RECYCLING the what, how and where.
First, before you think about recycling, think about REDUCING. That is going to be WAY more effective than recycling! Sometimes we like to call it “pre-cycling” where you don’t pick up that free tchotche some business is giving away that ends up languishing in your drawer. But we digress….recycling!
Recycling in the Glen Ellyn area can be confusing. Beyond curbside with Groot (Village) and other carriers in unincorporated GE, it’s difficult to know what to recycle, how and where to do it. DuPage County has a great recycling guide that talks about the differences between curbside and non-curbside.
Curbside: In the village of Glen Ellyn, Groot picks up your garbage, plus a co-mingled container of paper, plastic and glass. When you add anything into that mix that is not suppose to be there, you can stop a recycling production line, or contaminate an entire load sending it all to the landfill. No one needs that guilt! So follow some basic steps to make sure that what you are aspiring to recycle is actually recyclable.
We like to use this graphic of items created by DuPage County that can go in your curbside bin. If it is NOT on this list, check the "non curbside lists" below to see if you can recycle it elsewhere!
DuPage County’s Recycle Bin is a fun tool that you can also use to learn about what can go in your recycle bin. But check with your waste hauler/recycling company for specifics, as some take items that others do not. Visit Recycle Bin HERE>
Want to know more details? We’ve published a newsletter on curbside recycling, as well as a series on recycling the most common curbside items:
Before you recycle curbside…Let’s talk plastic bags.
You may think that you are being tidy putting your recycling in a plastic bag, BUT IT WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE LANDFILL!
The recycling collector does not open it to notice your freshly washed pasta sauce jar and tuna cans. They will throw it away. All your good work for naught.
Even empty plastic bags and film do not go in the recycling bin as they will gum up the works when the other items are being sorted.
Plastic bags are one of the worst contaminants in recycling bins. NO plastic bags, films, bubble wrap, etc. When you recycle plastic, think rigid container. If it’s not a rigid container, it’s probably not recyclable…EVEN if it is made of plastic.
NON CURBSIDE RECYCLING
Electronics and Textiles are two of the biggest items that are incorrectly added to curbside bins. Below is information on where to recycle these items that CANNOT go in your curbside bin!
MORE RESOURCES : See link below for DuPage County’s excellent Drop Off Recycling Guide for lots more items that can’t be collected curbside.
Even more resources for non-curbside items!
We have a wonderful resource nearby in SCARCE!
They are located at
800 S. Rohlwing Rd (Route 53)
Unit D Addison
Learn more about SCARCE and their mission at
View the most current list of their accepted items here:
What about all those other odds and ends? Batteries, lights, old toys, non-working school supplies, contact lens packaging? We’ve started a guide that captures where to take all those little things in the back of your closet and junk drawer! Check it out and let us know what you think!
DON’T FLUSH IT!
Medication Disposal
From our Friends at IL Poison Control: You can help prevent accidental poisoning of children and family members by properly removing medicine from your home. Doing so can help reduce medication abuse and drug diversion.
Proper medication disposal also helps the environment. Studies have found prescription drugs—antibiotics, hormones and cardiac medications—in our nation’s waterways. Water treatment plants cannot remove drug compounds before they reach the environment. Flushing unused medications down the toilet is part of the problem. It’s also something we can control.
We are always working on more content in this area, including answering your top questions about recycling SO WATCH THIS SPACE AND SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER!
If you have other sources or specific questions, please let us know by emailing info@gogreenglenellyn.org!