Twenty-Six Tons Recycled + Shredding This Saturday

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The numbers from Kane County's 2022 Annual Recycling Extravaganza are in.  This year, the County collected 53,300 pounds of material or 26.6 tons. That's about the weight of two large school buses. Woah! This is right in line with the amounts collected during similar events in recent years.

From the total collected, about 13% was routed for reuse including:  wearable clothing, bicycles, liquid latex paint and a portion of the books collected. The remaining 87% of material was sent for recycling.

Kane County Recycling Coordinator Clair Ryan spent a good chunk of her time at the event working at the batteries and fluorescent lights station.

“It sure felt like batteries made up a hefty weight of materials, but it turns out not so much," said Ryan.

Electronics made up 45% of the weight collected and books made up15%.  Liquid paint (the reusable portion) was about 13% of the material, clothes and textiles about 9%, and paint cans and unusable residues were about 7%.

“The batteries, although there were a lot of them trust me, 'only' weighed in at 5%, but that's still over a ton," said Ryan.

Fifty-five bicycles were collected by Working Bikes, Chicago, which will repair the bikes and give them to people, both in the city and elsewhere, in need of reliable urban transportation.

Ryan wanted to make sure to extend her thanks to all of the volunteers and vendors who more than outdid themselves hefting every one of those 26.6 tons!

Kane County's “summer of recycling" continues this Saturday, August 13, with a confidential document shredding event.  The event takes place at the Circuit Clerk Office - 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, from 8:00 a.m.  – noon.  noon.

Visit the Kane County Recycling events website for tips on making it the best experience possible. Shredding of residential (non-business) documents is free to all Kane County residents.

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