now accepts all appliances and electronics regardless of where you bought it, what brand it is, or how old it is. Most items are free. TVs and monitors are $10, but you receive a $10 Best Buy gift card. Call for pick up of large TVs, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, etc.
ComEd in partnership with JACO Environmental (888-806-2273 or www.comed.com) will accept old refrigerators, freezers and window air conditioning units. Customers are reimbursed $25 per donation.
Athletic shoes (No dress shoes, boots or sandals)
Highcrest Middle School (847-853-2900) accepts athletic shoes September through May.
SWANCC conducts an athletic shoe collection each spring. See swancc.org or call 847-724-9205.
Sports Authority accepts up to 10 pairs at 7233 W. Dempster St., Niles (847-967-7601) or 120 S. Waukegan Rd., Deerfield (847-272-1200).
Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring www.nikereuseashoe.com).
One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America and Haiti (www.oneworldrunning.com).
Batteries
A Green Horizon at 1148 Central Ave (847-256-2754) accepts batteries and bottle caps.
Weiss Ace Hardware (1560 Waukegan Rd, Glenview, 847-724-3444) accepts rechargeable batteries with no charge. They also accept all kinds of light bulbs and paint. There is a fee for paint recycling.
Millen's Hardware at 1219 Wilmette Ave (847-251-3060) will recycle single use batteries and rechargeable batteries for free when you purchase new batteries.
All Walgreen's stores in Chicago and the 900 Dodge Ave. store in Evanston accept single use and rechargeable batteries for no charge. Wilmette Walgreen's does not.
All Radio Shack stores accept rechargeable batteries for no charge. The closest stores are at 9432 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, 847-676-2076 and 1825 Waukegan Rd., Glenview, 847-724-5540.
Batteries - Car
Wilmette Auto Care (803 Green Bay Rd, Wilmette, 847-256-7766) accepts car batteries and motor oil.
Bicycles
RRB Cycles (562 Green Bay Rd., Kenilworth, 847-251-7878) accepts used bikes for recycling. Kids bikes go to the Recyclery in Chicago. Adult bikes are given to Working Bikes, a cooperative that sends them all over the world (see workingbikes.org).
The Recyclery (7628 N. Paulina, Chicago, 773-262-5900 or www.therecyclery.org) is a non-profit organization that seeks to build community through restoration of donated and discarded bicycles. They also give kids an opportunity to learn bicycle maintenance and earn their own bike.
Wilmette Bicycle and Sport Shop (605 Green Bay, 847-251-1404) accepts used bicycles for a discount towards a new bicycle.
Bottle Caps
A Green Horizon (1148 Central Ave, Wilmette, 847-256-2754) accepts bottle caps and batteries.
Any Aveda cosmetic store (Old Orchard Aveda, 847-679-1863) accepts bottle caps. However, do not include medicine lids or tub lids.
CDs
To repair damaged CDs, DVDs and Playstation or Nintendo video game disks, contact AuralTech (888-454-3223 or www.auraltech.com) for refinishing and they'll work like new. Also see Misc Technotrash below.
Game Stop (1865 Tower Dr., Glenview, 847-988-8186 or 920 Church St, Evanston, 847-328-8606) buys used games for credit towards another purchase.
Cardboard Boxes
If your workplace collects at least 100 good quality cardboard boxes each month, contact UsedCardBoardBoxes.com and they will arrange to pick them up at no cost and will resell them.
Catalogs
To reduce the number of catalogs you receive (and to be kind to your mailman!), go to catalogchoice.org to request that your name be removed from the mass catalog mailing lists. The online process takes about 20 minutes to complete. Repeat it about once a year to stay off the lists.
Clothes
Wearable clothes may be donated to Goodwill (708-442-3606 or 847-566-0636) or Salvation Army (773-477-1300).
Wearable children's clothes, toys and equipment may be traded for a discount to Bearly Used (401 Linden near the Linden L station, 847-256-8700).
Wearable men's, women's and children's clothing and accessories are accepted at Encore and More (1107 Central Ave, Wilmette, 847-853-8888). Proceeds benefit the NCJW charity.
Women's clothing is accepted for a discount at Plato's Closet (9448 Skokie Blvd., 847-677-7475).
Wearable women's business clothing may be donated to Dress for Success (212-532-1922 or www.dressforsuccess.org), which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs.
Composting/Organic Waste Disposal
See wilmette.com for information about composting in Wilmette. To purchase composting equipment and a wide variety of other ecologically sound products, visit the Ecofriendly Marketplace at swancc.org.
