​County Recycling Event​s

Upcoming 2026 Event Dates​​​

August 29, The Big One: Shred and Recycle #2, 540 S. Randall Rd., St. Charles, 8am – noon. Confidential document shredding​, recycling of electronics, clothing, textiles, shoes, & apparel, books and paper​, bicycles, Styrofoam , batteries, and fluorescent bulbs/tubes

September 5, "Electronics and More" pop-up, North Aurora Police Dept.,  200 S. Lincolnway, 9am - noon, electronics, clothing, textiles, shoes, & apparel, books and paper, batteries

November 7, Pumpkin Smash & Recycle, Village of South Elgin Dept. of Public Works, 1000 Bowes Rd., South Elgin, 9am – noon

December 5, "Electronics and More" pop-up, in front of Ace Hardware, 994 N. Lake St., Aurora, 9am -noon, electronics, clothing, textiles, shoes, & apparel, books and paper, batteries​​

​​Next Event Details

"The Big One" Shred and Recycle, August 29:

"The Big One" Shred and Recycling event on Saturday, Aug. 29, 8am - noon at 540 S. Randall Rd., St. Charles.​

This is a drive-through event where attendees will first pick a lane. The left lane will be for shredding only. The right lane will pass by all the recycling stations (described below) and shredding. 

There are fees to recycle certain electronics at Station 2 and all items at Station 3 (described under station headings below). All other recycling and services are free and open to Kane Co. residents.

Aug. 29 Recycling Stations:

Station 1 = Loose Batteries (Kane Co. Recycling Program)

We can take the vast majority of battery types (alkaline, coins and buttons, small and larger rechargeable batteries). The only batteries we cannot take are very large rechargeable batteries including car and marine batteries, basement back-up batteries, electric vehicle batteries (ebike and scooter are okay), and large energy storage batteries. Damaged lithium batteries are accepted, but please separate these from all other batteries and tell the station staff they are receiving a damaged battery. See our damaged lithium batteries page for help with identification. All other batteries can be mixed together and no taping is required.

Station 2 = Electronics, Clothing, Apparel & Textiles, Books and Paper (vendor is eWorks, based in Wheeling, IL)

Follow these links for item acceptance guidelines/lists for electronics , clothing, apparel and textiles, and books and paper items. Note, we no longer accept corrugated cardboard for recycling at events. Guests can bring items packed in cardboard boxes, but the boxes will be returned. The only fees at this station are for TVs and peripheral computer monitors, which are $25 for each screen under 21" diagonal, and $35 for each screen 21" and up. Pay on-site by cash or card, or prepay online (bring your receipt) to speed up the line!

Station 3 = Aerosols, small propane, small helium, smoke and CO alarms, child care gear (vendor is Flat Can Recycling, based in Elburn, IL)

Please note, there are fees for all items at this station. New this year: this station is cashless - fees must be paid to the vendor credit or debit.

• Aerosol cans: $1.25 each
• Smoke and CO alarms: $2.00 each
• Propane tanks (16 oz. and smaller only): $4.00 each
• Helium tanks (sold at retail for balloon filling only): $5.00 each
• Strollers, high chairs, car seats, bubble cars: $10 each

Station 4 = Fluorescent bulbs, tubes and LEDs (Kane Co. Recycling Program)

We can take linear fluorescent tubes up to 4' in length, odd-shaped fluorescents (u-shape, circles), compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and any configuration of LED bulb. Please do not bring bulbs in original packaging, and do not tape tubes together. Incandescent and halogen bulbs are non-recyclabe and non-hazardous and should go in normal trash. See our light bulbs page for help with identification.

Station 5 = Styrofoam (vendor is Dart Container, North Aurora, IL location)

Packaging Styrofoam and clean food service Styrofoam only. No packing peanuts, no dirty food items, and no other/non-polystyrene foams. Styrofoam is brittle and snaps when pressure is applied. Foam that bends is not Styrofoam and is not accepted.

Station 6 = Bicycles and Bike Accessories (vendor is Hessed House, based in ​Aurora, IL)

Accepting bikes of all sizes. Bike parts and accessories such as pumps, helmets, lamps, bells, etc. also accepted.

Station 7 = Document Shredding (vendor is Accurate Document Destruction, based in Elk Grove, IL)

Four super-trucks will shred residents' ​confidential documents on-site. Limited to residentially generated documents and quantities that fit in a normal passenger vehicle. See our document shredding page for more info on what types of documents are and are not confidential and other guidance on how to prepare.

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Hours: 8am-12 no​on

​NOTE: Please do not arrive before 7:45am as it impedes our set-up process. We have not had to close shredding early due to truck capacity since 2021!​

What you can bring: Please sort your papers so that you bring ONLY confidential materials. Even​t staff or volunteers may ask you to leave the line and sort your papers if you bring material that will contaminate the paper being shredded and impact recycling.

Already Shredded Paper?

DO NOT PUT IN CURBSIDE RECYCLING BIN: Paper that has already been shredded is not recyclable in the curbside recycling programs because it creates a major problem at sorting facilities. 

