Dispose of Electronic Waste Safely in Barrington

Palatine residents with unwanted electronics can now dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way this weekend.

Cook County, Delta Institute of Chicago and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County have partnered up to organize three pilot events to accept electronic waste, or e-waste free of charge. The three locations chosen could serve as possible permanent e-waste recycling centers.

Barrington’s , 3 Stover Road, was chosen as one of the drop-off locations. Residents can bring their unwanted electronics, including computers, video game consoles, VCRs and cell phones to the nature center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 23.

Two other e-waste collections have already taken place in South Holland and Lemont.

“Delta is pleased to assist Cook County in testing this free resource, with the goal to ensure that e-waste is handled in a reliable, safe and responsible manner,”  Delta CEO Jean Pogge said. “The volume of e-waste is growing rapidly, and it’s vital that everyone help divert these items from landfills and incinerators.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said providing permanent e-waste recycling centers is a top county priority.

“With the assistance of the Delta Institute and the Forest Preserve District, we plan to establish convenient drop-off sites so our residents can easily dispose of their old electronics,” she said. “We know that our residents are looking for ways to recycle and, in keeping with the county’s commitment to sustainability, we will provide them with numerous options in the near future.”

The State of Illinois’ Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act, which took effect at the start of this year, makes it illegal to dispose of electronics in landfills. E-waste contains heavy metals that can harm the environment, including lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium and cadmium, by leaking into and contaminating groundwater.

Electronics also contain valuable products that can be reused, including plastic, tin/lead solder and other materials, thus conserving natural resources, reducing water pollution and energy use, and reducing air pollution associated with greenhouse gas emissions.

E-waste items eligible for drop-off at the pilot events include personal desktop and laptop computers; servers; printers; CRT and LCD monitors; televisions; computer cables, mice, and keyboards; fax machines, MP3 players, portable digital assistants (PDAs), video game consoles, videocassette recorders (VCRs), remote controls (these take alkaline batteries, which must be removed) video disk players, zip drives, scanners, cell phones and chargers.

Typewriters and televisions with wood casing will not be accepted at the e-waste pilot sites, along with home appliances including stoves, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens, electric can openers and blenders. Instead, residents should either contact Commonwealth Edison or their municipal waste department for handling.

To see a complete list e-waste materials accepted at the pilot collection sites, visit www.delta-institute.org.