• Editor’s Note: This recycling article was written by Clair Ryan, Kane County Recycling Coordinator. Do you have a question or an idea for a recycling board? Contact Clair at 630-208-3841 or [email protected]

The Kane County Recycling Program is hosting a free confidential document shredding event between 8 a.m. and noon on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at the Kane County Branch Court Office, 540 S. Randall Road in St. Charles.

• Or: 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174, just north of IL Route 38 and south of IL Route 64 across from the Kane County Fairgrounds.
• When: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday May 14, 2022. The crushing will end sooner if the trucks are completely full. The event is rain or shine but will close in case of dangerous conditions.
• What: This is an event to shred confidential resident documents and to collect latex paint and spray items for proper disposal. We do not recycle any other items at this event. There will be two more shredding events scheduled this year in August and October. Watch in line for the full 2022 program of events.
• Paint and aerosol costs: There is a fee per item to recycle latex paint and aerosol items and other containers. Cash and cards accepted. See details below. There is no charge to shred.

Event Guidelines

• Please do not arrive before 8:00 a.m.
• Please follow all event signs and instructions from event staff.
• Please do not leave your vehicle.
• There is no entry or exit to the event via Prairie Street or adjacent commercial parking lots.
• Traffic leaving the event will only be permitted to turn right (north) onto Randall Road.

Shredding Guidelines

• Shredding is offered for household documents containing confidential information. It is not a commercial service.
• Shredding is available to Kane County residents only – proof of residency required.
• Quantity is limited to four bank boxes (12 inches by 16 inches by 10 inches) or equivalent per household or vehicle.
• Only bring documents containing confidential information. Confidential information includes social security numbers, driver’s license or passport numbers, bank account and credit card numbers (the whole number, not just the last digits), and medical records. Addresses and telephone numbers themselves are not confidential.
• Please do not bring periodicals, magazines, junk mail, cash receipts or other documents that do not contain confidential information. Staff and volunteers may decline charges that are mostly or entirely non-confidential.
• Remove all large pieces of metal or plastic from confidential documents and records. These include three ring binders, binder clips, metal briefcases, plastic report covers or sleeves, and any laminated paper. Regular paper clips, staples, spiral binding and envelope windows are acceptable. Staff and volunteers may refuse loads heavily contaminated with metal or plastic.
• Please do not bring credit cards or ID cards. Although these are confidential, the trucks are for paper only. These items should be cut by hand and disposed of in household trash.
• Please do not bring pre-shredded paper. It can be brought to our Batavia or Aurora recycling centers in sealed paper bags. (See our Centers page for more information.)
• Participants must remain in their vehicle for the duration of the event. We will unload for you.
• Once unloaded, volunteers will bring back empty boxes, bags, etc. in your vehicle.
• Participants wishing to have their load of documents shredded Maybe not obstruct the line and must exit the line to a safe place.
• There are three trucks planned, each containing 12,000 pounds of paper. Once the trucks are full, the grinding will end for the day.

See more details: https://www.countyofkane.org/Recycling/Pages/confidentialDocument.aspx

Paint and Aerosol Items

• Liquid latex paint and primer are acceptable. Please do not bring oil-based paint or dried latex paint. Oil-based paint should be disposed of as hazardous household waste. Dried latex paint can go in the trash. Empty paint cans can be recycled curbside.
• Please do not mix paint cans of different colors as this prevents recycling.
• Latex paint recycling costs: $1 per liter, $3 per gallon, $5 per 2 gallon, $15 per 5 gallon pail.
• Most aerosols are accepted, empty or with residual materials. See Flat Box Recycling for exceptions.
• Propane cylinders and isobutene cylinders under 16 ounces are also accepted.
• Costs of Aerosols and Cartridges: Aerosols and isobutene containers cost $1 each to recycle. Propane tanks are $3 each.
• Cash and cards are accepted for a fee. Proper change is appreciated.

We look forward to seeing you!

May 14 Shred Event Map

Site entrance

There is an entry point for the event. This is the driveway immediately south of the circuit clerk building.

The Kane County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will direct traffic to the site from north and south directions.

Note that the OEM will need to close the left-turn lane to southbound traffic if the entry lines become too long. If this happens, southbound event traffic will have to pass and turn around to approach northbound.

Leaving the site

There are two exits for the event, the north and south lanes. If you only have paint and nothing to shred, please leave the line by the north exit after dropping off. Participants with shredded documents will be asked to turn left or right toward the north or south exits.

For the event, traffic leaving the event will only be able to turn right (northbound) onto Randall Road.

If you must head south, turn left onto Main Street (IL Route. 64), slight left onto Campton Hills Road, left onto Peck Road, left onto Lincoln Highway (IL Route 38) and finally right on Randall Road.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

We ask event patrons NOT to drive through the adjacent commercial parking lot south of the event space to the traffic light at Prairie and Randall. This causes problems for these small businesses and their patrons and jeopardizes the continuation of our events.

Observe

Volunteers will empty your boxes of confidential documents into hoppers along with the documents of other participants. When the hoppers are full, the elevators will be activated and each hopper load dumped into the shredder where the documents are shredded into confetti-sized pieces.

You cannot sit around and watch your documents being shredded. If you need to see the hopper containing your material being lifted, please pull over to the marked viewing areas.

Pit stop

Portable toilets are provided for use by volunteers and event patrons. We ask that if drivers in line for shredding allow cars that have stopped to use the Pit Stop to come back in line.