Illinois EPA Announces 2012 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Schedule

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois EPA Interim Director John Kim announced household hazardous waste collections have resumed and have been scheduled in six downstate communities, in the Spring and the Fall of 2012, starting Saturday, June 2.

“The Illinois EPA is very pleased to be able to resume this popular and important program after a three-year hiatus,” said Director Kim. “These events will provide residents in the central and southern parts of the state an opportunity to dispose of household hazardous waste in a safe and environmentally responsible manner and will complement the four long-term household hazardous waste programs that continue to operate in the Northern part of the state.”

The 2012 one-day collections are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays for:

Carbondale on June 2

Quincy on June 23

Peoria on September 8

Swansea on September 15

Springfield on September 22

Champaign-Urbana on September 29

The Illinois EPA continues to support long-term facilities in Naperville, Rockford, Chicago and Lake County.

The program, which begain in 1989, has already served nearly 417,000 households.  Since the program’s inception, 465 one-day events have been held and over 81,000 fifty-five gallon drums of toxic materials have been collected from Illinois citizens. 

The collections give citizens the opportunity to safely dispose of unused or leftover household products commonly found in homes, basements and garages statewide. The materials are handled in an environmentally sound manner, diverting them from local area landfills.

Citizens are encouraged to bring, paints, thinners, chemical cleaners, unwanted pharmaceuticals, mercury and mercury-containing items, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, kerosene, weed killers, insecticides, pesticides, adhesives, hobby chemicals, household batteries and similar products. Fluorescent and other high-intensity discharge lamps may also be brought to the collections. The public is encouraged to find alternative uses for latex paint since it is not considered hazardous.

Items notaccepted include explosives, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, medical waste, sharps, controlled substances, agricultural chemicals and all business wastes. Propane tanks and lead acid auto batteries cannot be accepted at most of the events, but should be taken to local recyclers. Electronics and related devices will not be accepted. As of January 1, 2012, unwanted electronics must be recycled.