New service offers doorstep collection of household waste, electronics

Residents in single-family homes and buildings with five or fewer units can now safely dispose of common hazardous household waste and unwanted electronics without a trip to a collection site.

A new contract with refuse hauler Waste Management includes at-home pickup for materials such as garden chemicals, automotive fluids, paint products and household cleaners as well as electronic items like televisions, computers, fax machines, printers and cell phones.

Under the new system, residents can schedule the service online at www.wmatyourdoor.com, via email to atyourdoor@wm.com or with a toll-free call to 1.800.449.7587.

Collection kits sent by U.S. Mail include instructions on how to package the materials and where to place them safely for pickup on the scheduled date. Residents need not be home at the pickup time.

Once collected, materials are sent to various processing facilities, with the emphasis placed first on recycling and treatment, then incineration and when necessary safe disposal in secure landfills.

While there is no limit to the number of times a qualifying household can use the service, residents are discouraged from requesting collection of very small quantities such as a single can of paint. Instead, consider working with neighbors to combine items for a single pickup.

The new service is part of the Village’s regular weekly garbage and recycling collection programs. Residential waste collection fees are $21.93 per month for a 64-gallon cart and $25.93 per month for a 96-gallon cart, up $1.64 and $1.21 per month respectively from last year. Refuse and recycling fees are paid quarterly as part of the water bill.

Thanks to the convenience of the new at your-door-collection service, the Village will no longer need to host dedicated electronics and paint recycling events, and most residents won’t have to take an out-of-town trip to safely dispose of hazardous household waste.

However, officials say plans are still in the works to host two paper shredding events this year to help residents safely dispose of documents containing personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and medical information.

Residents of multifamily buildings not served under the municipal refuse hauling program are encouraged to contact their building’s refuse service provider about recycling options.

For more information about the Village’s refuse and recycling services — including items eligible for at-you-door collection — visit www.oak-park.us/recycling.