Post-Holiday Recycling!

By | |
Comments Off on Post-Holiday Recycling!

We hope you had a wonderful holiday season! For information regarding Christmas tree recycling, how to safely recycle old Christmas lights, and wrapping paper recycling, see below!

Wrapping paper

Most gift wrap is recyclable, except plastic wraps or metallic papers. All cardboard and paperboard packaging is also recyclable. Please reuse ribbons and bows or discard in the trash.  If you do not have curbside recycling where you live, you may utilize the Town of Normal’s drop-off locations.

Christmas trees

Residents of Bloomington and Normal enrolled in those municipalities’ waste collection programs may dispose of their real (non-artificial) Christmas tree by placing it at the curb for collection on your regularly scheduled waste collection day. As these trees will be chipped into mulch, please be sure to remove all ornaments, tinsel, lights, etc. Please do not put your tree or any other waste in the street.

For residents outside of Bloomington or Normal, please check with your local municipality for tree collection options. If you do not have tree collection service at your home or in your municipality, Twin City Wood Recycling will accept your tree for chipping into mulch at their facility at 1606 W Oakland Avenue in Bloomington at a cost of $2 per tree. Call (309) 827-9663 for more information and operating hours.

Christmas lights & other e-waste

Illinois law bans most consumer electronics from landfills–they must be recycled instead. Residents can recycle strings of Christmas lights, cords, and related electronic items, regardless of condition, at one of the many locations listed below.

Did Santa bring you a new TV? Note that only two local sites now accept the older tube-style CRT TVs and monitors for recycling. See “Items Accepted” for each of the e-waste recycling collection points below.

Location: Best Buy, 2103 N Veterans Pkwy Suite 200, Bloomington, 309-663-8090
Items Accepted: Computers, computer accessories, monitors, televisions up to 32″ (flatscreens up to 60″), all types of radios, VCRs, cameras, etc. Damaged or non-working items accepted. Customers are limited to bringing in 3 units per day per household.
Items Not Accepted: appliances, microwaves, TVs that are consoles, rear-projections, or DLPs or larger than 32″, items with freon such as air conditioners, dehumidifiers, refrigerators. No business generated waste.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10:00 am-9:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 am-8:00 pm

Location: Home Sweet Home Warehouse Operations, 1700 W Washington St., Bloomington, 309-828-1530
Items Accepted: Computers, laptops, printers, fax, scanners, copiers, peripherals, phone systems, all types of radios, VCRs,
Microwaves, toaster ovens, hair dryers, curling irons, cash registers, cameras, blenders, and other small appliances. Damaged or non-working items accepted. All types of cell phones, pagers, PDAs and their chargers, cables, and headset accessories
All of the small computer accessories such as MP3 players, iPods, digital cameras, hand- held scanners, handheld games and other connected devices. All forms of electronic media and their cases: diskettes, zip disks, CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVDs et al, game cartridges, DAT, DLT, and virtually all other type of computer tapes (ONLY at Mission Mart location)
Items Not Accepted: No CRT (tube-style) TVs or monitors, no VHS tapes or audio cassettes, no business-generated waste
Hours: Monday-Saturday 8:00 am-4:00 pm, 24 hour drop-off

Location: Habitat For Humanity ReStore, 1402 W Washington, Bloomington, 309-454-6047
Items Accepted: Computers, laptops, printers, fax, scanners, copiers, peripherals, phone systems, all types of radios, VCRs, Microwaves, toaster ovens, hair dryers, curling irons, cash registers, cameras, blenders, and other small appliances. Damaged or non-working items accepted. All forms of electronic media and their cases: diskettes, zip disks, CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVDs et al, game cartridges, DAT, DLT, and virtually all other type of computer tapes. All forms of printer cartridges including both inkjet and toner. All types of cell phones, pagers, PDAs and their chargers, cables, and headset accessories. All of the small computer accessories such as MP3 players, iPods, digital cameras, hand- held scanners, handheld games and other connected devices.
Items Not Accepted: No CRT (tube-style) TVs or monitors, no VHS tapes or audio cassettes, no business generated waste
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00 am-5:00 pm and Saturday from 9:00 am-4:00 pm

Location: Normal Public Works Garage, 1301 Warriner St., Normal, 309-454-9571
Items Accepted: Computers, laptops,televisions, monitors, printers, fax, scanners, copiers, peripherals, phone systems, all types of radios, VCRs, microwaves, toaster ovens, hair dryers, curling irons, cash registers, cameras, blenders, and other small appliances. Damaged or non-working items accepted.
All forms of electronic media: diskettes, zip disks, CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVDs et al, game cartridges, DAT, DLT, and virtually all other type of computer tapes. All forms of printer cartridges including both inkjet and toner. All types of cell phones, pagers, PDAs and their chargers, cables, and headset accessories. All of the small computer accessories such as MP3 players, iPods, digital cameras, hand- held scanners, handheld games and other connected devices.
Items Not Accepted: No VHS tapes or audio cassettes, no business generated waste
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 am-2:30 pm; the first Saturday of every month 8:00 am-12:00 pm
Summer hours 6:00 am-1:30 pm (Memorial Day through Labor Day)

For more information on recycling, hazardous waste disposal, and more, you can always consult other sections of this or call us at 309-454-3169.

Town of Normal Bike-Ped Plan Update – Open House!

Please join us for the second open house for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update and hear from Town staff about proposed infrastructure improvements to support active living and other strategies to make walking, bicycling, and active travel safer, easier, and more convenient for people of all ages and abilities. Maps of proposed bicycle and pedestrian networks and other display boards will highlight the plan’s vision, goals, and recommendations. Attendees will have the opportunity to weigh in on the draft recommendations and share their ideas to refine the plan before the planning process moves into its final stages.

