Refuse & Recycling
The Village of Barrington contracts with Groot Industries, Inc. to collect refuse and recyclables, composting, and residential food scraps from Village residences. Groot takes the collected refuse to the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) transfer station in Glenview. SWANCC then disposes of the refuse in a landfill. Recycling material is collected by Groot and sent to their recycling facility, where it is sorted and sold to recyclers. For more information regarding SWANCC, visit swancc.org.
Business Refuse Collection Service
Businesses in the Village are required to independently contract for their own refuse and recycling services through Groot. Please contact Groot at (800) 244-1977 or visit groot.com.
Establishing New Refuse Service
As a new resident, we realize you want to set up your new refuse, water and sewer service as quickly and easily as possible. Rates for water and sewer utility services can be viewed here.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Fill out the Utility Services Application.
- With a government-issued picture ID, come in to the Village Hall at 200 S. Hough Street, to set up your utility billing account. Sorry, but current federal rules designed to prevent identity theft make it necessary for you to set up this account in person, rather than online or on the phone. And please don’t forget to bring in your government-issued picture ID!
Moving Out of Your Home in Barrington?
If you plan on terminating water service, here’s what you need to do:
- Fill out the Termination of Utility Services form.
- Return the form to Village Hall, 200 S. Hough Street, Barrington, IL 60010 or email to smoss@barrington-il.gov.
Refuse Collection Pick-up
Recyclables, compostable yard waste, and regular refuse are collected on FRIDAY. Please have your recyclables, compostable yard waste and refuse at the curb before 6:30 a.m., but no more than 24 hours before pickup. Please do not place any containers in the street. Also, please remember to promptly remove your empty bins from the curb after pickup. In the event of a missed pickup, please contact Groot’s customer service number at (800) 244-1977.
Refuse, recyclables, and compostable yard waste will not be collected on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. During these holiday weeks, your pick-up will be on Saturday.
Recycling Information/Green Pages Directory: For details regarding useful resources for residents seeking outlets for items they no longer need, visit swancc.org.
Do’s and Don’ts of Curbside Recycling
It’s time to go back to basics, to know what materials are “accepted” and how to prepare them before placing in the recycling cart. When materials are picked up from households, they are taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for processing. Technology is key to how materials are sorted, and markets dictate what materials are wanted by manufacturers to make new products. Click here for details on recycling.
Electronics Recycling Program
Groot will pick up unlimited electronic waste at the curb at no additional charge. Residents can simply call Groot at (800) 244-1977 to schedule a pickup at least 24 hours in advance and for details on dates of pick up. Electronic materials include computers and monitors, video game consoles, printers, televisions, DVD players, etc.
Battery Recycling Program
Barrington has teamed up with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) to offer our residents the opportunity to safely dispose of household alkaline and rechargeable batteries. This program makes it simple for you to dispose of batteries safely. PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE DROPPING OFF BATTERIES FOR RECYCLING. You can drop off batteries at the Barrington Public Works facility, 300 N. Raymond Avenue, Monday – Friday, between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Please DO NOT leave batteries outside when the office is closed. Should you have any questions, visit swancc.org.
Household Refuse & Bulk Item Guidelines
Groot will pick up regular household refuse, furniture, swing sets (four ft. lengths maximum), bicycles, and carpeting. Carpet must be tied in bundles no longer than 4 feet. Only one large item will be collected per pickup. Groot will not take clumps of earth or construction material during regular pickups.
Call Groot at (800) 244-1977, to arrange for special pickups of construction material, appliances, or for further information about your refuse collection, visit groot.com.
Political Sign Recycling
The Barrington Public Works facility (300 Raymond Ave.) is a drop-off location for used campaign signs. Please recycle all unwanted campaign signs.
Recyclable and Compostable Material Guidelines
Each single-family home has one 65-gallon container for recyclable materials, which include glass, aluminum, tin, plastic bottles, and newspapers. All recyclables can be combined in this container.
In addition, the Village has provided each single-family home with a 95-gallon wheeled cart for compostable yard waste, which includes grass clippings, weeds, leaves and small twigs. Please bear in mind, this cart is for compostable yard waste only, and will not be emptied if it contains any other refuse, such as sod, dirt, clay, stones, rocks or gravel. Compost yard waste is picked up from mid-March to mid-December.
Residential Food Scrap Composting Program
The Food Scrap Composting program runs from mid-March through mid-December, during yard waste collection. Barrington residents will be permitted to place approved food scrap materials inside their 95-gallon compost cart. Collection will continue to occur on Fridays with regular recycling and refuse pickup. Food composting keeps food waste out of landfills, where it takes up space, produces methane and often cannot decompose. Composted food breaks down quickly and produces healthy soil making it much better for the environment. Additional information can be found by viewing this attachment. You can also view a brief presentation regarding the program here and a video about residential composting here.
