Electronic recycling sites to reopen in New Lenox, Peotone

CHICAGO (Scrap Monster):  Will County residents will soon have two more options for recycling electronic waste as county officials try to revive an extensive program that was forced to close earlier this year.

Last week, the County Board approved two agreements — with New Lenox Township and Peotone Township — in which each will provide a drop-off site two nights per month.

According to the county website, the site at the Peotone Police Department at 208 E. Main St. will open July 20, and accept items the first and third Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. every month.

New Lenox will open its site at 1100 S. Cedar Road on July 27 and accept items the second and fourth Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. every month.

Marta Keane, recycling specialist with the Will County Resource Recovery and Energy Division, said, "We don't have the budget to do it more often, but we are talking to other communities."

Lockport Township has already reopened its site and accepts items from 6 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays at 17112 Prime Boulevard.

Residents at all three sites will be limited to two TVs, and must present identification proving they live in a town that is at least partially within Will County, since the county is now paying for the recycling service.

In February, the county's long-time recycling firm, Vintage Tech of Plainfield, broke its contract, saying it could no longer make enough money from manufacturers to sustain its efforts.

The county hired Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) of Indiana to handle the electronic waste, but has been forced to cut back on its program, which had 13 permanent drop-off sites.

According to the agreements, the townships will provide a location for short-term collection, with a video surveillance camera, lighting, parking to accommodate up to three 26-foot-long trucks and a line long enough for 20 cars.

Will County will pay the cost for transporting, processing and recycling the items, will report to the IEPA on volume of items collected, provide two part-time employees to work at the collection area, to check driver's licenses for residency and shrink-wrap items.

New Lenox Township Supervisor Mike Hickey said, "Even if it is only two nights, it will give residents an avenue to dispose of electronic waste locally. As long as the state bans electronics (from landfills), we want to give our residents options. We don't want it showing up in our ditches."

Hickey said he also believes that, "Whoever is making money selling TVs should have to pay to dispose of them."

And that has been the ongoing debate as Keane and Dean Olsen, director of the county's Resource Recovery and Energy Division, and others try to get new legislation to make manufacturers pay more for electronic recycling.

County Board member Bob Howard, D-Beecher, said he hoped these agreements with Peotone and New Lenox would encourage other communities to get involved. He credited Keane and Olsen for "carrying the torch" on the issue and "never letting up."

Keane said the county will have a one-day collection event at the New Lenox ShareFest on Sept. 10 and hopes to have others in August, October and November.

Some towns have provided their own programs, such as Mokena. By charging residents 50 cents on their monthly garbage bill, residents can place items at the curb to be picked up on their typical garbage day by Nu-Way Disposal. Plainfield residents are paying $1.25 per month for a similar service, according to Keane.

"I feel bad because the idea is that manufacturers should pick up the tab," Keane said.

Courtesy: www.chicagotribune.com