Recycling FAQs General Program Information What is the new recycling program? The Village of Addison has answered residents requests for a larger recycling container. Residents told us they wanted a larger recycling container with a cover and we have responded. All households with curbside recycling will receive a 65 gallon blue recycling cart for all of their recyclable materials. Can we continue to use our existing recycling bin? Unfortunately after November 1, 2013, all recycling must be placed in a recycling cart. Republic Services/Allied Waste will be using automated trucks. The driver will use a cart lifter to empty the recycling cart. The cart lifter is specifically designed for the supplied carts and will not work with recycling bins. If you regularly have more recycling than will fit in your recycling cart, please contact the Village Environmental Services Division of Public Works at (630)279 2140 to request a larger cart. Who is eligible for this recycling service? All residents who live within the Village of Addison in one or two family homes. Who is collecting recycling with the new program? Republic Services/Allied Waste will continue to collect recycling. When does recycling collection begin? The new recycling carts will be distributed in late September, 2013. What day will my recycling be collected? Collection will continue to be on your regular pick up day the same day as your garbage pick up. How much does the recycling cart cost? There are no additional costs to residents for the recycling cart. The carts are being provided by Republic Services/Allied Waste. Where does recycling go after it is collected? Collected recyclables are delivered to a material recovery facility (MRF), located in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. The materials are sorted and bundled using a series of specialized equipment. The recovered materials are then sold and are eventually re manufactured into new products. For some of the materials, it's a closed loop process. This is the case with aluminum cans, which are used to manufacture new aluminum cans that will be back on a grocery store shelves in as little as 60 days. What do I do with recycling my old bin? You may keep the old bin and use it as you see fit, perhaps as an indoor recycling container or for storage. If you wish to dispose of the bin, you can simply drop it off at the Addison Recycling Center, 711 N. Addison Road, during normal recycling hours through November 1st. How does this affect my yard waste collection? Yard waste collection schedules are not affected by the new recycling container. Yard waste will continue to be collected in biodegradable paper bags or a separate rigid container labeled for yard waste. You may not put yard waste in the blue recycling cart.
Why is Addison providing this new cart now? Many residents reported that they regularly had more recycling than would fit in their bin and that they would recycle more with a larger container. We expect that there will be an increase in recycling with the larger containers. These larger containers are being provided at no cost to residents by Republic Services/Allied Waste. The new carts demonstrate the Village of Addison s commitment to becoming a more sustainable, green community. Cart Information How big are the carts? How much can they hold? The new recycling carts hold up to 65 gallons of recyclables. They have lids to keep out the rain and keep recyclables from becoming litter. The carts also have wheels to make it easy to move to the collection point, which is in the same area as your current trash collection. Do I need to be home to receive the recycling cart? No, you do not need to be home to receive the new recycling container. Carts will be dropped off at the curb in the front of each residence. What should I do when I receive the cart? When the recycling cart arrives, write your street address on the inside of the lid cart in permanent marker. Next, read the informational brochure provided with the cart. Start putting recyclables in the container in anticipation of the first collection day. Sorting is not required. When and where do I set out the cart for collection? Recycling will be collected on the same day in the same location your trash is collected. Containers must be placed within 1 foot of the curb or alley, with the wheels and handles facing your house, and at least 3 feet from other trash or recycling carts, or any other obstructions; for alley collection place container in the alley behind your own property. Recycling must be placed out for collection by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day. Please note that by ordinance all empty containers must be removed from the curbside by midnight of your scheduled collection day. When does collection start? Please begin using your recycling cart as soon as you receive it. Why is the recycling cart so large? Households were provided a cart that holds 65 gallons in order to offer space for our ever increasing Green community. Research has shown that households that use the 65 gallon cart recycle more pounds on average than those that use smaller bins. Communities have typically reported an increase in home recycling when the switch is made to the larger 65 gallon cart size. Can I request a smaller recycling container? Unfortunately no, the recycling trucks use an automated collection process and cannot handle carts smaller than a certain size. Can I request a larger recycling cart? One recycling cart will be provided per household. If you would like a larger 95 gallon recycling cart, please contact the Village Environmental Services Division of Public Works at (630)279 2140 after sixty days of use.