Yard Waste
State law requires us to pick up yard waste separately from general waste. Our program includes one 95 gallon container for your use. Collections begin mid-March and end mid-December. Yard waste material must be placed inside the 95 gallon cart provided; any excess must be placed in Kraft 2-ply bio-degradable landscape waste bags. YARD WASTE IN PLASTIC BAGS WILL NOT BE COLLECTED. Tree limbs, branches, or brush must be cut to no more than 5 feet in length and placed in the container. Any brush or branches outside of the container must be cut down to 5 feet in length and bundled (use only twine or string) no greater than 2 feet in diameter.
Paint Disposal
The easiest way to dispose of paint is to use it up completely by applying a second coat to your project or using it up on a piece of old cardboard or scrap wood. Empty paint cans may be recycled. Many local theatre groups, churches and housing authorities will accept leftover paint and put it to good use. For details on how to safely dispose of paint, visit swancc.org/.
Holiday Light Recycling
The Barrington Public Works Department has teamed up with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) and Elgin Recycling to establish a “Holiday Light Recycling Program.” Collection of these lights will be at the Public Works Facility, 300 N. Raymond Avenue, late-November through March. The drop off bin will be located at the main entrance of the Public Works facility. Accepted for recycling will be: mini-lights (or Italian lights), C7 lights, C9 lights, rope lights, LED lights, and extension cords. All colors and lengths will be accepted. The Village will not accept garland, live greens, wreaths, or other non-recyclables.
Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb Recycling
The Village of Barrington is one of several communities participating in a recycling program for compact fluorescent lightbulbs. The program, sponsored by the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC), is designed to help consumers properly dispose of burnt-out CFLs because of the small amounts of mercury they contain. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs have become increasingly popular for their energy-saving properties. The bulbs produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs but use 2/3 less energy and last 10 times longer—leading to an energy savings of about $25 over the life of a lightbulb. The Illinois Bureau of Energy and Recycling estimates that if each household in the state replaced one incandescent bulb with one 18-watt CFL, the results would be equivalent to removing 294,000 tons of carbon emissions from the air.
However, the bulbs also contain an average of 5 milligrams of mercury—about the size of a ballpoint pen tip. For that reason, they should not be disposed of with household garbage. Instead, SWANCC has organized recycling drop-off centers for the bulbs.
Bulbs can be dropped off at:
Public Works
300 N. Raymond Avenue
Monday – Friday, 6:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Please DO NOT leave bulbs outside if office is closed.)
Residents are limited to a total of 12 CFLs, 4’ or 8’ fluorescent lights or a combination thereof, per visit.
While the bulbs are safe to use in homes, SWANCC also advises proper cleanup if a bulb should break.
Among its suggestions:
- Weather permitting, open windows to allow the room to ventilate.
- Sweep up—do not vacuum—all of the glass fragments and fine particles.
- Place broken pieces in a sealed plastic bag and wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up stray glass shards. Put the used towel in the plastic bag as well.
For more information about the program you can visit SWANCC’s website at swancc.org.
Paper Shredding Options for Residents and How to Prepare Paper Documents
Since 2005, the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) has sponsored Document Destruction Events (DDE) during spring, summer, and fall months. Residents that live in a member community can bring paper documents with personal information, such as tax, medical, or financial records to be shredded on-site. The shredded paper is transported to a facility where it is baled, marketed, and recycled to make new products.
- Shred paper at home – put in a tied bag in your trash cart or compost.
- Enlist a company to shred your documents – for a fee. Visit SWANCC’s Recycling Directory for companies in the area or retail stores, such as Staples, Office Depot, UPS, FedEx, etc.
- The following non-profit organizations hire adults with disabilities to run their paper shredding programs. Their fees are nominal – call for pricing.
How to Prepare Paper for Shredding
Whether the paper is shredded at a SWANCC event or through a different source, the stream must be dry, clean, and free of any other type of materials – known as “contamination”.
What are considered “sensitive” documents?
Sensitive documents are medical forms, bank statements, retired tax records, financial planning portfolios, or documents with personal information – address labels are not considered “sensitive” information.
How should paper be prepared?
- Paper must be loose – not in binders or folders
- Remove all metal clips – small staples are okay
- Remove all plastic covers or spines
- DO NOT bring paper in plastic bags
What types of paper items are NOT ACCEPTED?
- NO – Photos or family albums
- NO – Photo negatives
- NO – Plastic credit or gift cards
- NO – Plastic covers from check books or registers
- NO – Store receipts
- NO – Books
What should be done with paper NOT WANTED for shredding?
- NO – Magazines
- NO – Junk mail, ads, or coupons
- NO – Greeting cards
- NO – Newspapers
What is the danger of putting “contamination” in the paper?
Batteries, electronics, medications, sharps, etc. pose a health and safety danger to those touching the paper documents; and batteries can spark fires inside the paper truck as terminal ends come in contact with the metal shredder! Additionally, contamination will lower the resale value of the paper.
All SWANCC drop-off locations and events are open to residents of any SWANCC-member community. Please bring an ID or utility bill to verify residency. There is no fee for these services. Visit swancc.org for details.