Madison County is setting up a new household waste disposal program that’s free to all Illinois residents. Residents will be able to bring everything from oil-based paints to pesticides to cleaning solvents to lead-acid batteries to medicines to a new site in Wood River. The project is in conjunction with Illinois EPA. There will be two drop-off times a month and the program will run year-round. The first pickup is on November 6.
Madison County will pay for the collection part of the program and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will have it hauled away to a disposal site. Residents will be able to bring the waste and not even get out of their cars, the waste will be stored in containers until it’s picked up by the state. The Madison County part of this program is about $150,000. That’s going to come from tipping fees companies pay who dump in landfills.
Accepted items include oil-based patins, pesticides, herbicides, lawn fertilizers/chemicals, cleaning solvents, paint thinners, hobby chemicals, antifreeze, motor oil, old gasoline, pool chemicals, household batteries, items containing mercury, medicines, lead-acid batteries, and fluorescent lights.