Arcoa

Arcoa is one of the recycling services tracked by eCycling Central in Lakewood Avenue Waukegan, IL, accepting consumer electronics and other e-waste.

Services offered

Recycling

What it costs

This is a national program drop-off. National programs typically accept the manufacturer's own brand free of charge, with fees on third-party items or oversized goods (CRT monitors, large appliances). Confirm pricing with the location before drop-off.

Illinois e-waste law

Illinois's Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act (Public Act 95-959) (2008) governs how electronics must be disposed of in this state. The law uses an manufacturer convenience standard and covers TVs, monitors, laptops, computers, printers, MP3 players, video game consoles, e-readers, small-scale servers.

Fee structure: Free to consumers - manufacturers fund collection through registered programs

Penalty for illegal disposal: Up to $50,000 per violation under Illinois Environmental Protection Act

Key requirements: Landfill ban since 2012. Manufacturers must achieve annual collection targets per pound of equipment sold in state.

Source: Illinois EPA.

What can be recovered from your e-waste

Material composition varies by device, but the typical recoverable yields look like this:

• Printer (8200g typical) - recoverable: 0.045g gold, 0.28g silver, 280g copper, 120g aluminium
• Ink cartridge (95g typical) - recoverable: 0.0g gold, 0.0g silver, 1.5g copper, 2g aluminium
• Keyboard / mouse (850g typical) - recoverable: 0.005g gold, 0.04g silver, 35g copper, 8g aluminium

Source: Cucchiella et al. (2015) Recycling of WEEEs; Umicore Precious Metals Recovery datasheets; UNEP Recycling From E-Waste to Resources.

Before you visit

**Preparing your e-waste:** factory-reset phones, tablets, and laptops before drop-off (most facilities will not perform data wiping for you). Bag loose batteries separately. Bring proof of residency if the program is municipality-funded. Check whether the site accepts the specific item you're bringing - acceptance varies widely.

Used electronics still hold recoverable value: gold connectors, copper bus bars, palladium in catalytic surfaces, and aluminium cases. Responsible recycling sends those materials back into the supply chain instead of into landfill.

Related listings and tools

All recycling locations in Illinois · Recycler directory · Find recycling near me · Scrap value calculator

Listing reviewed: April 2026 - sourced from eCycling Central's directory of US recycling locations.