Don't Throw that Old TV in the Trash

If you got a new television or computer for Christmas or Hanukkah and want to get rid of the old one, you can’t throw it in the trash.

That’s because after Jan. 1 landfills will not take electronic equipment of any kind. A list of items is contained in a PDF.

The new recycling law was adopted by the Illinois General Assembly in 2010. Homes, multi-unit buildings, condos, schools, libraries, houses of worship and park districts will not have to pay for this new service. Commercial businesses, such as hospitals, grocery stores and office buildings, will have to provide and pay for their own service, according to Karen Rozmus, Oak Park’s environmental services manager.

Why did it take 18 months before the law took effect? “It gave enough time for folks to understand and prepare for the law and for communities to put a plan in place,” she said. “And we’ve been getting a lot of calls from residents about it.”

In Oak Park, the company that will take its material is Vintage Tech Recyclers, a Romeoville-based firm. The company will handle electronics that are dropped off during the village’s monthly recycling drive, which starts the last Saturday in May at the Oak Park Public Works Department, 201 South Blvd. A schedule of pickups is included as a PDF.

From there the firm will wipe hard drives clean, refurbish computers and other electronics if they can; if not they will be dissembled and components will be recycled in the region. Nothing will be sent out of the country, Rozmus said. According to an article from MSNBC, tons of gear is sent to countries with less than environmentally-friendly policies.

If you can’t wait that long the public works department in Forest Park will take items from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The department’s at 7343 W. 15^th St. Call 708-366-2323 for more information. Chicago Household Chemical and Electronic recycling facility, 1150 N. Branch St., Chicago, also will take items. For more information, call 312-744-7672.