Building on a pilot program from last year, the city of Naperville is expanding community-based opportunities to compost and recycle this summer.
Starting Monday, there will be city-designated locations around town for residents to compost food scraps and to drop off clothing and textiles for reuse and recycling, city officials said. The programs will run through Aug. 29.
Compost drop-offs locations will be available at the city’s compressed natural gas filling station at 1720 W. Jefferson Ave. and the former park-and-ride lot at 91st Street and Wolf’s Crossing Road. As for clothing and textiles, residents can leave items at the city’s Environmental Collection Campus at 156 Fort Hill Drive from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
The composting program is an extension of an initiative the city piloted last fall.
Until last year, compost collection services in Naperville were available on a household-by-household basis through a weekly collection program run by Elk Grove Village-based Groot Industries. Groot added a drop-off option from October through December under a partnership deal with the city.
The 2024 pilot program ran for 11 weeks and collected a total of 228 carts — each holding 65 gallons — of compost material, according to a city memorandum published earlier this month.
For this summer’s installment, the city will accept food scraps only, including fruits, vegetables, pastas, breads, crackers and cereals. Yard waste, including grass clippings, will not be permitted. Residents should bring their food scraps in their own containers and empty them into marked bins at drop-off locations.
Compost drop-offs will be allowed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No appointment is necessary and participation is free.
A complete list of acceptable compost items can be found at www.naperville.il.us/food-scrap-compost.
To recycle and reuse clothing and textiles, the city is partnering with Dupage County, eWorks and RewearAble. Acceptable items include clothing, shoes, bedding, towels and other household textiles in worn condition, officials say. Shoes must be matched and tied or banded together.
Items that cannot be reused will be repurposed into cleaning/painting rags or reused in insulation, packing material or carpeting, according to the city.
A complete list of clothing and textile items that will be accepted can be found at www.naperville.il.us/textile-recycling.
“Residents have more opportunities than ever to make sustainable choices thanks to increased awareness, innovative ideas and support from local organizations such as the ones we are partnering with for these two new recycling programs,” Naperville Sustainability Manager Ben Mjolsness said in a statement.
“We’re grateful to these organizations as well as the residents who help create a more sustainable community by participating in all of the recycling options the city provides.”
