At Your Door Special Collection

Beginning in January 2020, Elgin residents will have an easy way to dispose of household hazardous waste and electronics with the At Your Door service. You do not need to sign up for this program - it is now offered as part of your regular household waste and recycling service.

To dispose of home-generated special materials and schedule a collection at your home, you must contact Waste Management online at wmatyourdoor.com or by calling 800-449-7587 (Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Se habla español). *At Your Door service only applies to those residents with curbside garbage and recycling cart service, not those with a multi-family dumpster service.

*NOTICE: The City of Elgin secured a freeze on the rate charged in 2020 for your base Waste Management service. Per contract, that base service rate is normally set to increase 3.25% each year. You will, however, notice an increase to your refuse charge on your bill. That increase of $1.35/month (about $16/year) is for an enhanced At Your Door service, where you can schedule home collections of Household Hazardous Waste and electronics for recycling.  

list of acceptable items through At Your Door service

COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULB RECYCLING

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s) have become a popular alternative to traditional incandescent light bulbs due to their energy efficiency. CFL’s typically use up to 75% less energy and can last up to 10 times longer than regular light bulbs.

However, because CFL’s do contain a small amount of mercury, it is important that these bulbs are disposed of in a proper manner.

In addition to using the At Your Door service, residents can take used CFL's to:

  • Kane County Recycling (630) 208-3841
  • Home Depot (No Charge) 955 N Randall Road Elgin (847) 622-9441
  • Batteries Plus 352 S Randall Road Elgin (847) 289-8990 (Cost per bulb)

More information on compact fluorescent light bulbs:

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE

Disposing of Hazardous Waste & Chemicals 

Did you know that hazardous chemicals that are improperly disposed of, such as used motor oil, insecticides, pesticides, paint, solvent, can contaminate our drinking water?

Polluted water can also have many adverse effects on plants, fish, animals and people. Polluted water affects drinking water sources, which can also increase drinking water treatment costs.

The City of Elgin encourages all citizens to immediately report any type of illegal dumping or chemical spill into the ground or sewers, by calling 911 or the non-emergency police telephone number 847-289-2700.

Residents can safely dispose of hazardous chemicals such as oil-based paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, sealants, and more free of charge through the At Your Door service, and you don't even have to leave your house! 

Simply contact Waste Management online at wmatyourdoor.com or by calling 800-449-7587 (Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Se habla espanol).

Residents who are moving should call for an appointment at least 30 days prior to their scheduled move date. 

Need to get rid of household hazardous waste quickly?

Elgin residents can dispose of hazardous waste items free of charge (including unused prescription medications) at the following drop-off location:

Naperville Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Center, 156 Fort Hill Drive Naperville, 60540

Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m, every Saturday and Sunday (except holidays).

Note: Latex paint is not accepted at the drop-off center.

PAINT - HELPFUL TIPS:

Dried latex paint is not considered hazardous and can be disposed of in your regular household trash. To dry latex paint, simply leave an open can in the sun or add cat litter until it is dried completely solid. (Keep the lid off when disposing of the dried paint so that the waste collector can see that it is dry).

Local Paint Recycling Centers

No need to add anything to your old paint or dry it out; they will take it in any form. Just bring your containers in to your local retail collector during their regular business hours. No oil based or solvent products will be accepted.

A small per container fee will apply. All fees are per container based on the size of the container, regardless of how much paint in in the can.

  • Quart..........................$2.99 each
  • Gallon.........................$5.99 each
  • Buckets......................$19.99 each

    Ziegler’s Ace Hardware
    215 N. Spring Street
    Elgin, Illinois
    847-741-5610

    Ziegler’s Ace Hardware
    115 Lillian Street
    Elgin, Illinois
    847-695-1722
  • Consider safer alternatives by purchasing less hazardous or non-toxic products. Check out the Eco-Cleaning Guide published by the Solid Waste Agency of North Cook County’ (SWANCC) for a variety of less toxic alternatives.
  • Use up leftover products as specified on the labels, or offer them to friends and neighbors. Remember, buy only what you need.

SHARPS MAIL-IN PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL SYRINGES

Needle Containers Available to Residents

Needles that are disposed of improperly pose serious health and safety risks not only to waste collection personnel, but to everyone. One-gallon needle containers are now available to residents for no additional charge. This is for residents that live within the city limits and pay their garbage through their water bill. When the container is full, simply mail it away! No fee.

For more information Waste Management's At Your Door Special Collection at 800-449-7587 or wmatyourdoor.com.

PHARMACEUTICAL DROP-OFF

The following locations accept expired and/or unused pharmaceutical medications. Prescription and over-the-counter medications are accepted. Pills and capsules should be placed in re-sealable plastic bags.

Elgin Police Department-Drop-off Bin
151 Douglas Street, Elgin

  • Located in the Lobby
  • Available anytime

Naperville Fire Station #4
Corner of Rt. 59 and Brookdale (1/2 mile south of I-88)

  • Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., excluding holidays.

Fox Metro Water Reclamation District
682 Route 31, Oswego

  • Phone:630-301-6820
  • Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.