Make your home safe and clean for spring is the headline on the flyer we picked up at Whole Foods. The city is running a drop off for your household hazardous waste and electronics on Saturday May 20. From 8:00 am to 3 pm tomorrow you can drop off household materials to be recycled and disposed of safely at 1150 North Branch (at Division, 2 blocks east of the Kennedy Expressway).

Household materials to bring:
Chemicals, electronics, tv's, computers, phones, small appliances, light bulbs, paints, cleaners and solvents. Blue bags will be given in exchange for drop-offs while supplies last.

If you have a gas lawnmower, bring it in and exchange it for a $100 rebate toward a new electric or manual mower. Recycle old gas cans for new environmentally friendly gas cans.

The fine print (why you should do this, basically):
This is an opportunity for Chicagoans to reduce the amount of material that would otherwise go directly into the waste stream, reuse items that can be refurbished and recycle the components that can be retrieved.More than 3.2 million tons of electronic waste ends up in landfills each year. Donating or recycling outdated electronics encourages the management of potentially hazardous components and supports the safe recovery and reuse of valuable materials.

Recycling or donating these items for re-use also helps reduce the pollution and energy use tied to the production of new electronics. Finally, it can put a computer, TV, or cell phone in the hands of Chicagoans who may need it.

Info at City of Chicago.org, Department of Environment.