Spring Into Action
Your monthly update from the Illinois Recycling Foundation
2026 Illinois Circularity Conference
📅 August 19–20, 2026
EVEN Hotel & Tinley Park Convention Center — Tinley Park, Illinois
🏆 Title Sponsor: The Battery Network
The Illinois Circularity Conference returns this August for two days of sessions, networking, and collaboration focused on building a truly circular Illinois. We're thrilled to welcome The Battery Network as our 2026 Title Sponsor! Whether you work in local government, the private sector, education, or advocacy, ICC is the premier gathering for sustainability and materials management professionals in the state.
Thank you to everyone who submitted session abstracts—the Planning Committee received a strong response before the March 10 deadline and is currently reviewing proposals. Registration, sponsorship opportunities, and the full agenda will be announced in the coming months. Mark your calendars now!
The Crusher Inc.
West Chicago, Illinois • Est. 1972
Crusher Inc.'s founder, Jerry Neumaler, started the business with one of the first mobile crushers in the Midwest in 1972, crushing cars and scrap metal from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Back then, most end-of-life vehicle yards didn't have car crushers on site. In 1982, Crusher Inc. purchased a small parcel of land in West Chicago near the tracks, and the dream of a permanent facility became a reality when the company was incorporated in 1987.
On average, Crusher hauls 40–50 tons per day of ferrous and non-ferrous materials to be recycled. The company also hosts regional fire department state certification scenarios for first responders, provides federal and local law enforcement with end-of-life vehicles for extrication exercises, and aids Customs Border Patrol by destroying impounded vehicles.
Ferrous metals recycled include wrought iron, cast iron, mild steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, and tin—materials found in housing construction, industrial containers, large-scale piping, cars, RVs, trucks, railroad rails, and other transportation components. Non-ferrous metals include lead, zinc, copper, nickel, brass, and aluminum, as well as precious metals like silver and gold. Non-ferrous items Crusher recycles include aluminum and alloy wheels, armored cable, bare bright wire, chrome, copper cable, coils, household cable, heavy copper, lead acid batteries, lead piping, sheet lead, solder, stainless steel, tin, and transformers. Crusher Inc. pays cash for non-ferrous metals.
Crusher provides commercial metal dumpster service for warehouse cleanouts, construction scrap, and ongoing business changes. Remelted steel from this recycling process is used to create new steel goods. They also supply roll-off containers, semi-trailers, and flatbeds for projects large and small—both big and small projects can be accommodated by roll-off containers as long as the material weight requirement of 5,000 pounds is met.
Learn More About The Crusher Inc.
From mobile crushing in 1972 to a full-service ferrous and non-ferrous recycling operation today, Crusher Inc. takes great satisfaction in serving the communities of the greater Chicagoland area.
President's Message
Clair Ryan
President, Illinois Recycling Foundation
Spring is here, and there's a lot of exciting momentum at IRF.
First, I'm elated to welcome The Battery Network as the Title Sponsor of the 2026 Illinois Circularity Conference. Their partnership with IRF goes back to our CERA & Battery Stewardship Workshop in January, and having them on board for ICC in August is a tremendous boost for the conference and for the circular economy work happening across our state.
Thank you to everyone who submitted session abstracts before the March 10 deadline — the Planning Committee received a strong pool of proposals and is hard at work building an agenda that reflects the breadth and depth of materials management in Illinois. We'll share more details soon.
I also want to remind all IRF members that your membership includes membership in the National Recycling Coalition. This month, NRC is hosting an exclusive Plastics Survey Results Forum on March 26 — a great opportunity to engage with national policy conversations. I encourage you to register and make your voice heard.
As spring recycling events ramp up across the state and stewardship programs for batteries and paint continue to grow, it's clear that Illinois is building real infrastructure for a circular future. Thank you for being part of it.
See you in Tinley Park this August!
Recycling News Around Illinois and Beyond
PaintCare Illinois Hits Early Milestones — 60,000 Gallons Collected
Just two months after launching on December 1, 2025, the PaintCare Illinois program has already collected an estimated 60,000 gallons of leftover paint, stain, and varnish. The program now has more than 345 drop-off site partners—primarily paint and hardware retail stores along with local government facilities—and is on track to manage close to one million gallons in its first year.
Elected officials and industry leaders gathered at the Illinois State Capitol in February to celebrate the progress. The program is free for households and businesses—funded by a small fee on new paint sales—and accepts house paint, primers, stains, sealants, varnishes, and more at participating locations. Find a drop-off site near you at paintcare.org/states/illinois.
