Coming Soon: Recycling Extravaganza

Many of the towns in DuPage host monthly and annual recycling events. They allow for items that cannot be recycled through our regular garbage collection to be collected and refurbished, taken for their parts, or recycled. Reducing the amount of garbage that enters landfills leads to less natural habitats being destroyed to create landfills, a reduction in the amount of trash that goes into landfills, and working toward a zero-waste lifestyle that benefits our environment. Downers Grove has not had an event like this for 10 years….until now!

In 2023, the Village of Downers Grove joined the Greenest Region Compact (GRC), laying the groundwork for a long-range plan of developing sustainability solutions. Offering a recycling opportunity felt like the exact event that works toward the goals of the GRC. Greener Grove, together with the Village and SCARCE which is a nonprofit organization that focuses on rescuing school items from landfills, organized a Recycling Extravaganza. 

The Recycling Extravaganza, on October 4th from 9-12pm, will take place in a parking lot at the Belmont Train Station. We have gathered the most amazing organizations that collect a wide variety of items. Most items are free, but there are small fees for paint and electronics.

Here is your chance to clean out your basement, attic, and garage! On Oct. 4th, please drive by our Recycling Extravaganza. The entrance is at Chase Ave and exit will be at Belmont Avenue. We will greet you, unload your car for you, and send you on your way as quickly as possible. 

We have a few months until the Extravaganza. So what can you do? Start gathering your items now so you are ready when the time comes. For a smooth drop-off process, we encourage you to separate and organize your items based on the collection groups. The groups and what they are collecting are listed here:

1 – eWorks - Electronics (pay in advance here), textiles bundled in a bag

2 - Accurate Document Destruction - on-site document shredding

3 – Sharing Connections - dressers, tables, chairs, end tables, coffee tables, bed side tables, sofas, loveseats, sectional sofa (no sleepers)

4 – West Suburban Food Pantry - donate non-perishable food items, diapers

5 – Working Bikes - adult and child bikes in good-repairable condition, bike parts, helmets, pumps, accessories

6 – SCARCE - books, keys, Christmas lights, cords and wires, 35mm film canisters; Canon and HP inkjet cartridges (no toners); household/car keys; plastic bread tags; x-ray, MRI and lithographic film, crayons, musical instruments, 45 LPs, vinyl records, CDs in case, DVDs in case

7 - Zambia soccer gear - uniforms, cleats, balls, gear in good condition ONLY

8 – Project Cure - medical equipment - wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, stethoscopes, monitors of all types, nebulizers, and more

9 – Earth Paint - paint - oil & latex (for a small fee), aerosol cans. Paint Qt. $2.99 Gallon $5.99 Pail $19.99

10 - Lions Club - hearing aids, eyeglasses & sunglasses, NO CASES

11 - DuPage County Sheriff Dept. - Rx medicine, epipens, lancets, syringes. (IMPORTANT: must place pills in Ziploc bag & sharp items in hard plastic containers)

Find out more on our event flyer here.