BRING TO ANY KANE COUNTY RECYCLING CENTER: If you have already shredded your documents, you can bring​ bags of shredded paper to the Kane County Recycling Centers. Please bring shredded paper in paper bags (with top rolled and stapled once or twice). Shredded paper will be sent for pulping.

SHRED JUDICIOUSLY: Best practice if you want to shred your own confidential material is to tear off the portion of the page that contains the confidential information and shred that and then recycle the rest of the sheet whole in your curbside recycling program.

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Books and Paper Fiber

Jump to:
Accepted item list​
Non-accepted items list​​
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​​​​​General Guidelines​

eWorks sends paper it collects at the recycling centers and at events directly to a paper recycler, which allows it to take certain paper items that should not go in a curbside recycling cart for automated sorting at a recycling facility. This also means that all paper through this program is destroyed. If you have newer/good quality books, please consider selling or donating them instead - see this page for ide​as!

​Please note that paper brought to the recycling centers is not shredded by eWorks or by Kane County. While the paper is destroyed during the recycling process, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any printed material brought to the centers. Residents should consider bringing sensitive documents to a Kane County shredding event (or shred at home and bring th​e shreds to us). 

Generally, all paper brought to us must be clean (no food residue, grease or non-paper materials mixed in) and dry/never wet. We cannot accept paper with mold or other signs of past water damage. Large pieces of plastic, metal, etc. and certain types of bindings should be removed. See below for details.

​Accepted Items

​With the above guidance in mind, here's an alphabetized list of paper fiber items that are accepted by the Kane County Recycle Program at Recycling Centers and/or events ​for free. If you have questions about item acceptance, call 630-208-3841 or email recycle@kanecountyil.gov​ for assistance.

• Board books/children's​ books - no lights or sounds
  

• ​​​​Books - softcover, hardcover, no comb or spiral bindings; NOTE - newer books in good condition are best sold or donated elsewhere for re-use. See options here.
  

• Brochures

• Business cards

• Business paper, general

• Catalogues

• Craft/Construction paper

• Envelopes

• File folders - metal hangers must be removed
  

• Fliers

• Greeting cards - no lights, sounds, glitter, non-paper appliques
  

• Junk mail - see here for guidance on how to stop it
  

• Kraft paper

• Magazines

• Mail, general

• Manila folders

• Newspaper/newsprint

• Notebooks - spiral bindings must be removed
  

• Note pads

• Office paper, general

• Packaging paper ​- must be flattened/folded
  

• Paper bags/gift bags ​- remove non-paper handles
  

• Pocket folders - paper, not plastic
  

• Post cards

• Post-it notes - either stick small ones to larger bits of paper or package like shredded paper, below
  

• School paper, general

• Sketchbooks ​- spiral bindings must be removed
  

• Shredded paper - put shredded documents and other paper items smaller than a business card (clothes tags, small post-its, etc.) in a paper bag and seal closed (staple or tape). Grocery size or yard waste size bags accepted.
  

• Stationary, general
  

• Wrapping paper - must be folded/flattened, no glitter or foil
  

Non-Accepted Items

We cannot accept the following items:

• Carbon paper - does not recycle properly
  

• Cash register receipts/thermal paper - does not recycle properly
  

• Coated papers - art and other specialty paper with thick coatings cannot be recycled
  

• Comb-bound books ​- plastic comb bindings are a contaminant
  

• Corrugated cardboard boxes ​- flattened boxes accepted at Fabyan only, not at West Dundee or at events (guests may bring recyclables contained in cardboard boxes - this note refers to bulk quantities)​.
  

• Napkins

• Neon paper - large quantities/whole packs; a few pieces is fine
  

• Paper towels

• Parchment paper (baking) - too much coating to recycle properly
  

• Photographs/Photo paper

• Spiral bound books - metal spirals tangle in recycling equipment
  

• ​Three ring binders​
  

• Wallpaper

• Waxed paper

• Home Depot Carpentersville (251 Spring Hill Rd.)
  
• Home Depot South Elgin (440 S. Randall Rd.)
  
• Home Depot Geneva (2111 S. Randall Rd.)
  
• Home Depot Aurora (1250 N. Orchard Rd.)
  
• Home Depot Oswego (3080 Walter Payton Memorial Hwy.)
  
• Lowe's St. Charles (955 S. Randall Rd.)
  

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​Recycling Program ​Ne​ws & Announcements, August ​2026:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Big One Shredding and Recycling Event: ​Our second "big one" shredding a​nd recycling event is coming up in St. Charles on August 29 from 8am- noon. Click here for full details!​​

New Opportunities to Repair: ​The Aurora Repair Cafe​ started in Spring of 2026 and offers appointments at the Santori Library in Aurora on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Attendees work closely with repair volunteers to fix up small/countertop appliances and electronics, lamps, fans, and clothes in need of mending. Click here for details and to make an appointment. Open to everyone! Also, a reminder that we have a directory of businesses that conduct repairs here.​

New Opportunities to Reduce & Reuse​:​ ​Kane County's Recycling Coordinator wrote an article on Chipko Market, the area's first "bring your own containers" grocery store for Earth Month. We also have a new page​ on the Recycling website dedicated to reduction and reuse of containers. Have ideas we should include? recycle@kanecountyil.gov​

2026 Green Guide Electronic Edition: ​The electronic edition of the 2026 Kane County Green Guide​ is now available in both English and Spanish. Paper copy distribution is ongoing.

