Chemical and Paint Disposal

CLICK FOR *NEW* AT-HOME COLLECTION PROGRAM DETAILS 

CLICK FOR LATEX PAINT OPTIONS  

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collections are conducted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and are available to all Illinois residents. The IEPA provides information on their collection program, along with a complete schedule of upcoming collection events. For questions about the IEPA's one-day or long-term collections, please call the Waste Reduction Unit at (217) 524-3300. For more information, watch a video on how to manage paint and household chemicals.

Below are the facilities available for the disposal of HHW and a list of the types of products they do and do not accept. Please contact locations to confirm hours and a complete list of acceptable materials. Business waste is not accepted at these facilities.

Drop-Off Locations

Please contact facilities before dropping off materials.

Chicago's Household Chemicals & Computer Recycling Facility
1150 N North Branch Street
Tuesdays: 7:00 am to 12:00 pm
Thursdays: 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm
1st Saturday of the month: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
(312) 744-3060
chicago.gov
NO LATEX PAINT
Also accepts computer materials, small fire extinguishers, and propane tanks.

Naperville Household Hazardous Waste Facility
156 Fort Hill Drive
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday
(630) 420-6095
naperville.il.us
NO LATEX PAINT
Also accepts batteries, peanut oil, propane tanks (20 pounds or less), and asbestos materials (in a size that will fit in a 55-gallon drum; not in excess of 50 pounds).

Solid Waste Agency of Lake County
By appointment only on several Saturdays of each month plus mobile events
1311 N. Estes Street, Gurnee
(847) 377-4950
swalco.org
NO LATEX PAINT

Rockford Rock River Reclamation District
3333 Kishwaukee Street
8:00 am - 4:00 pm Sat
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Sun
(815) 387-7400
rockfordil.gov
NO LATEX PAINT

At Home HHW Pick-up

In partnership with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, SWANCC member communities have the opportunity to "Opt-In" to a special, scheduled, HHW pick-up service for their residents. Beginning mid-November, if you are a resident of a member community that has currently opted in, you have the opportunity to schedule a household hazardous waste pick-up from Clean Harbors. 

The Basics:

• Appointments are available quarterly and scheduled directly through Clean Harbors.
• Availability of appointments maybe limited.
• A maximum of 70 pounds of acceptable materials will be collected per pick up.
• The cost to residents is $75.
• This service is only available to residents living in communities who have currently opted-in.
• Acceptable and non-acceptable materials include those listed above for HHW facilities; latex paint is NOT accepted in this program.

Member communities who have currently opted-in are:

• Arlington Heights
• Glencoe
• Rolling Meadows
• Skokie
• Wheeling (Village of Wheeling is paying full cost of pickup - no charge to residents unless no material is set out when pickup occurs)
• Winnetka

To schedule a pickup, call Clean Harbors at 866-466-5060 or click your community name in the list above to register online. You may also email questions about acceptable materials and collection practices to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

WHAT DO I DO WITH LATEX PAINT? 

REDUCE:

First and foremost, think before you buy paint or any household product for that matter!  Do not purchase more paint than you will need and make sure that you have the right color.  Also be sure to ask for “environmentally-friendly” or no/low VOC paint to reduce your exposure to harsh chemical fumes.

Then, use up what you buy – cover areas with a second coat of paint or find something else to paint, for instance - use the paint as a base coat on a basement floor or outdoor fence.  When finished, remove the lid and let the can dry out and dispose of it in your regular garbage.  Be sure to leave the lid off so that your hauler knows the can is empty.

REUSE:

Try to donate good left-over paint to an area high school, local theater troupe, church, etc. Or, if you have a significant amount of good paint to be reused, see SWANCC's Reuse and Recycling Directory for donation locations.

RECYCLE:

If your latex paint is not usable and you are unable to dry it out yourself, see SWANCC's Reuse and Recycling Directory for recycling locations.

DISPOSAL: HOW TO DRY OUT LATEX PAINT

In a protected and well-vented area (garage or basement), away from children and pets, remove the lid and allow paint to naturally dry out over a period of time.  This method works best if the can is less than ¼ full.  For fuller cans, mix shredded newspaper, kitty litter or a hardware store-bought waste paint hardener to the paint can and allow it to absorb and dry out over a period of time.