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Miscellaneous Materials Recycling

Some household items don’t fit into our regular recycling and disposal programs, but still shouldn’t go in the trash. This page helps you find local options in Lake County for responsibly recycling or safely disposing of those miscellaneous materials.

Explore items in each category by expanding below

Gas Cylinders

(Including fire extinguishers, helium tanks, oxygen tanks and propane tanks)

https://www.cylinderrecyclers.com/

Home Heating Fuel & Tank Removal

OSI Environmental
osienv.com
219-942-4886 or 800-822-8218

Boat and Car Batteries

Auto Scrap Yards
AutoZone
Batteries + Bulbs
O’Reilly’s Auto Parts

Oil (Motor Oil)

Future Environmental (30 gallons or more)
(708) 479-6900 (call for pick up)
 
RS Used Oil Services (30 gallons or more)
(708) 534-9300
 
Safety Kleen
601 Riley Rd.
East Chicago, IN

(219) 397-1131

Furniture

Habitat for Humanity Restore

6114 Ridge Rd.
Gary, IN

(219) 923-7265

Large Garbage Items

If you have a garbage item, please call a garbage hauler for disposal. 
Waste Management:  (800) 796-9696
Republic Services:  (219) 310-2300

Pallets

Collins Pallet Recycling
1584 Blaine Street
Gary, IN

219-292-3389  

Treated Lumber

Republic Services

(219) 921-1552


Illiana Transfer Station 
1525 Clay St.
Lake Station, IN 46405

(219) 963-9400

Railroad Ties

Republic Services

(219) 501-2098 

Clothing

Clothing in good condition can be donated to a local thrift shop or Goodwill.  You can also find a drop location using the following link http://www.usagain.com/

Denim

Blue Jeans Go Green
www.bluejeansgogreen.org

Shoes

Croc Shoes
crocscares.com
Lighthouse Place Outlet
517 Lighthouse Pl Michigan City
(219) 879-5222

Athletic Shoes 
Nike Factory Store – Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets
917 Lighthouse Place, Suite #917
Michigan City, IN

(219) 879-1320
Mon-Sat: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sun: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.
Drop off your worn out athletic shoes at a Nike Reuse-A-Shoe bin to turn into sport surfaces and more.

Textiles


www.usagain.com
Visit website for locations. Boxes around Lake County accept clothes, shoes and household textiles that are ready to be re-worn, reused or recycled. Household textiles include tablecloths, towels, bedding, blankets, bedspreads, etc. Must be clean and dry and dropped off in tied plastic bags. A sturdy plastic bag protects the clothes from dirt and simplifies handling

Books

Contact any library
Better Word Book
(800) 894-0242
 
Discover Books
(888) 402 2665
discoverbooks.com

Ink Cartridges

Office Depot
 
Staples
Junk Haulers
 
1-800-Got-Junk
 
Junkluggers (800)-LUG-JUNK

Document Shredding

Office Depot
 
Opportunity Enterprises
2801 Evans Ave.
Valparaiso, IN

(219) 464-9621
 
Staples
UPS Stores

Tapes (cassette, VHS, beta)

GreenDisk.com

X-Rays

 B.W. Recycling, Inc.

(877) 217-7020


*call first for mailing instructions

Light Bulbs

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs can be taken to Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Menard’s for disposal.  Please call first to make sure items are still accepted.
Incandescent (regular) light bulbs and LED bulbs can be thrown in the garbage.

Glass (Windows)

No recycling program available.  Contact waste hauler.

Cardboard

Businesses:  Commercial Waste System
Crown Point, IN 
888-429-7622 
 
Metro Recycling
1501 Main Street, Griffith, IN 
219-922-1830 
 

Eyeglasses

Lion’s Club

Trophies

Awards Mall
http://www.awardsmall.com/Trophy-Recycling_ep_46.html
 
 
Lamb Awards & Engraving
http://www.lambawards.com/recycle.html
(800) 877-1448

Acetylene Tanks

AWG, Gases and Welding Supplies
3977 W. 83rd Place
Merrillville, IN

(219) 750-9851

Automotive Fluids

Contact your local oil change facility. Many accept old fluids.

