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Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and officials from South Suburban College (SSC) have marked the groundbreaking of a new Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility. The $4.6 million project is a collaboration between the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES) and SSC, aimed at providing residents with a permanent drop-off site for hazardous waste disposal. This facility will be situated next to the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center), which opened at SSC on Earth Day 2023.
Residents of Cook County will have the opportunity to dispose of various household chemicals, rechargeable batteries, oil-based paints, solvents, medications, fluorescent light bulbs, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, auto fluids, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, aerosol cans as well as lawn, pool and hobby chemicals at this new location. The HHW facility is set to open in the fall at SSC's campus located at 15800 State St., South Holland, IL 60473.
The HHW facility will complement the existing CHaRM Center where electronics, polystyrene foam, clothing and textiles, personal healthcare equipment and general household recycling materials can be disposed of. Since its launch, the CHaRM Center has served over 3,300 residents and processed nearly 2.5 million pounds of materials that might otherwise end up in landfills.
“Cook County is excited to continue our partnership with South Suburban College to provide residents in the Southland with access to a facility that will allow them to safely dispose of hazardous materials,” stated President Preckwinkle. “The HHW facility and CHaRM Center address environmental impacts as well as health concerns in a region with historically high pollution and open dumping issues.”
This initiative addresses a service gap in the south suburbs and south side of Chicago. Comparable facilities are currently located on Chicago's near north side as well as in Naperville, Lake County and Rockford.
“South Suburban College is proud to partner with Cook County on this transformative initiative that directly benefits the health and wellbeing of our communities,” commented Dr. Lynette Stokes, president of South Suburban College. “The addition of the Household Hazardous Waste Facility to our campus underscores our commitment to sustainability.”
Funding for both the HHW facility and CHaRM Center comes from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations by Cook County. Over $100 million in ARPA funding has been designated by the county for environmental protection efforts.
Further information about waste diversion and recycling initiatives can be found on the DES website.