Drop in anytime and stay for as long as you like. We will be giving a brief presentation at 5:15 and again at 6:15 to highlight key elements of the plan and talk about the next steps in the process. We hope you will join us for this open house and share your ideas to help us shape the future of transportation in Normal.

Free parking available in the adjacent parking deck.

Sugar Creek Stewards Workday

Come join us for our March workday along Sugar Creek! We need help improving Sugar Creek in designated areas throughout Bloomington and Normal, by clearing invasive plant species and managing the non-invasive plants. scs logo

Volunteers must be 18 years old or older (or 14 and accompanied by a parent or guardian) and be able to hike along uneven terrain and safely use basic hand tools such as loppers and bow saws. Please dress appropriately for the weather and bring your own work gloves and (reusable) bottle of water.

The Sugar Creek Stewards is part of the Ecology Action Center’s Clean Water programming, and is supported by the City of Bloomington and the Town of Normal. For more information, contact us.

barry-mantis

 

Details on worksite location will be provided to registered volunteers prior to the workday. To become a regular EAC volunteer and be automatically contacted for future Sugar Creek Steward workdays and other volunteer opportunities, register at EAC-Volunteer. Otherwise, please fill out the registration form below!

 

 

 

Illinois Solar for All information tables @ WBRP

Income-qualifying residents, non-profits and public facilities that serve low-income residents can access solar energy through the state’s  Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) program.

ILSFA was created under the state’s larger renewable energy legislation, the Future Energy Jobs Act, and aims to provide greater access to solar for low-income communities through incentives that make solar installations more affordable and result in lower energy costs for participants.

The Ecology Action Center will have an information table at the The West Bloomington Revitalization Project. Come out and talk to the EAC, Approved Vendors, and other energy professionals about:

  • Understanding your energy bill
  • How solar works
  • Site considerations for your home or business
  • How to participate in ILSFA

Join us and learn more!

Home, Lawn, and Garden Day

Turn March into magic with educational classes, inspirational speakers, and horticulture treasures from a variety of exceptional businesses and artisans at the 18th annual Home, Lawn and Garden Day sponsored by University of Illinois Extension McLean County Master Gardeners. This event will take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, March 7 at Central Catholic High School, Bloomington. Registration is now open!

Attendees select four workshops from over 35 trending horticulture topics and also attend the welcome and keynote sessions. Kira Santiago, owner of Kira’s Flowers, will open the morning inspiring us all with “The Art of Sustainable Flower Design and the Hand-Tied Bouquet,” you will learn sustainable floral growing and design techniques, and the natural ecosystem of her farm which includes flowers, vegetables, honeybees, and chickens. During the mid-day session, Master Gardeners you often hear on the WJBC radio show will host a question and answer segment of questions submitted by the attendees during registration. Researched-based solutions will be presented, combined with fun and practical advice! Keynote speaker Ken Myszka, a professionally trained chef, entrepreneur, sustainable farmer, and local restaurant owner, will also be translating Epiphany Farms’ innovative closed-loop system to the small scale home garden. Learn about practices for the small garden that encourage sustainability and regeneration without extra effort. Topics will include composting, companion planting, natural predators, integrated pest management, permaculture and regenerative agriculture principles, and biodiversity.

A $50 registration fee includes workshops, vendors and exhibitors, morning refreshments, lunch, door prizes, and silent auction. For more information and to register online, please visit us at go.illinois.edu/HLGD. Registration is open now through February 24, but remember to register early as workshops fill fast! For more information about the event, please contact us at the University of Illinois Extension – McLean County Office at (309) 663-8306.

Winter Bike Movie (Free!)

Join us for the 9th annual Winter Bike Movie at the Normal Theater on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. Admission is free, although donations will be accepted for Bike BloNo and the West Bloomington Bike Co-Op. This year’s movie is “Wadjda,” a charming movie about a spirited 10-year-old Saudi girl who dreams of owning a green bicycle that she passes every day on her way to school. Riding bikes if frowned upon for girls, so Wadjda must find creative ways to earn the money herself. This is the first feature-length film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first made by a female Saudi director. Rated PG with a run time of 1 hr 38 min.

Illinois Solar for All information tables @ the ReStore

Income-qualifying residents, non-profits and public facilities that serve low-income residents can access solar energy through the state’s  Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) program.

ILSFA was created under the state’s larger renewable energy legislation, the Future Energy Jobs Act, and aims to provide greater access to solar for low-income communities through incentives that make solar installations more affordable and result in lower energy costs for participants.

The Ecology Action Center will have an information table at the Habitat ReStore. Come out and talk to the EAC, Approved Vendors, and other energy professionals about:

  • Understanding your energy bill
  • How solar works
  • Site considerations for your home or business
  • How to participate in ILSFA

Join us and learn more!

 

Trivia for a Cause – fundraiser for the Ecology Action Center

The Ecology Action Center is the featured non-profit for Nightshop’s monthly Trivia for a Cause! Teams can be comprised of two to six people.  Come enjoy an evening of trivia, maybe win some prizes, and give back to the community!

There is a $10/per person door fee.  All door fees and additional contributions will be donated to the Ecology Action Center.

Illinois Solar for All presentation – Peoria

Income-qualifying residents and non-profits and public facilities that serve low-income residents can access solar energy through Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA).

ILSFA was created under the state’s larger renewable energy legislation, the Future Energy Jobs Act, and provides greater access to solar for low-income communities through incentives that make solar installations more affordable and result in measurable savings for participants.

The Ecology Action Center is hosting two presentations at the Peoria Health Department to help educate the community about:

  • How solar works
  • Site considerations for your home or business
  • How to participate in ILSFA

Join us and learn more!