Cook County and South Suburban College Break Ground for the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Scheduled to Open in Fall 2025

Facility will serve as permanent drop-off location in the south suburbs

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined officials from South Suburban College (SSC) to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Cook County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility. The $4.6 million facility is a partnership between the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES) and SSC to provide County residents with a permanent drop-off location to appropriately dispose of HHW materials. The HHW facility will be located alongside the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center) that opened at SSC on Earth Day 2023. 

Cook County residents will be able to dispose of household chemicals, rechargeable batteries, oil-based paints, solvents, medications, fluorescent light bulbs, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, auto fluids, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, aerosol cans and lawn, pool and hobby chemicals at the HHW facility. The facility located at SSC, 15800 State St., South Holland, IL 60473, is scheduled to open this fall. 

It will serve as a complement to the CHaRM Center where residents can dispose of electronics, polystyrene foam, clothing and textiles, personal healthcare equipment and general household recycling materials. Since its opening, the CHaRM Center has served over 3,300 residents, taking in nearly 2.5 million pounds of materials that otherwise would have likely been disposed of 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,” said 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, making our communities safer and more sustainable.”

This new facility fills a gap in services in the south suburbs and south side of Chicago. The nearest similar facilities are on the near north side of Chicago, 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,” said Dr. Lynette Stokes, president of South Suburban College. “The addition of the Household Hazardous Waste Facility to our campus underscores our commitment to sustainability, accessibility, education and public service, providing a critical resource for residents to safely and responsibly dispose of materials that pose environmental and health risks.”

The County is providing funding for the HHW facility and the CHaRM Center through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The County allocated over $100 million in ARPA funding to support a clean environment for all and to fight climate change.

To learn more about the County’s waste diversion and recycling initiatives, visit the DES website.

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