What do I do with my trash and recycle carts should I move? If you move, your recycle and trash carts should be left behind for the new residents. Carts are tied to the household address. Recycling Basics What do I recycle? A list of what can and cannot be recycled is stamped into the lid of the blue recycling cart. You can recycle the following: Can I recycle lids and caps? You can keep lids, caps and labels on the recyclables; no need to remove them before placing in the blue cart.
Is it necessary to rinse recyclables that contained food or liquid? Yes, food and liquid residue contaminates the stream and makes recyclables difficult to process and renders the material unusable. Please rinse any containers that are easily washable and do not recycle materials that are heavily soiled with food or liquid residue, such as used pizza boxes. Are plastic bags recyclable? No, plastic bags are not recyclable through Addison s program, because they are not able to be processed by the recycling facility. Plastic bags get caught in the mechanisms and cause the machinery to shut down. We encourage residents to recycle their plastic bags at their local grocery or drug store. Should I bag my recyclables like I do my trash? No, recyclables can go directly into the blue cart without using any bags to hold them. This makes them easier to sort and process once they reach the recycling facility. What tips can you share with me about recycling? There is no sorting required. Everything that is recyclable can go straight into the recycling cart. Lids, caps and labels can be kept on recyclable containers. Do not place dirty recyclables, such as un rinsed jars, in the cart. Please do not recycle plastic bags. Yard waste will continue to be collected in biodegradable bags or a separate rigid container with a Yard Waste Only decal from April 1 st through November 30 th Refer to the informational brochure that comes with the cart to learn what you can and cannot recycle. Visit Earth911.org and wwww.dupageco.org/edp for information on how to recycle items not included in the curbside program. What does the term single stream recycling mean? It means that residents do not have to sort any of their recyclables. The material recovery facility utilizes technology that sorts all the recyclable materials making it easier for residents to recycle. Single stream recycling is the process used by Republic Services/Allied Waste. However, as in the past, garbage and yard waste must be placed out for collection in separate containers. How can we dispose of household hazardous waste? Materials such as oil based paint, pesticides, poison, cleaning solvents, gasoline, used oil and other automotive fluids are considered Household Hazardous Waste. Flammable, toxic, corrosive products should not be included with regular refuse for disposal. For additional information on options for disposal of these items, please contact the DuPage County Household Hazardous Waste Hotline at (630) 407 6760 or check the Waste and Recycling section of the DuPage County website at www.dupageco.org/recycle. How can we dispose of household electronic items? Effective January 1, 2012, electronic items such as televisions, computers, monitors, printers and many computer and cable television peripherals were banned from landfill disposal. The Village of Addison operates a drop off point for these items at the Addison Recycling Center, 711 N Addison Rd. Please call Environmental Services at (630) 279 2140 for detailed information.
How can we dispose of used motor oil? The A.J. LaRocca Wastewater Facility, 249 S. Villa Avenue, accepts used motor oil from residents at no charge. The facility is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday Friday. The motor oil container is located behind the facility, and is unattended. Motor oil is not accepted at landfills, and should not be placed with the normal trash for pickup. How can we dispose of unused medications? Unused and expired medications can be dropped off at the Addison Police Station, 3 Friendship Plaza. There is a secure collection box in the lobby of the police station. Asthma inhalers and glass thermometers are also accepted at this location. Sharps, needles and radioactive materials cannot be accepted. If you have any questions, please contact Environmental Services at (630) 279 2140. Benefits of recycling Why should I recycle? By recycling all that you can, you can make a real impact. Everyday actions at home can add up like putting aluminum cans and newspapers in the recycling cart instead of the trash. Recycling helps the environment, saves energy, diverts trash away from landfills, and creates and retains local jobs. How does recycling help Addison? Recycling helps keep usable materials out of the landfill: o Currently, Addison residents divert 15 percent of their trash from the landfill through the recycling program. With this new service, Addison hopes to increase this percentage and extend the life of landfills. o Nationwide, 60% of the materials that could be recycled are buried in landfills or incinerated. Recycling creates and saves jobs in Illinois. Recycling saves money o The more materials are recycled, the more affordable the program becomes in the long term due to savings in disposal fees charged at landfills. What will happen if I don t recycle? Recycling is not mandatory in Addison but we hope that all residents take advantage of the program and become stewards of our environment. Addison residents requested this new service and told us they consider recycling to be a basic village service. The village has delivered, making recycling more convenient at no additional cost to residents.