Christmas tree, holiday light recycling information

The City of Chicago will again provide multiple locations at which Christmas trees will be accepted for recycling from January 7 to January 20. The locations are:

• Bessemer Park: 8930 S. Muskegon Ave.


• Clark Park: 3400 N. Rockwell Ave.


• Forestry Site: 900 E. 103rd St.


• Garfield Park: 100 N. Central Park Ave.


• Grant Park: 900 S. Columbus Dr.


• Humboldt Park Boathouse: 1369 N. Sacramento Blvd.


• Jackson Park: 6300 S. Cornell Ave.


• Kennedy Park: 2427 W. 113th St.


• Kelvyn Park: 4438 W. Wrightwood Ave.


• Lake Meadows Park: 3117 S. Rhodes Ave.


• Lincoln Park: Cannon Dr. at Fullerton Ave., parking lot east of Cannon Dr.


• Margate Park: 4921 N. Marine Dr.


• Marquette Park: 6700 S. Kedzie Ave.


• McKinley Park: 2210 W. Pershing Rd.


• Mt. Greenwood Park: 3721 W. 111th St.


• North Park Village: 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.


• Norwood Park: 5801 N. Natoma Ave.


• Portage Park: 4100 N. Long Ave.


• Riis Park: 6201 W. Wrightwood Ave.


• Rowan Park: 11546 S. Avenue L


• Sheridan Park: 910 S. Aberdeen St.


• Warren Park: 6601 N. Western Ave.


• Wentworth Park: 5701 S. Narragansett Ave.

According to the City website, all ornaments, lights, and stands have to be removed before the tree can be accepted. (The trees will be mulched -- and mulch will be available for pickup at each of these sites starting January 13.)

Of course, you may have replaced some old light strings with new, more energy efficient holiday lights. The old lights need not be consigned to a landfill. The City of Chicago has made arrangements with Elgin Recycling for old Christmas lights to be accepted at these four locations:

Edgebrook Ace Hardware
5423 W. Devon Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM.

North Community Bank
5241 N. Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Wright College Campus Center
4300 N. Naragansett
Chicago, IL 60634
7:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Southwest Senior Center
6117 S. Kedize
Chicago, IL 60629
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

According to the City of Chicago website, lights can be brought to these locations, during the times indicated, from now until January 31. Questions regarding this program can be directed to Elgin Recycling at (847) 741-4100.

Did Santa bring a sleek new computer, and now you need to responsibly get rid of the old one? This is no longer a matter of voluntarily doing the right thing: As of today, Section 95 of The Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act (415 ILCS 150/95) provides, in pertinent part:

[N]o person may knowingly cause or allow the mixing of a CED [Covered Electronic Device], or any other computer, computer monitor, printer, or television, electronic keyboard, facsimile machine, videocassette recorder, portable digital music player, digital video disc player, video game console, electronic mouse, scanner, digital converter box, cable receiver, satellite receiver, digital video disc recorder, or small-scale server with municipal waste that is intended for disposal at a landfill.

The City of Chicago has long accepted certain consumer electronics, burned-out CFLs, old batteries and so forth at its Household Chemicals & Computer Recycling Facility, 1150 N. North Branch Street. The facility has limited hours. For a list items accepted and not accepted, follow the link in this sentence.

The Illinois Recycling Association also provides this list of facilities across the State where electronics may be accepted for recycling. (Note that there are three places in Chicago in addition to the official City site for e-cycling.)

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More information: Follow the links in this sentence to find out where natural trees can be brought for recycling in Lake County, McHenry County, and Will County. And Chi-Town Cheapskate advises that DuPage County residents can take their old trees to the Willowbrook Wildlife Center. According to Chi-Town Cheapskate,

The Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn will accept your live Christmas Tree just as long as you have cleaned it of ALL decorations including tinsel. Also, as these trees will be used in their animal enclosures as natural habitats, windblocks and for enrichment they ask that you not drop off trees that have NOT been spray painted as this would be toxic for the animals.

If you’d like to donate your tree you must call the Willowbrook Wildlife Center prior to drop-off at 630-942-6200.