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DuPage County’s SCARCE reports 304 programs and 21,000 participants in 2024; expands county recycling and education outreach
Summary
At the Feb. 4 meeting SCARCE staff reviewed 2024 education and outreach, citing 304 programs that reached about 21,000 people, and described countywide initiatives including pumpkin-smash composting, cooking oil recycling turned into biofuel, syringe/EpiPen collections with the sheriff, and upcoming teacher and school programs.
SCARCE staff delivered a year-in-review to the DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee on Feb. 4, highlighting expanded education and collection programs across the county and attendance metrics for 2024.
"In 2024, it's 304 programs, over 21,000 people," said Kaye, a staff member presenting the report. The presentation described K-12 and adult outreach including watershed models at schools and community events, a teacher institute field trip to the Elmhurst Quarry and other water facilities, the 18th Sustainable Design Challenge for high school students and STEMAPALOOZA events that combine cleanups with hands-on exhibits.
SCARCE noted several countywide collection and recycling programs: a pumpkin-smash program that staged 25 local collection sites in DuPage County last year (part of a larger national network of 153 known pumpkin-smash events), permanent and pop-up cooking-oil drop-off sites including a new site in Itasca, and storm-drain medallion installations to mark drains. On cooking oil, Kaye said the county works with a vendor called GreenGreece; she said the collected oil is filtered, dewatered and processed into a biofuel, keeping it out of storm drains and, the presenter said, reducing certain air pollutants depending on the study cited.
Kaye also reported the sheriff’s department helped with medicine, syringe and EpiPen collections, and that the sheriff agreed to add a fourth collection location in Downers Grove scheduled for Oct. 4. For hazardous items, the presenter told the committee that the Wheaton recycling event at the fairgrounds on April 12 will accept propane tanks free of charge and that residents may take fire extinguishers to the regional hazardous waste site in Naperville.
Committee members praised SCARCE’s outreach. Member Evans described using SCARCE’s "green your gig" rental program for reusable tableware and thanked staff for the resource; Member Zay and others thanked the presenter for the Lombard Senior Fair exhibit and other community events.
The presentation also addressed program delivery challenges: staff said they will accompany volunteer teams during storm-drain medallion installations to ensure correct placement and longevity, citing concerns about adhesive durability and accurate reporting by volunteer teams. The presenter said SCARCE partners with municipal sustainability coordinators (including Naperville’s coordinator Ben) to spread participation in the Sustainable Design Challenge and other programs.
SCARCE listed upcoming events and partnerships, including teacher institute day on Feb. 28 and continued work with schools pursuing water-quality flags (Roselle Middle School, Glenbard East High School, Forest Glen School in Glen Ellyn). The presenter encouraged committee members to share photos and newsletter items to increase visibility of county programs.
