Environmental Stewardship
Recycling
Benefitting the Community and the Environment
Holiday Lights Recycling Program
The City of West Chicago offers a program in which residents can recycle strands of incandescent and LED holiday lights, and extension cords at designated bins each year from late-November through January.
This program is open to West Chicago Residents, businesses, clubs, churches and organizations, and is made available through the coordination of the City of West Chicago, the City of West Chicago’s Environmental Commission, and Groot.
Annual Citywide Collection Event
Every year, the Citywide Collection Event is scheduled on the same day as customers’ regular garbage pickup day. It’s the annual City event that prompts residents to declutter the basement, home, and/or garage by providing a convenient and cost effective way to dispose of items no longer needed.
A total of eight “Universal” stickers must be affixed on the pile of acceptable items. All eligible residents are encouraged to do some spring cleaning and take advantage of this annual program.
- Examples of “Acceptable Items” include, but are not limited to; garage and attic clean-out debris; barbeque grills; bicycles; carpeting, if rolled into sections not exceeding four feet in length and not weighing more than 50 pounds per roll; household construction materials (e.g., lumber, drywall, plywood, doors) if bundled or placed within 33-gallon refuse containers and/or not weighing more than 50 pounds; furniture; box springs and mattresses; and household fixtures, excluding electronics as described below.
- Examples of “Unacceptable Items” include, but not limited to; hazardous waste; tires; automotive parts, fluids and batteries (e.g., oil, transmission fluid, windshield washing fluid, starters, brake shoes, etc.); household batteries; oil-based paint; pesticides; and propane tanks, and large household appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers). Small household appliances (e.g., toasters, televisions, microwaves, computers, monitors, speakers, stereo equipment) are no longer acceptable items as they are now banned from Illinois landfills from all sources under penalty of law.
Those wishing more information about the acceptability of an item for pickup may call (630) 293-2255.
Free Christmas Tree Collection
The City offers free holiday tree collection each year with dates of collection varying each year. Trees need to be free of lights, garland, tinsel, etc. otherwise drivers will tag the tree and leave it for the following week.
If tree decorations are not removed by the second week’s collection, the customer will have to put a sticker on it and it would be picked up the following week as trash. Please do not put trees in plastic bags.
Pumpkin Composting Event
in 2020, 4.94 tons of pumpkins were collected, nearly filling the collection receptacle stationed at the First United Methodist Church (FUMC) of West Chicago parking lot, to its capacity. The Pumpkin Composting Event is hugely successful in diverting pumpkins from landfills, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions and returning the nutrient rich fruit back to the earth where they were grown.
Organizers hope to surpass that tonnage every year as more and more residents are becoming aware of the environmental benefits of pumpkin composting.
The West Chicago Environmental Commission, the Green Disciples of the FUMC, and SCARCE team up to make it as easy as driving up and pitching their jack o’ lanterns into the large collection dumpster that will be stationed at the FUMC parking lot, located at 643 East Washington Street. Volunteers will be on hand, and everyone should wear a mask.
Pumpkins can be painted, but need to be free of yarn and other items that are not compostable. All candle holders need to be removed prior to composting.