Frequently Asked Questions

Please check out our Latex Paint Disposal page.

Yes! We "BULK" gasoline, oil and antifreeze during all of our Household Chemical Waste events. This means you don't need to unnecessary transfer your waste. When you arrive, simply let us know you'd like your container back! There are exceptions of course, we typically can not accept large collection containers, such as chemical drums and the like, please call ahead with larger container or quantities.

Most Lake County municipalities contract with a single company to provide recycling and waste collection services, however, some residents and businesses (including those in unincorporated areas) may contract for these services on their own. For more information about establishing service, adding or replacing collection containers and billing matters, contact your local service provider or city/village officials. Please check out Your Neighborhood Programs member pages. These pages will provide information about your neighborhood including your waste hauler.

Please check out Your Neighborhood Programs member pages. These pages will provide information about your neighborhood.

For in-depth information please visit our Pharmaceutical Disposal Options page.

That's an easy one! We do have a periodic newsletter issued once a month (sometimes more, depending on the the activities). You can sign up on the main page of our website AND we do list all upcoming events under the News & Events section also located on the main page. To sign up for the newsletter: click here

SWALCO is permitted by the State (IEPA) and the Village of Gurnee to be open only twice a month for residential HCW collection. During the months when mobile events are not on the SWALCO schedule, we seek approval from the IEPA to add additional events in Gurnee if the need is there.

SWALCO has made recycling easier and more understandable through the development of its new recycling guidelines. The average household in Lake County recycles about 680 pounds of material each year or about 25% of the total waste generated. SWALCO’s goal is to increase these numbers through better education of residents on all the things that can be recycled. 

Please take a moment to review the recycling guidelines for Lake County.

SWALCO has drop-off sites for clothing and textiles at locations all around the region.  Some communities have multiple sites and drop-offs. Your donations of new and gently used materials will be reused and are tax-deductible. Thank you for supporting environmental, as well as other community initiatives through this program. As much of the worn, torn, and stained materials will be recycled. You can place all types of clothing (see our accepted list) and a variety of household textiles like drapes, blankets, sheets, towels and table linens, in the bins. For a list of materials that are accepted and a list of bin locations see our Clothing and Textile page.  Additionally, SWALCO with their partners offer several drop-off sites for shoes and footwear, separately. 

 Please visit our Reuse-a-Shoe pages for more information and to find the closest drop-off near you. 

Dehumidifiers (and air conditioning units, mini-refrigerators, wine coolers, etc.) typically contain a refrigerant commonly called Freon. Freon is a liquid or gaseous Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) or Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) that is used as the coolant. Since the late 1970s, the use of CFCs has been heavily regulated because of their destructive effects on the ozone layer. This is why dehumidifiers and other devices containing Freon/refrigerants are not allowed to be disposed of in the trash and are not accepted at SWALCO collection events.

The good news is that most scrap yards accept and provide safe disposal of items containing refrigerant. A list of local scrap yards can be found under our  "Where do I recycle this?" directory.  For more information about Dehumidifiers and other CFC containing appliances see our "Odds & Ends" section at the top of this page.

We have a list of acceptable and non-acceptable items on the HCW Page.

In Illinois, this common kitchen appliance does not require any special disposal measures and are not included in the short list of items that are banned from disposal in Illinois landfills.  Microwave ovens are not accepted at any of SWALCO’s collection programs and most curbside recycling programs do not accept them either. However, residents do have several options for managing microwaves including the following;

1. If the unit works, please check with your local charitable outlets, including local shelters.

2. Take it to your local metal scrap yard – you can find a few in our “Where Do I Recycle This” Directory OR type out “scrap yard” followed by your zip code into your choice of search engine and see what comes up. There may be a location closer to you.

3. If you’re buying a new microwave, check with the store to see if they’ll take the old one.

4. Call your waste hauler to inquire about disposal/recycling options.

SWALCO does not provide shredding services on a regular basis, however we occasionally partner with our municipal members and organizations at SWALCO Reuse-O-Ramas and other reuse/recycling collection events, where we offer opportunities for residents to bring limited amounts of household only confidential documents for shredding and recycling (NO BUSINESSES). 

Additionally, some municipalities will host their own. There are also other community shred events available throughout the year, typically Spring to Fall. We encourage you to reach out to your village/city, your bank, or church to inquire. You may also sign up for the SWALCO newsletter or check back to the SWALCO website as events are added.  

Yes we do! We have worked with, and assisted numerous schools, Scout Troops and youth organizations around the region. Please contact Merleanne Rampale for more information.

SWALCO contracts with Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) to recycle the electronics. All electronics are manually or mechanically demanufactured within ERI's processing facility.  All base metals, plastics and glass are then sold as a commodity.  Hard drives and memory are shredded and added to the recycled metals. None of the electronics are reused, or exported as whole units.