Kane County Recycling Extravaganza Returns July 19 — Featuring eworks
The Kane County Recycling Extravaganza will take place on Saturday, July 19, 8am – noon at 540 S. Randall Road in St. Charles. We will be collecting and recycling a laundry list of items, including electronics, books, bikes, paint, aerosols, child car seats and strollers, smoke and CO alarms, fluorescent and LED bulbs, 6 pack rings and ink jet cartridges. For all the details and a map of the stations, please see https://www.kanecountyil.gov/Recycling/Pages/recyclingEvents.aspx
Recycling Extravaganza Vendor Highlight: eWorks and Kane County Recycling Program
eWorks Electronics Services, which operates out of Wheeling, IL, will be bringing the core services of the County's Fabyan Parkway and West Dundee Recycling Centers to the Extravaganza! eWorks is a not-for-profit organization whose primary mission is providing job training for students with developmental and learning disabilities. These opportunities are coordinated with school district special education programs throughout Northeastern Illinois. eWorks funds its mission in-part by collecting and processing various hard-to-recycle materials. It started with consumer electronics and has now expanded to include clothing, shoes and other textiles, scrap metal, books and other paper. After touring eWorks' new facility in Wheeling earlier this year, Clair Ryan, the County's Recycling Program Coordinator said “I was really impressed by the scope of eWorks' operation. They not only facilitate local government recycling programs, but do reverse logistics (damages and returns) for major retail chains and brands. And I love that Kane County residents can rest assured that data on devices recycled with eWorks will be safe until it is destroyed thanks to eWorks' certifications for responsible electronics recycling."
eWorks will be collecting electronics, shoes, clothing and other textiles at Station 1 at the Extravaganza. Please look here (pages 1 & 2) for guidance on accepted and non-accepted items. Books and other paper will be collected separately at Station 2. FEES: There is a fee to recycle televisions and stand-alone computer monitors. The fee is $25 for each item with a screen measuring less than 21" diagonally, and $35 for each item with a screen measuring 21" or more. Cash or card are accepted. Computers with built in screens are free, as are all other accepted electronics. The fee covers eWorks' staffing costs – all center attendants and event staff are paid employees, not non-profit program participants!
With the help of community volunteers, we're also going to be able to collect ink jet printer cartridges (used in home printers, usually smaller than 4 inches in any dimension), traditional six-pack rings, and snap on can caddies (the type often used for cans of craft beer) at the Extravaganza. Clair explains: “I found mail in programs for the ink jet cartridges and flexible six pack holders that are totally free – even the cost of shipping is covered – so it's great that we can consolidate a whole bunch of these small items and send them away for recycling as a service to residents." The snap on can holders stay local, with the help of Heartland Beverage and Riverland Brewing, both in St. Charles, that are part of a network that collects the holders for reuse and recycling. These items will all be collected at Station 6 at no cost.
Can't make the Extravaganza? eWorks collects electronics, clothing and books at our Recycling Center locations five days a week all year round. There are self-service bins at the Fabyan Parkway location for six-pack rings, can caddies and ink jet cartridges.