Computers and Electronics
The Village of Wilmette collects small electronics for recycling in a box located by the entrance.
Computers for Schools (pcsforschools.org) accepts all types of computers for use by schools.
Best Buy (9625 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, 847-982-1263) now accepts all appliances and electronics regardless of where you bought it, what brand it is, or how old it is. Most items are free. TVs and monitors are $10, but you receive a $10 Best Buy gift card. Call for pick up of large TVs, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, etc.
Free Geek Chicago (3411 W. Diversey, Chicago, 773-451-7130) provides free computers for underserved communities. You can donate a computer and receive a tax-deductible receipt.
Midwest Computer Recycling in Lake Bluff (101 W. Skokie Valley Hwy in Lake Bluff, 847-582-1730 or ez2recycle.com) accepts any electronics with a computer chip. This includes computers, scanners, printers, monitors, mice, keyboards, cables and accessories. It does not include TVs, unless they are in working order. Computer hard drives are carefully erased for a $10 fee using WipeDrive PRO before recycling a computer's components.
Staples (1509 Waukegan Rd in Glenview) recycles monitors, computers, keyboards, speakers and laptops.
The Wilmette Post Office now has prepaid envelopes for mailing small electronics (like cell phones and MP3 players) for recycling. Just put the stuff in the envelope, and drop it in a mailbox!
SWANCC (swancc.org) has occasional free drop off days. Or, to schedule a $25 individual household or business pick-up, call 847-724-9205 ext 9. Acceptable materials include personal computers, monitors, CPUs, printers, scanners, fax machines, electric typewriters, answering machines, shredders, postage machines, TVs (maximum 27"), VHS/DVD players, radios, stereo equipment, microwaves, cell phones and calculators. A maximum of 6 items per pick-up is allowed, not counting cell phones and calculators.
For 10 or more computers to donate, go to www.technologyforhumanity.org.
Construction and Remodeling Disposables
Falcon Group (773-807-7604), a local green construction and remodelling company, will pick up your construction waste or advise you of recycling contacts for various items.
Habitat for Humanity (800-643-7845) will pick up your discarded sinks, kitchen cabinets, and usable construction waste.
Cork
The Bottle Shop (847-256-7777) in Wilmette accepts wine bottle corks. Natural cork is now rare.
Document Destruction
Go to swancc.org and visit the RECYCLING tab to look up the complete schedule of document destruction events planned for all of the SWANCC member communities.
To find an on site document destruction company for home or business, visit the National Association for Information Destruction (naidonline.com) or go to ecoshred.com for general information.
Drugs - Prescription and OTC
Plaza del Lago Pharmacy (1515 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, 847-256-3950) accepts unused drugs.
Prescription and OTC drugs can be dropped off on the second Tuesday of month in the Health Department at the Wilmette Village Hall. This is a monitored drop off station to ensure safe handling of drugs. For information about upcoming Tuesday dates, call Diane Bader at 847-853-7507 or visit wilmette.com. The hours of the Health Department are 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM. They also accept sharps in sealed containers and CFL and fluorescent light bulbs.
Eyeglasses
The Wilmette Recreation Center has an eyeglass collection box for Hadley School for the Blind at the front desk. Pearle Vision at 9240 Skokie Blvd in Skokie (847-673-3500) also accepts used eyewear.
Exercise Videos
Swap your old videos and DVDs with others at www.videofitness.com.
Foam Packing Peanuts
Most UPS Stores (1187 Wilmette Ave., Wilmette or 3223 Lake Avenue in West Lake Plaza or 2859 Central St., Evanston) will accept used packing peanuts and clean bubble wrap for reuse.
Hazardous Chemical Waste
Contact SWANCC at 847-724-9205 (swancc.org) for the list of upcoming local collections or go to www.epa.state.il.us.
Holiday Lights
Drop off unwanted holiday lights at Wilmette Public Works on Laramie during the winter months. Drop off at Winnetka Public Works on Willow Rd. all year around.
You can mail in your old energy-inefficient holiday light strings to receive a 15% off coupon for LED light purchases. Go to holidayled.com or environmentallights.com.
Home Environmental Services
Falcon Group (773-807-7604), a local green construction and remodeling company, will pick up your construction waste or advise you of recycling contacts for various items.
Connor Smith (connor@codegreenlights.com) will clean out your old paint cans, pick up TVs and computers for recycling and provide help with clean-up chores. Contact him for price information.
Ice Skating Rink Tarps (e.g. used for lining home made ice skating rinks)
Local construction company Witt Brothers (847-251-4250) accepts tarps for use at construction sites.