Oil Exchange (oil only)
1498 N. Main Street
Crown Point, IN 46307
(219) 663-6200
 
Safety Kleen (large amounts)
601 Riley Rd.
East Chicago, IN
(219) 397-1131

Boat and Car Batteries

Auto Scrap Yards
AutoZone
Batteries + Bulbs
O’Reilly’s Auto Parts

Books

Contact any library
Better Word Book
(800) 894-0242
 
Discover Books
(888) 402 2665
discoverbooks.com

Cardboard

Businesses:  Commercial Waste System
Crown Point, IN 
888-429-7622 
 
Metro Recycling
1501 Main Street, Griffith, IN 
219-922-1830 
 

Clothing

Clothing in good condition can be donated to a local thrift shop or Goodwill.  You can also find a drop location using the following link http://www.usagain.com/

Denim

Blue Jeans Go Green
www.bluejeansgogreen.org

Document Shredding

Office Depot
 
Opportunity Enterprises
2801 Evans Ave.
Valparaiso, IN

(219) 464-9621
 
Staples
UPS Stores

Eyeglasses

Lion’s Club

Fluorescent Tubes

Fluorescent Tubes may be disposed of at our Household Hazardous Waste Collections as well as certain Menard’s locations. 

Businesses can call AirCycle (708) 344-7860 for fluorescent tube disposal information

Furniture

Habitat for Humanity Restore

6114 Ridge Rd.
Gary, IN

(219) 923-7265

Gas Cylinders

(Including fire extinguishers, helium tanks, oxygen tanks and propane tanks)

https://www.cylinderrecyclers.com/

Glass (Windows)

No recycling program available.  Contact waste hauler.

Helium Tanks

Helium Tanks (small) may be disposed of at our Household Hazardous Waste Collections.

https://www.cylinderrecyclers.com/

Home Heating Fuel & Tank Removal

OSI Environmental
osienv.com
219-942-4886 or 800-822-8218

Ink Cartridges

Office Depot
 
Staples
Junk Haulers
 
1-800-Got-Junk
 
Junkluggers (800)-LUG-JUNK

Large Garbage Items

If you have a garbage item, please call a garbage hauler for disposal. 
Waste Management:  (800) 796-9696
Republic Services:  (219) 310-2300

Light Bulbs

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs can be taken to Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Menard’s for disposal.  Please call first to make sure items are still accepted.
Incandescent (regular) light bulbs and LED bulbs can be thrown in the garbage.

Oil (Motor Oil)

Future Environmental (30 gallons or more)
(708) 479-6900 (call for pick up)
 
RS Used Oil Services (30 gallons or more)
(708) 534-9300
 
Safety Kleen
601 Riley Rd.
East Chicago, IN

(219) 397-1131

Oxygen Tanks

Users should look at the ring around the top of the tank to find the manufacturer and contact that company for disposal information.  Users may also contact local oxygen tank suppliers to see if they will accept the tank.

https://www.cylinderrecyclers.com/

Pallets

Collins Pallet Recycling
1584 Blaine Street
Gary, IN

219-292-3389  

Plastic Bags

Most grocery stores have plastic bag recycling in the entryway.  The following link will help you find locations in your area.

www.plasticfilmrecycling.org

Propane Tanks

For standard 20lb tanks, write “recycle” across the label of your tank and leave it outside the cage of a bigger Blue Rhino retailer. Tanks do not need to be Blue Rhino brand.

If you need assistance finding a dealer in your area, visit www.bluerhino.com or call 1-800-258-7466

https://www.cylinderrecyclers.com/

Railroad Ties

Republic Services

(219) 501-2098 

Shoes

www.soles4souls.org

www.terracycle.com

Smoke Detectors

Please check the back of your smoke detector for disposal information.  Many smoke detectors have an 800 number for you to contact for more information. 

Tapes (cassette, VHS, beta)

GreenDisk.com

Textiles


www.usagain.com
Visit website for locations. Boxes around Lake County accept clothes, shoes and household textiles that are ready to be re-worn, reused or recycled. Household textiles include tablecloths, towels, bedding, blankets, bedspreads, etc. Must be clean and dry and dropped off in tied plastic bags. A sturdy plastic bag protects the clothes from dirt and simplifies handling

Treated Lumber

Republic Services

(219) 921-1552


Illiana Transfer Station 
1525 Clay St.
Lake Station, IN 46405

(219) 963-9400

Trophies

Awards Mall
http://www.awardsmall.com/Trophy-Recycling_ep_46.html
 
 
Lamb Awards & Engraving
http://www.lambawards.com/recycle.html
(800) 877-1448

X-Rays

 B.W. Recycling, Inc.

(877) 217-7020


*call first for mailing instructions

Yard Waste

Duneland Materials, LLC
https://www.oldroute30llc.com/

Additional Resources

If you have a usable item you are interested in donating, check Washington Park Zoo’s Wishlist.
 
An additional resource for recycling information is Earth911.

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