DuPage County makes it weirdly easy to recycle your old electronics — easier than returning something to Kohl's, arguably. Whether you've got a CRT television you've been "meaning to deal with" since 2019 or a drawer full of mystery cables, the county has permanent drop-off sites, rotating township events, and even curbside pickup options. Here's how it all works, what it costs, and where to actually go.
Where to Drop Off Electronics in DuPage County
DuPage County sponsors multiple permanent and recurring drop-off locations open to all county residents. These sites are operated through a partnership with eWorks ESI, a nonprofit electronics recycler. The county approved a renewed recycling contract running through December 31, 2026. Here are some of the most accessible options:
Naperville Environmental Collection Campus — 156 Fort Hill Drive, Naperville. Open weekdays, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stay in your vehicle; staff will unload. Contact eWorks at (217) 364-7543 with questions.
Wheaton Public Works Storage Yard — 820 W. Liberty Drive, Wheaton. Drop-off events on the second Saturday of each month, 9 a.m. to noon.
Villa Park Public Works Garage — 20 W. Home Avenue. Open the third Saturday of every month, 9 a.m. to noon. Villa Park residents only; bring ID.
Bloomingdale Township Highway Dept — 6N030 Rosedale Avenue, Bloomingdale. Quarterly events (upcoming 2026 dates include April 18, June 27, and September 26), 8 a.m. to noon.
Elmhurst Public Works Facility — 985 S Riverside Drive. Quarterly electronics and textile recycling events. 2026 dates: April 25, July 25, and October 24, 8 a.m. to noon.
Burr Ridge Public Works Facility — 451 Commerce Street. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since 2012, DuPage County residents have collectively recycled more than 8 million pounds of electronics through these programs. That's a lot of old printers.
What You Can (and Can't) Recycle
The list of accepted items is longer than you'd expect:
Computers, laptops, and servers
Computer monitors and televisions
Printers, fax machines, and scanners
VCR and DVD players
Video game consoles
Cable boxes, converter boxes, and satellite receivers
Keyboards, mice, and docking stations
Cell phones, tablets, and portable music players
Modems, routers, and adapters — the stuff that piles up every time you switch internet providers
Holiday string lights, wire, and cables
Tollway transponders (newly accepted — free of charge) Items that are NOT accepted include appliances with refrigerants (like old mini-fridges and dehumidifiers) and anything not on the official list. If you're unsure, check the DuPage County recycling page or use the county's Recycle Coach tool to look up specific items.
Fees to Know About
Most electronics are accepted completely free. But there are exceptions:
TVs and monitors under 21 inches: $25 each
TVs and monitors 21 inches and over: $35 each Payments can be made in advance online through eWorks ESI, and you'll get a 501(c)(3) tax receipt at the site. Everything else — your laptops, cables, phones, that keyboard you spilled coffee into — costs nothing to drop off.
Curbside Electronics Pickup Options
Not everyone wants to load a 40-inch TV into their Honda Civic. Several DuPage municipalities offer curbside e-waste pickup, though each has its own process:
Glen Ellyn: Call Groot Industries at (847) 429-7370 by 3 p.m. the Friday before your Monday pickup. This is a fee-based service — you'll need e-waste stickers or refuse stickers.
Wheaton: Call LRS at (773) 685-8811 at least one day before your garbage day. Sticker requirements vary: one sticker per single item, five stickers per bundled bag, and ten stickers per TV or monitor.
Woodridge: Call Groot Industries at (888) 485-0900 at least 48 hours before your collection day. Important: Before putting any computer or device at the curb, wipe your personal data. Reset the device to factory settings or remove the hard drive entirely. Neither your municipality nor the hauler is responsible for data security once it's on the curb. If you think curbside rules are tedious, try fighting a parking ticket in Schaumburg.
Why You Shouldn't Just Throw Electronics in the Trash
Illinois law actually prohibits residents from tossing most electronics in the regular garbage. The Consumer Electronics Recycling Act requires manufacturers to fund collection and recycling programs — which is exactly why DuPage County can offer so many free drop-off options in the first place. Illinois takes local compliance seriously across the board — the same energy shows up in suburban snow removal ordinances. Beyond the legal side, there are real reasons to care:
Toxic materials. Old monitors, batteries, and circuit boards contain lead, mercury, and cadmium. Landfilling them contaminates soil and groundwater.
Recoverable resources. Electronics contain copper, aluminum, gold, and rare earth metals. Recycling keeps those materials in circulation instead of in the ground.
Data security. Tossing a laptop in a dumpster is an invitation for identity theft. Certified recyclers like eWorks ESI handle data destruction as part of the process. The county's recycling infrastructure exists. It's funded. It's free for almost everything. There's genuinely no reason to let that old desktop gather dust in the basement for another year.
How to Prepare Your Electronics for Recycling
A little prep goes a long way — mostly for your own protection:
Back up anything you need before wiping devices.
Factory-reset phones, tablets, and laptops. Remove SIM cards and SD cards.
Remove batteries from devices if they're easily accessible. Some sites accept batteries separately; others don't.
Don't disassemble anything. Drop-off sites want whole units, not a bag of components.
For heavy items like large TVs or monitors, be prepared to assist staff at weekday drop-off sites. If you're heading to a scheduled event, arrive early. The popular ones — especially Elmhurst and Wheaton — tend to draw lines. Getting there at 8 a.m. sharp is not overkill. DuPage County has made electronics recycling about as painless as a government program can be. The sites are spread across the county, most items are free, and the events run year-round. It's one of those things that makes the case for living in Naperville a little stronger. You just have to actually go.
