This is the crayiest place I have ever lived. I can find no landfill site or transfer station to take items that were broken in our move that we have now been reinbursed for. Not that we need it right now but where we used to live had a working site for Chemical waste that was open Monday thru Saturday and a seperate site for Recycle items also open Monday thru Saturday. Here it seems as if you pay city taxes and get no benefit other than the fact that you are happy to pay your city taxes. I have never lived in a city where you pay taxes and also have to pay for trash service. We have moved alot and this is definatly the worst place so far and we have only been here 5 months. Why are there not waste disposal sites close to take items to? I do not want to waste my time or gas to drive all over town to take items to this and that shop that may or may not take items for recycle or disposal. Where are the Landfills in the area? And what are the numbers where I can call to see what the fees are for a load containing boxes that I would rather take to recycle but can't find a place and wood from a broken desk that I would rather recycle than dump but can't find a recycle? A Metal Pole Umbrella from our Outdoor Furniture I would rather recycle than dump but once again can't find a place to recycle metal in the area that is open. Please help. I am very unhappy here in the Midwest! I want to go back home to the South where things are easy and the people are nice.

Thanks for your email. I am sorry you are so frustrated about what to do with reusable/recyclable items. I have had similar questions a few times over the past 10 years. The City of Urbana keeps a listing in a brochure of things that can be recycled on their website at www.city.urbana.il.us. Click on Quick links in the upper left hand corner and click on recycling. The brochure is available to print off, and was updated in May, 2008. It covers a lot of your questions for both Champaign and Urbana.

The Champaign City website is www.city.urbana.il.us. You can click on the Public Works department under Quick Links. It explains some about the history of the landfill. Or read about it at: Annual Landfill Capacity Report (IL EPA) http://www.epa.state.il.us/land/landfill-capacity/index.html

Champaign County data is found in the report under Region Four: East Central Illinois. There is no active landfill in Champaign County - all our waste is transported elsewhere.

A place to recycle cardboard boxes is located behind Home Depot in Champaign. It is open 24/7. I take things there all the time.

I have lived in this area all my life and have never experienced NOT paying city taxes and paying for garbage pick-up! That's interesting!

Again, I am sorry for your frustration, but I hope this helps some! This really is a nice area of the country to live in, and people can be very friendly. But I have heard that it is hard for people who have not lived here to figure out where everything is and how things are done. Many of the people here are 4 and 5 generations, and take the information they know for granted. I don't think they/we purposely mean not to meet the needs of those who have never been here. I do find the city websites to be helpful. If I can answer any more questions, please contact me again.