Recycle Coach launches in Kane County, live demo set for April 23
Kane County is joining a growing number of Illinois communities modernizing their approach to recycling education with the launch of Recycle Coach, a free web tool and mobile app that provides instant answers to recycling questions.
This new tool gives users quick answers to recycling questions and helps them understand how to dispose of household items properly.
The county began working toward implementation about six months ago, following an announcement from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency that offered municipalities and counties free access to Recycle Coach through a state contract, with no direct cost to local governments.
Recycle Coach offers three main features:
• What Goes Where (WGW): A powerful searchable database with thousands of common household items and tens of thousands of synonyms. Users can type in an item — like “Styrofoam,” “paint,” or “batteries” — and learn whether it can be reused, recycled curbside, dropped off at a special location or event, or if it belongs in the trash. Kane County staff have spent significant time customizing this tool with local information, effectively combining the content of several Recycling Program webpages into one place, including details about curbside recycling, yard waste, hard-to-recycle materials, event schedules, drop-off locations, and material-specific guidance.
• My Schedule: This feature provides a calendar of Kane County’s recycling events that all users can access. For residents in municipalities that have shared their curbside pickup information with Recycle Coach, the calendar will also show those collection days. Currently, full schedule details are available for the city of Geneva, Mill Creek, and the village of Maple Park. Kane County encourages residents to ask their municipalities to join the platform to expand this feature. Email County Recycling Program (recycle@kanecountyil.gov) to learn more or join the platform.
• Discovery Zone: A fun and educational section of the app that lets users test their recycling knowledge, explore blog posts, and download kid-friendly activities designed to engage learners of all ages.
To help residents get familiar with Recycle Coach, Kane County Recycling Program Coordinator Clair Ryan will host a free “lunch and learn” online demonstration on Wednesday, April 23, from noon to 1 p.m.
The demo will showcase how to use the tool’s key features and answer participant questions. Sign up for the Zoom link via www.kanecountyil.gov/Recycling, and a recording will be made available afterward on the county’s Recycle Coach page for those who can’t attend live.
For more information or to explore Recycle Coach, visit Kane County’s Recycling website or download the free app from the App Store or Google Play.