Illinois EPA Announces Seven Spring Household Hazardous Waste Events
Illinois EPA Acting Director James Jennings has announced seven Spring Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) one-day collection events for 2026. The free events are open to all Illinois residents and will be held on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.—pre-registration is required for all spring events. Upcoming dates include Griggsville (April 11), Kankakee (April 18), Morrison (April 25), and DeKalb (May 16), with more locations to be announced.
Residents can bring chemical cleaners, oil-based paints, thinners, antifreeze, motor oil, weed killers, insecticides, and other hazardous household products. Latex paint should be taken to a PaintCare drop-off site instead. Year-round HHW drop-off facilities are also available in Naperville, Rockford, Chicago (Goose Island), Gurnee, and Wood River.
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Hit Record High at Recycling Facilities
Publicly reported fires at waste and recycling facilities in the U.S. and Canada reached a record 448 incidents in 2025, driven largely by lithium-ion batteries in improperly discarded consumer products—especially disposable vapes. Industry groups NWRA, ReMA, and SWANA have jointly published a new guide on lithium-ion battery management at MRFs, calling for early detection systems, employee training, and safe storage protocols.
The trend underscores the importance of Illinois' new battery stewardship program and proper disposal at designated drop-off locations. Never place batteries, vapes, or electronics in your curbside recycling bin. Find a battery drop-off site at batterynetwork.org/illinois.
Spring Recycling Events Ramping Up Across Illinois
Spring recycling season is in full swing across Illinois. Kane County is collecting campaign signs for recycling through March 29 at multiple locations. Naperville's Household Hazardous Waste facility is open year-round on Saturdays and Sundays. Elmhurst's Quarterly Electronics & More Recycling Event returns April 25, open to all DuPage County residents. And the Village of Addison hosts its Spring Community Recycling Event on April 18, with electronics, document shredding, and more.
With battery stewardship, paint stewardship, and HHW collection programs all now active statewide, residents have more year-round options than ever. Check with your local solid waste agency or visit the Illinois EPA's HHW collection schedule for events near you.
Free Battery Recycling is Now Available Throughout Illinois
Thanks to the Portable and Medium Format Battery Stewardship Act, residents, businesses, schools, and local governments can now recycle most household batteries at no cost through The Battery Network.
Funded entirely by battery manufacturers, the program covers three main categories: single-use and rechargeable household batteries, large rechargeable batteries (up to 25 lbs), and damaged or defective batteries. Embedded batteries, automotive lead-acid batteries, EV batteries, and recalled batteries remain the responsibility of the manufacturer and are not included in this program.
Safety first: Before dropping off lithium batteries, individually bag each battery or tape the terminals to prevent sparks and reduce fire risks during storage and transport.
Interested in becoming a collection site? Learn how to participate at batterynetwork.org/collection-partners or contact Regional State Stewardship Manager Marta Keane at mkeane@batterynetwork.org for large volumes.
Clean Lighting Act Reminder — CFL Sales Now Banned, Linear Fluorescents Next in 2027
As of January 1, 2026, retailers and distributors in Illinois can no longer sell screw-base or bayonet-base compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). The Clean Lighting Act (Public Act 103-0799) phases out mercury-containing fluorescent bulbs in favor of safer, more energy-efficient LED alternatives. The ban will expand on January 1, 2027, to include pin-base CFLs and linear fluorescent tubes commonly found in offices, schools, and warehouses.
The law is projected to save Illinois consumers over $1.5 billion on utility bills by 2050 and eliminate an estimated 419 pounds of mercury pollution from the state's waste stream. Existing fluorescent bulbs may continue to be used until they burn out, but should be properly disposed of at household hazardous waste collection events or participating retailers.
Introducing Recycle Coach
The Illinois EPA and Recycle Coach are proud to launch digital technology for waste and recycling statewide. This extended partnership gives every community access to digital tools to help empower residents to find hyper-local information fast and efficiently.
- Collection Calendars: Provide easy access to pick-up schedules, street sweeping details, events, and more.
- Notifications & Reminders: Send timely alerts for collection reminders, delays, and emergencies.
- Report A Problem: Make sure resident issues are routed to the right team for fast resolution.
- What Goes Where Search Tool: Cut contamination with an easy-to-use search tool, covering 400+ materials.
Ready to get started? Contact Liz Kunkle at lkunkle@recyclecoach.com.
Thank You to Our 2026 Benefactors
Your generous support helps make statewide recycling programs, education, and advocacy possible. We extend our sincere appreciation to our benefactors for their continued commitment to sustainability.
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"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it."
— Robert Swan
Illinois Recycling Foundation
P.O. Box 411 | Geneva, IL 60134 | Phone: 708-847-7401
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