What clients say about Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility in Chicago (IL)
So the state of IL just mandated that residents MUST dispose of batteries at a disposal facility, but this location for the ENTIRE city of Chicago is opened a total of 8 hours per week with NO hours on evenings or weekends.
Even banks have better hours.
So what am I supposed to do now that this facility is only open when I cannot get there? Hoard the batteries? Break the law?
Would appreciate some guidance, because this must be a joke.
Great to have this service available. I brought in two old sump pump batteries plus several household and garden chemicals. Easy access to the facility, friendly workers and there was no wait.
It was so easy to look up the hours and list of items accepted and not accepted. There was no line when I went and the guy helping me was super polite. The way to drive up was clearly marked. I hope more people take advantage of this resource!
Easy to drop off old electronics and household chemicals at this location. Check website for hours and items accepted.
It's best to load electronics in trunk, then chemicals. Stay in your car until asked to remove your devices or exit your vehicle.
They took my old partial bags of pesticides and herbicides, too! I got rid of old nonfunctional spray paint cans, solvents, enamel paint and caustic paint remover. An old VCR and old tube TV finally out of my basement!
Busy staff.
Thanks for providing this vital service for the citizens of the City of Chicago!
I recycled an old iPhone and now I’m getting iCloud emails about it (“Activation Lock is requesting your password”)!
They must have taken or sold it. Incredible. Now I’m sketched out that I could have had my data stolen
Good to have a place to drop off hazardous chemicals. Careful: days and hours are only limited to these when I went. Maybe they'll add more in the future but check their website before you drive out.
Tuesdays 7 am - 12 pm
Thursdays 2 pm - 7 pm
The first Saturday of every month 8 am - 3 pm
They are open again (Finally!) as of July 21st 2020
Simple Drop off. There are some things they don't take, such as a cordless drill, flashlight or batteries that I found out.
This place is CLOSED, despite what it says on the website. Definitely too difficult for them to update the site, so a stream of cars comes through every Tuesday and Thursday, wasting everyone's time. Cool guys!
Staff here is very rude. I pulled up to drop something off, a guy comes out and tells me they are closed. I attempt to ask him a question, and before I can finish, he very angrily repeats himself and walks away. I also don't understand why they are closed. Is recycling not essential during the quarantine? You know what most people are going to do with their stuff now? They'll throw it in the garbage. Good job Chicago. Also, why are you paying someone to be there and tell me the place is closed, when he could just be paid to take my recycling? Go somewhere else if you can.
Pretty simple place. There are 2 places to drop stuff off. When you pull up, the first one is for chemicals and the second is for computer equipment. Don't have high expectations. These guys are there to take your garbage, not ask you how your day is going. Get in, get out. My kinda business. Highly recommend. Also, check their website to see what they will and won't accept.
Also they are only open 2 days a week (Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon/early evening) and the first Saturday of the month (don't know the time). Don't go when they are closed, duh ?.
Brought a portable stereo. They wouldn’t take it and couldn’t explain why. The environment is worse off for my effort as I wasted gas (not to mention my time) and was left to throw it in a landfill. Fail.
I gave these poor guys 6 tube TVs in the last year. People complain that they don't give good service or whatever but this is a FREE service be happy it exists. Also every time I went here they were super nice and willing to come to my car to load my stuff on their carts. Yeah they usually dont answer calls but just trust their hours and most of the info is online any way.
I dropped of an Amazon Kindle at this site. Later in the week I started getting Amazon charges linked to that device. Does not seem like they are actually recycling. Do not take anything to this site that might have sensitive information.
Person in front told me they're "closed for the month" (of August 2018). Construction going on in front - all dug up. Supposedly back open in September... Want to recycle, but wish they'd have better, move available info on hours of operation.
The electronics side is poorly managed. I've been going since the start, and you always feel like you're bothering the workers, who would rather you not come to make their job easy. They know next to nothing about recycling and the methods of proper disposal. I brought in my 13 year old laser printer Ricoh Aficio CL4000DN that is big, since it is color and prints double-sided. They basically said I'm a liar since it's too big for a house?! What should I do with it? The same answer as always, just throw it out. Instead they should have an updated hand-out with ready alternatives and also correct the website which clearly says my product is ok. In general, places like Best Buy are so much better and cost taxpayers nothing. Shame on this facility for minimal effort and debatable rules with no recourse or public reports. What is their public mission to us? They should be a wonderful information center and citizen guide about this tremendous e-waste crisis... they should thank us! Instead, I always feel they care less like most Chicagoans when one looks at alley trash and government attention. I do care, so I have to do their job and spend time and hauling looking for a solution. 2 stars since household chemical side is ok.
Love the service they provide but not the customer service 1 individual showed me. As the other workers were quick to pull the items out of my vehicle (mind you the larger majority of the workers seemed happy to help and informative), one individual with black framed glasses was almost trying to prevent me from dropping off items. He stood there and began listing how this was only for city residents, which I was, and how only 2 TVs could be accepted, ok I brought 3 I didn’t know the 2limit, then when I asked about cash registers he rightfully said those couldn’t be accepted because they were from a business, not a problem. But he pretty much told me I needed to “get out of here while I was ahead” because they’d already taken the 2 TVs. TVs came out of my home and yes the cash registers came out of a business. But really does it deem being ran off? When I asked him if he knew of where I can drop off the registers he mentioned individuals who drive around picking up scrap metal with a pick up truck, so I asked him if he knew of a near by metal scrap yard. He told me they wouldn’t take anything from me because they don’t know me. Which isn’t accurate because metal scrap yards take metal for money not as a favor to an individual. Overall I had this drop off date on my calendar to try to dispose of things correctly. The sour interaction with the thick black frame glasses guy could have been more informative and less “get out of here”.
This facility is closed --not that you would know that from any information on the web (which says it's not scheduled to close until later this summer) or from calling, because the listed phone number actually redirects to 911! They must have thought I was a prank call the first time because the woman who answered confirmed they were open. It wasn't until I called again from sitting in their (closed/under construction) parking lot that the person who answered the phone told me I had reached 911. Not cool, Chicago, not cool. Also - called 311 and there is no other facility in the city that will take TV's for recycling so prepare to pay.
Very friendly people working here and knowledgeable about what should be recycled and what does not need special handling. Open one morning and one afternoon a week, and occasional Saturdays. Easiest way to recycling computers, electronics and paint and chemicals.
Stopped by trying to recycle old paint and varnish. Was told they do not take it but I should dump in the regular garbage???? What kind of recycling is this? Same with batteries. Dump in regular garbage. So why do we have paid people working there, when they are not doing anything but telling you to dump in regular garbage? The whole operation with its limited hours is a big joke.
If you have old or unused consumer electronics or chemicals, you really should make a quick trip here (when it's open) to dispose and/or recycle them. Unfortunately, despite the website claim, staff are not terribly willing to "help" you unload your items, so be prepared with a few extra pairs of hands for larger items.
I use to drop off items to recycle here before the city gave blue cans to everyone. This is a recycling facility. They also handle items like computers too but you will need to call them because that is only done on certain days.
It is good for everyone to do their part to reduce waste and recycle. Enough people don't but if everyone did this world would be a better and cleaner place for all.
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