Ink and Toner Cartridges
Walgreen's will refill your ink cartridges for a fee, including color cartridges.
Most Wilmette school lobbies have recycling bins for ink cartridges. The cartridge deposit fees are collected by the school and used for school programs.
Office Max (2211 Willow Rd, Glenview or 5507 N. Touhy, Skokie) and Staples (1509 Waukegan, Glenview) accept cartridges for a discount.
Light Bulbs - CFL and Fluorescent
Compact fluorescent light bulbs or standard fluorescent bulbs can be dropped off on the second Tuesday each month in the Health Department at the Wilmette Village Hall between the hours of 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM. This is a monitored drop off to ensure safe handling. For information about upcoming Tuesday dates, call Diane Bader at 847-853-7507 or visit wilmette.com. They also accept unused prescription and OTC drugs and sharps.
Weiss Ace Hardware (1560 Waukegan Rd, Glenview, 847-724-3444) will accept all lights bulbs for recycling with no charge. They also accept rechargeable batteries and paint. There is a fee for paint recycling.
You may also drop off used bulbs at Millen Hardware, 1219 Wilmette Ave., 847-251-3060. They will recycle them for $.80 if you just drop them off or free if you buy the number of bulbs you drop off.
For your information, CFLs contain a trace amount of mercury - about 4 mg on average. For comparison, a mercury thermometer contains about 500 mg. There is no release of mercury at any time unless the bulb breaks. If a CFL does break in your home, clean-up instructions are available at the USEPA's website http://www.energystar.gov/.
Light Fixtures
The Bellows Shoppe (847-446-5533) at 148 Gage St. in Winnetka and Urban Totem at 1937 Central St. in Evanston will sell used high end fixtures on consignment. Call for more information.
Miscellaneous Technotrash
For $30, GreenDisk (800-305-GREENDISK or www.greendisk.com) will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the following: CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, cell phones, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, ink/toner cartridges. The fee covers the box and shipping and recycling fees.
Motor Oil
Wilmette Auto Care (803 Green Bay Rd, Wilmette, 847-256-7766) accepts motor oil and car batteries.
Paint
Latex paint, or water based paints, can be placed in your own trash receptacles after drying out the remaining product using kitty litter or shredded paper. Dry out empty cans in an open area and place in trash bins. Contact SWANCC at 847-724-9205 (swancc.org) for local drop off locations and dates for other kinds of paint and hazardous chemical waste.
Millen Hardware (1219 Wilmette Ave.,847-251-3060) accepts old paint for a small fee.
Weiss Ace Hardware (1560 Waukegan Rd, Glenview, 847-724-3444) will accept paint for recycling for a fee. They also accept all light bulbs and rechargeable batteries without charge.
Phones
Best Buy (9625 Skokie Blvd, Skokie or 1072 Willow, Glenview) and Staples (1509 Waukegan Rd, Glenview) accept cell phones.
Motorola allows you to earn money for you company, school or organization by mailing in cell phones (888-390-6866 or www.motorola.com/racetorecycle)
Wireless Foundation has a program called Call to Protect (888-901-SAFE or www.calltoprotect.org) in which they reprogram used cell phones to dial 911 and give them to domestic violence victims. Visit www.donateaphone.com for collection point in the area. Tax receipts are available.
Plant Containers
West End Florist and Nursery (3800 Glenview Rd., 847-475-1933) accepts all plastic plant containers.
Plastic Bags
Place a recycling bag in your pantry or below your sink for plastics recycling. Drop off the contents every few weeks at any Jewel or Dominicks Food Store or at Wilmette Tailors and Cleaners at 819 Ridge Rd (847-251-2433). Any clean clear or opaque plastic bags can be recycled, including cleaners bags, clean grocery bags, clean sandwich or storage bags.
Propane Tanks
Millen Hardware at 1219 Wilmette Ave (847-251-3060) will exchange propane tanks when you need a refill. If you have a propane tank to get rid of, Millen's will recycle it for a small fee.
Scrap Metal
If you have a large item that is made of steel, try putting it out at your curb for a few days for the scrap metal collectors who troll the neighborhoods regularly. You can also try leaving out large items of furniture for salvage companies to collect at no charge. Or contact one of the following for pick up:
Steel Recycling Institute (800-YES-1-CAN, www.recycle-steel.org)
C&R Scrap Iron & Metal (773-585-3030)
Premier Metals Recycling (773-927-3097)
Sharps
Sharps are collected Monday through Friday in the Health Department at the Wilmette Village Hall. Sharps products must be placed in a biohazard container or in a capped liquid detergent bottle sealed with duct tape. The sealed full container may be dropped off from 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM at the Health Department or at Fire Station #1, 1304 Lake Ave. If you have questions regarding the Wilmette sharps collection program, call Diane Bader at 847-853-7507. They also collect CFL and fluorescent bulbs and unused prescription and OTC drugs on the second Tuesday each month. Call for dates or go to wilmette.com.
