Lake County residents can dispose of unwanted household chemicals in February plus obtain relevant information courtesy of the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO).
With SWALCO (the county’s new waste and recycling vendor as of Jan. 1) planning two household chemical waste events this month, residents have a choice of two dates to dispose of unwanted household chemical products: Feb. 13 and Feb.22 at SWALCO’s facility at 1311 N. Estes St. in Gurnee. Residents are required to make an appointment beforehand.
SWALCO has year-round collection events in Gurnee, other permanent household chemical waste (HCW) sites in Illinois and mobile collection events as announced.
Collections are for residential waste only; no business or commercial waste will be accepted. In addition, all SWALCO collection events are free for Illinois residents.
Acceptable items include all aerosol products, such as hairspray; motor fluids, such as antifreeze, fuel and brake fluid; non-alkaline batteries; cleansers and polishes; chemical fertilizer or pesticides; solvents, mercury and oil-based paints; medications and cosmetics; and more.
Certain items cannot be accepted, such as DEA-controlled substances, explosives, electronics, latex paints, medical waste and tires. Consumers are urged to check SWALCO’s website to schedule an appointment and see a complete list of accepted items at http://www.swalco.org.
SWALCO’s program redirects HCW from the municipal waste stream by sending it to IEPA-approved facilities, reducing both waste and toxicity level.
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