Don't toss campaign signs in the recycling bin: Here's what to do instead

politics Don't toss campaign signs in the recycling bin: Here's what to do instead Kane County and DuPage County are able to recycle campaign signs By Rose Schmidt • Published 22 minutes ago • Updated 5 minutes ago The election is over, but what happens to all the campaign signs? Some have already disappeared from neighborhoods, while others are still in yards. For anyone wondering what to do with them, curbside bins aren't the answer. Kane County has a different solution, and it's an idea that both parties can get behind: recycling. Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE "We're excited to be able to recycle the material, recover some of this material, which will otherwise be sitting in a landfill for 100, 200 years," said Clair Ryan, the Kane County recycling program coordinator. The dumpster outside the Kane County Government Center was about a third full Friday morning. Some of the signs inside came from county workers, who've been busy taking down signs around the area. Ryan said candidates will often take down their own signs, sometimes to reuse them for future campaigns. The county has two more drop-off sites at the Kane County Recycling Center in West Dundee and the Kane County Division of Transportation in Campton Hills. “If you put [a sign] in your curbside recycling, it's probably going to either end up in a cardboard bale somewhere as a contaminant, or it might end up in the residual, that's really just trash,” Ryan explained. Ryan recycled the idea for the program from DuPage County three years ago. The corrogated plastic signs and metal stakes aren't easy to recycle curbside, so instead, Lakeshore Recycling Systems will separate them. Local Recalls 22 minutes ago Baby bottle sterilizer sold at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target recalled over burn risk Making A Difference 1 hour ago 9-year-old celebrates birthday by giving back through food drive "[Campaign signs] need to be weather dependent. They need to be able to withstand any type of weather that could be thrown at them: rain, sleet, snow, inclement weather, harsh winds. So it does take a stronger material to hold and withstand the elements, as well as the metal to help make sure they stand upright," said Alex Sales, the operations manager for Lakeshore Recycling Systems in West Chicago. Ryan said the metal stakes, which are made from galvanized steel, will go to a scrap metal recycler The program is even drawing people from surrounding counties. The Democratic Party of McHenry County had stacks ready to go. "We put it out there that everyone needs to come and bring their signs back. We have a team that is going out there and picking up all the signs, as well. We offer the candidates if they'd like their signs back because they do cost money," said party chair Ruth Scifo. Kane County is accepting signs through Nov. 15, and there’s still plenty of room for more. “Usually, [the dumpster] is pretty full, especially for a midterm election or a general election,” Ryan said. DuPage County is holding two sign recycling events, which are open to residents of the county. On Nov. 13 between 3 and 5:30 p.m. and on Nov. 14 between 9 a.m. and noon, signs can be dropped off at 421 N. County Farm Rd. in Wheaton. This article tagged under: politics