What appliances cannot be thrown in a landfill in Illinois?

The two regulatory frameworks

Federal: Section 608 of the Clean Air Act (refrigerant-containing appliances)

Section 608 applies to any appliance containing refrigerant. These can’t be disposed of without first recovering the refrigerant via an EPA-certified technician.

Covered appliances:

• Refrigerators (all sizes)
• Freezers (chest and upright)
• Air conditioners (window, portable, central, mini-split)
• Dehumidifiers
• Heat pumps
• Water coolers with chilling
• Wine and beverage refrigerators
• Commercial refrigeration (walk-in coolers, prep tables)

State: Illinois Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act

Illinois bans electronics from landfills. Started in 2008, fully effective with landfill ban since 2012.

Covered electronics:

• Televisions (CRT, plasma, LCD, LED, OLED)
• Computers (desktop, laptop, tablet)
• Computer monitors
• Printers (inkjet, laser, all-in-one)
• Fax machines
• Computer peripherals (keyboards, mice, scanners)
• Cable boxes, DVRs, satellite receivers
• DVD players and VCRs
• Video game consoles
• Portable digital music players
• Cell phones
• Electronic books / e-readers

Other items banned from Illinois landfills

• Lead-acid batteries (car batteries, motorcycle batteries, UPS backup batteries)
• Motor oil and used oil filters
• Mercury-containing devices (thermostats, switches, some thermometers)
• Fluorescent lamps and CFL bulbs (contain mercury)
• Yard waste (under separate rules; most municipalities including Aurora have curbside yard waste collection)
• White goods (large appliances) — not technically “banned” in all cases, but standard trash service won’t take them

What this means for homeowners

If you have any of these items at your house, regular trash service won’t take them. You have to use one of the compliant disposal channels:

For refrigerant-containing appliances

• Junk removal company (compliant haulers like Junk Nurse)
• ComEd appliance recycling program (working appliances, pays $30–$50)
• Retailer haul-away when buying new
• Transfer station drop-off (some accept; fees vary)

For electronics

• Licensed e-recyclers (Vintage Tech, eWorks, others)
• Best Buy in-store take-back
• Staples and Home Depot smaller-item take-back
• Kane County / City of Aurora e-waste collection events
• Junk removal company that routes to licensed e-recyclers

For batteries and oil

• Auto parts stores accept used motor oil and lead-acid batteries free
• Kane County household hazardous waste collection events
• Some retailers accept rechargeable batteries (Home Depot, Lowe’s)

For fluorescent lamps

• Home Depot and Lowe’s accept CFL and tube fluorescents for recycling
• Kane County hazardous waste collection

How Junk Nurse handles compliance

When we pick up a load that includes regulated items, we route each item through the appropriate channel:

• Refrigerant-containing appliances → Section 608 compliant processor
• Electronics → licensed e-recycler
• Lead-acid batteries → battery recycler
• Motor oil and fuel → hazmat-handling facility
• Mercury-containing items → specialty recycler
• Everything else → standard disposal or recycling

All of this is built into our volume-based pricing — no separate per-item disposal fees.

What about other “sort of regulated” items?

Paint, solvents, automotive fluids, propane tanks, pesticides — these aren’t “banned from landfills” in the same way electronics are, but they’re classified as household hazardous waste and most disposal facilities won’t accept them in regular waste streams.

Junk Nurse can’t take these in a standard junk removal pickup — we’ll point you to Kane County’s household hazardous waste collection program for proper disposal.

For more, see our Illinois landfill banned items guide.