New Illinois Battery Stewardship Program: ​The Fabyan Parkway Recycling Center and the Naperville Household Hazardous Waste​ site are both collection points for batteries under a new state program, as are several Home Depot and Lowe's locations. Please see our updated Batteries Page for more details.

New Illinois Paint Recycling Program: The statewide paint and home coatings recycling program started on December 1. There are over a​ dozen retail locations in and near Kane County now accepting paint and other coatings for recycling with no drop-off fee. Check out the details here or use the site locator here.  ​​

2026 Event Dates: ​​Dates for 2026 recycling events are posted here. Please note that details are subject to change.​

Feed The Cart! ​Kan​e County's Recycling Program is part of the team behind Feed the Cart​, the largest mass media campaign aimed at boosting curbside recycling in Illinois history. More details here!​​

Recycle Coach Demo Video: You can watch the Kane County Recycling Program Coordinator walk through the features of desktop and mobile app versions of Recycle Coach in this video demonstration​. Try the Recycle Coach tool by using the web version or download the app for free from your preferred app store.​

Coming Soon: Kane County Composts! ​The County has been awarded a USDA Composting and Food ​Waste Reduction Grant to improve food waste diversion. See the Kane County Connects announcement here​. More details coming soon!​​​​​

​ New Items Accepted at Fabyan and West Dundee: ​The County, eWorks and Flat Can Recycling are expanding their partnership to accept more "hard to recycle" items at Fabyan Parkway. These items include smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, child car seats and boosters, and ride-in toy cars​ (both low-tech​ push models and battery powered self-propelled). There are recycling fees associated with these items. Please see the Recycling Centers page for more info.​

Learn About Composting with Worms: ​We have a new page on​​​​ our website introducing the Kane County Worm Bin, and walking step by step through the process of starting a worm composting system.

The Kane County Worm Bin has been eating our garbage for 15 months!​

Styrofoam Drop-off in West Dundee now 24/7: ​Chicago Logistics Service, in collaboration with Dart Container, recently obtained an outdoor receptacle which allows their existing Styrofoam drop-off to be open around the clock. It's located behind the building at 701 Wesemann Drive in West Dundee, near the loading docks​. Block #6 Styrofoam, clean foam food and beverage containers, foam coolers, and separately​ bagged packing peanuts are all accepted from the public for free​.

Nicotine Vapes Now Accepted at Naperville HHW: ​The Naperville Household Hazardous Waste Site, which is open to all state residents every Saturday and Sunday, 9am - 2pm, is now accepting nicotine-containing vape devices. These are very challenging items to dispose of, because they contain a substance that is hazardous to human health at high concentrations and lithium batteries. Looking to quit? See Kane County Health Department resources here​.

Go on a Waste Journey: ​Ever wonder where exactly your recycling, trash or yard waste goes to after it's picked up from your home or business? Check​ out our​ new Waste Journey page, featuring a map of all the different facilities that consolidate, sort, compost and store our waste.

Kane County Environmental News on Facebook: Kane County's Recycling and Environmental Program has a new Facebook page! If you are a FB user, please give us a follow! The page will be used to share announcements and news about recycling and waste reduction, energy efficiency, sustainability, stormwater and water quality.​​​

Battery Awareness: ​The Kane County Recycling Coordinator recently worked with peers to develop some statewide guidance (see the  The Illinois Product Stewardship Council (ILPSC) website​ and Batteries are Everywhere Facebook page). Need to know where to recycle batteries in Kane County? Here's the scoop! Do you think you might have a "spicy pillow" (a.k.a. a damaged lithium-ion battery) on your hands? Kane County residents can r​educe fire​ risks by learning how to recognize damaged batteries, where to take them​, and how to prevent battery damage in the first place​.

New "Bits and Pieces" Self-Service Kiosk at Fabyan: We are happy to ​announce the availability of a four-bin kiosk at the Fabyan Recycling Center for small hard-to-recycle items. These items are being collected to benefit existing local organizations or programs. The items accepted at the Kiosk are: Bin 1 - ink jet cartridges​; Bin 2 - dry art and school supplies (what does that mean? glad you asked - we have a full list here​); Bin 3 - eyeglasses and hearing aids; Bin 4 - can cadd​y holders and mul​ti-beverage ring holders. Kiosk items only may be dropped off when the site is open and a​fter-hours or on weekends. All other site materials (electronics, clothing, aerosols, books, ​paper) may only be brought in during normal site hours (8am- 4pm Mon - Fri).

​New Recycling Center Guide: ​The information inside is mostly unchanged, but we gave our PDF Recycling Center Guide a redesign to improve form and function. 

Green Your Next Remodeling Project: Cons​truction or demolition debris (CDD) results from building, remodeling and demolition projects, both large and small. See our recent article in Kane County Connects for tips on how to lessen impacts and dispose of materials responsibly. Or skip straight to our new CDD page to find businesses providing CDD handling services locally.​​

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