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Community Corner

Make recycling part of the holiday season

     JOLIET – Recycle Christmas lights at any of the County’s electronic recycling centers this holiday season and you could win a refurbished iPad3 for taking care of the planet.

     Will County and its partnering organizations offer 13 permanent electronic recycling drop-off sites which accept those burnt out and unwanted strings of lights, as well as other items.

    “In the spirit of the season, let’s give the earth we depend upon a gift by recycling. String lights are one of hundreds of items we can keep out of our landfills while preserving our natural resources,” said Will County Executive Larry Walsh.

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     Wrapping paper, boxes and other containers can also be recycled. Anyone without curbside recycling service or with too much material to wait until the next recycling day may use one of the County’s traditional recycling drop-off sites in Channahon Township, Godley Park District, Lockport, New Lenox Township, Troy Township Highway Department and Washington Township/Beecher.

     Marta Keane, Recycling Program Specialist with the Will County Land Use – Resource Recovery and Energy Division, said, “Making reuse and recycling part of holiday celebrations can be fun and using our drop-offs is a great family activity! Reusing gift bags and recycling string lights, electronics, wrapping paper and boxes saves energy and even prevents water pollution.”

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     Take a photo of yourself or a friend participating in any recycling program and post it on Will County Green’s Facebook page or e-mail it to recycling@willcountygreen.com for a chance to win a refurbished iPad3 from the County’s electronics recycler, Vintage Tech. Deadline for the photo submission is Jan.  10.

      Permanent residential recycling sites, which accept more than 60 electronic and electrical items, are at: 299 Canterbury Lane, Bolingbrook; 25461 S. Fryer St., Channahon; 500 S. Kankakee, Godley; 14400 W. 151st St., Homer Glen; Forest Preserve District of Will County office, 17540 W. Laraway Road, Joliet; 17112 Prime Blvd., Lockport; 24645 S. Eastern Ave, Manhattan; 19004 Wolf Road, Mokena; Monee Reservoir, 27341 Ridgeland Ave, Monee; 1100 S. Cedar Road, New Lenox; 95 S. Budler Road, Romeoville; 30200 Town Center Road, Beecher; and Troy Township Highway Department, 25358 Seil Road, Shorewood.

      Hours vary by site. For additional information about electronic recycling, hours of operation and Will County Land Use -RRE, go to www.willcountygreen.com. Information about items which are banned from landfills can also be found there, as well as the County’s front-door service options.

     The Land Use Department is under the County Executive’s office and is led by Director Curt Paddock. 

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