The City of Elmhurst participates in a number of programs designed to promote sustainable practices for the benefit of its residents:
Cooking Oil Recycling
Residents are encouraged to recycle their holiday cooking oil post-Thanksgiving. The City of Elmhurst partners with the School & Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education (SCARCE) & Green Grease Environmental to hold a used cooking oil collection event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. When cooking oil is poured down drains, it sticks to sewer pipes causing clogs and breaks that are costly for homeowners and municipalities to repair. Cooking oil and other greases may also interfere with water treatment at our sanitary facilities. For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 630/530-3020.
Residents are encouraged to recycle their holiday cooking oil post-Thanksgiving. The City of Elmhurst partners with the School & Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education (SCARCE) & Green Grease Environmental to hold a used cooking oil collection event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. When cooking oil is poured down drains, it sticks to sewer pipes causing clogs and breaks that are costly for homeowners and municipalities to repair. Cooking oil and other greases may also interfere with water treatment at our sanitary facilities. For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 630/530-3020.
Prescription Drug Take Back
Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse. The non-medical use of prescription drugs is one of the most common forms of drug abuse in America. The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from the home medicine cabinets of family and friends. Unused drugs that are flushed into toilets or thrown into the garbage are also environmental hazards, as they contaminate the water supply. Prescription drugs can be dropped off at any time to the collection box located in the police department lobby. For more information, please contact the Elmhurst Police Department at 630/530-3050 or visit www.DEA.gov.
Pumpkin Recycling
Residents can reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills each Halloween by participating in a pumpkin recycling event. The City and SCARCE team up to offer pumpkin collection at the Public Works Garage. Check the City website for annual details.