Sports Equipment
Resell or trade in your used equipment at Play It Again Sports at 525 Waukegan Rd in Northbrook (847-564-9180) or 1325 N. Rand Rd in Palatine (847-221-2672). Equipment must be clean and in good condition. They will even pick up.
Styrofoam
Abt Electronics (1200 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview, 847-967-8830) accepts styrofoam for recycling. They now accept all TVs for no charge. Call for pick up of large items for a small fee.
Tarps (e.g. used to line home ice skating rinks)
Local construction company Witt Brothers (847-251-4250) recycles tarps for use at construction sites.
Tennis Balls
Centennial Tennis recycles tennis balls, sending some to nursing homes and some to rebounce.com which repumps the balls for reuse in schools, etc.
Tires
Most service stations accept worn tires to be recycled and used for playground surfaces.
Tyvek Envelopes
For quantities less than 25, send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA 23234. For quantities over 25, call 866-33-TYVEK.
TVs
For disposal of working TVs, donate to Salvation Army (773-477-1300) or Goodwill (708-442-3603 or 847-566-0636). For non-working TVs, there are several options. SWANCC (swancc.org) accepts TVS under 27" and will pick them up along with other electronics for a $25 fee.
Abt Electronics (1200 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview, 847-967-8830) now accepts all TVs for recycling for no charge. They also accept styrofoam. Call for pick up of large items for a small fee.
Best Buy (9625 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, 847-982-1263) now accepts all appliances and electronics regardless of where you bought it, what brand it is, or how old it is. Most items are free. TVs and monitors are $10, but you receive a $10 Best Buy gift card. Call for pick up of large TVs, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, etc.
Vases
Morning Glory at 1135 ½ Central (847-256-2575) accepts flower vases of all sizes.
Additional Recycling Resources
To join the free local Wilmette giveaway and recycling program, go to freecycle.org and join the Wilmette user group. You will receive notification of items that people are giving away in Wilmette and be able to post your own giveaway items as well. It is a great way to give and get stuff free and keep stuff recycling locally.
Visit wilmette.com for a detailed description of the village household recycling program. See the Home Environmental Services section of this guide to get help with home clean up projects. Visit swancc.org for their Recycling resources online guide with many ideas for recycling in the broader metropolitan area.
This guide is updated periodically by Go Green Wilmette. If you have suggestions for updates, please email them to Anne Wieboldt at annew@gogreenwilmette.org or Margrit Kuehn at margritk@gogreenwilmette.org.
Green Tips 101: You Can Make a Difference
Change light bulbs: Replace incandescent lights bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. Don't wait for old bulbs to burn out. Make this change today. Dispose of old CFL bulbs properly by recycling them (or saving them until recycling programs exist.)
Drive less, drive smart: Drive a fuel-efficient car, keep tires inflated, carpool and reduce your speed. Don't idle while waiting. Walk, bike or use public transportation instead. Support funding for mass transit. Be mindful of how far the things you buy have been transported.
Reduce your home's heating/cooling needs: Use a programmable thermostat, turn the temperature down two degrees in the winter, up two in the summer. Use proper insulation. Use fuel-efficient furnaces and air conditioners. Keep filters clean or replace them.
Reduce your water use: Use less water in the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room and yard. Use plants that are drought tolerant. Don't water your yard.
Buy energy efficient electronics and appliances: Replace old ones now with Energy Star models. See if you can get by without that second refrigerator or freezer. Review your electric and gas bills and try to reduce them.
Turn off electric devices: Unplug appliances when not in use, including chargers. Plug music and audiovisual electronics into power strips that can be easily switched off.
Buy locally and/or organically grown food: Be aware of how far your food travels to your table and how it is grown. Use a tote bag. Eat low on the food chain.
Plant a tree: Maintain a green lawn and garden with native plants. Reduce your use of chemicals and gas-powered machines. Be sure to discuss this with your yard service.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle: Cut back on consumption. Encourage recycling in your home, at your office and at businesses and restaurants you patronize. Buy recycled products. Compost your yard waste. Be an environmentally-mindful consumer.
Be part of the solution: Take action today. Inspire others. Raise children who care about the earth. Join and support environmental groups, both national and local. Join or start an environmental group in your town.