Lake County Solid Waste Management District

What Lake County Solid Waste Management District does

Lake County Solid Waste Management District (LCSWMD) is a governmental entity established on February 5, 1991, by Indiana State Legislature House Bill 1240, operating as the statutory county-level solid waste management authority for Lake County, Indiana. Headquartered in Merrillville, IN, the district delivers free household hazardous waste (HHW) collection events, electronics and computer/TV recycling, tire and appliance drop-off recycling, leaf vacuum collection for unincorporated areas, latex paint recycling, miscellaneous materials directory services, and a certified compost program operated from a dedicated facility in Gary, IN. It also runs an Environmental Education Center, the Enviromobile in-classroom program, a Reuse Room of free craft supplies, and summer environmental programs aligned with Indiana Department of Education standards.

The district's service portfolio is supported by physical operational infrastructure including five leaf vacuum trucks, a composting facility with windrow management, horizontal grinder, and Trommel screen producing Grade A certified compost tested by A&L Great Lakes Laboratory, plus a fleet of collection vehicles and an Enviromobile mobile education unit. Programs reach residents across nearly all Lake County municipalities, including Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Highland, Hobart, Merrillville, Munster, and others. Eight municipal public works departments host electronics/TV drop-off, and rotating HHW collection events run monthly from March through October at varying county locations.

The district is funded through municipal recycling grants, state allocations, host fees, property taxes, and limited user fees, with a 27-member governing board appointed under Indiana Code 13-21. All resident-facing programs are free of charge; businesses with large hazardous material volumes are referred to private vendors (Tradebe, Veolia, Liberty Tire Recycling, Steel City Tires, K&S Tire Recycling). The only commercial revenue stream is compost sales to tax-exempt municipalities and landscaping companies. Programs are also supported by referral relationships with national electronics recyclers (Best Buy, Dell, Amazon) and co-hosted education initiatives with Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District and Lake County Parks and Recreation.

Name

Lake County Solid Waste Management District

Legal name

Lake County Solid Waste Management District

Website

https://lcswmd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lake County Solid Waste Management District is a governmental entity in Merrillville, Indiana, established in 1991 by state law, providing free household hazardous waste collection, electronics and tire recycling, leaf collection, certified compost production, and K-12 environmental education programs to Lake County, IN residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solid Waste Management

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Solid Waste Collection (Residential/Commercial) (IMAIAFAA), Yard Waste & Green Waste Hauling (Leaves, Grass, Brush) (HSAIAOAA)

Keywords

• Solid waste management
• Hazardous waste collection
• Recycling services
• Composting operations
• Environmental education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Merrillville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: The district is a governmental entity established under Indiana State Legislation (House Bill 1240, 1991). It is funded through municipal recycling grants, state allocations, and user fees. Revenue model is not commercial; programs are free to residents, supported by public funding.
2. Compost Sales to Businesses and Municipalities: The district's certified compost is offered free to Lake County households (one cubic yard per household) and sold to local municipalities and landscaping companies (tax-exempt businesses).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lake County Solid Waste Management District operates as a governmental solid waste management authority providing free household hazardous waste collection, electronics/appliance/tire recycling, leaf collection, latex paint recycling, and certified compost distribution to Lake County, Indiana residents. It also delivers environmental education programs through field trips, the Enviromobile mobile classroom unit, the Reuse Room, and summer programs, all aligned with Indiana Department of Education standards.

Product overview

Lake County Solid Waste Management District operates as a governmental solid waste management district established in 1991, offering a portfolio of eight core service programs: Household Hazardous Waste Collection, Computer Component and TV Recycling, Compost Program, Tire Recycling, Appliance Recycling, Leaf Collection and Drop-Off, Miscellaneous Materials Recycling, and Latex Paint Recycling. These services are complemented by Environmental Education Programs delivered through the Environmental Education Center in Merrillville, including field trips, the Enviromobile (in-classroom outreach), the Reuse Room (free materials for educators and groups), and summer programs. The District also administers the CAP-A-THON community recycling initiative that transforms plastic caps into public benches and tables. All programs are designed to help Lake County, Indiana residents manage hazardous and solid waste responsibly while meeting statewide waste reduction goals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Household Hazardous Waste Collection Monthly Household Hazardous Waste collection events held March through October at rotating locations across Lake County, allowing residents to safely dispose of toxic or potentially hazardous materials including aerosols, batteries, chemicals, fuels, medications, and electronics.
• Computer Component and TV Recycling Free recycling of computer components and televisions at multiple drop-off locations across Lake County, accepting cables, hard drives, monitors, computers, stereos, cameras, phones, and other electronic equipment for Lake County residents.
• Compost Program Free certified Grade A compost offered to Lake County households (one cubic yard per household) from a compost facility in Gary, IN. Leaves collected from the Leaf Collection Program are formed into windrows, monitored for decomposition, ground using a horizontal grinder, and screened via Trommel screen to produce Grade A compost tested by A&L Great Lakes Laboratory.
• Tire Recycling Tire drop-off locations across Lake County allowing residents to recycle up to four automobile tires per month. Collected tires are transported to a local vendor for safe and responsible disposal in accordance with environmental regulations.
• Appliance Recycling Appliance recycling drop-off programs available through various municipalities within Lake County for items such as refrigerators, microwaves, and washers. Residents contact their town's public works department to determine local availability.
• Leaf Collection and Drop-Off Free leaf vacuum collection service for unincorporated areas of Lake County lacking local collection services. Collected leaves are transported to the district's compost site in Gary, IN. Spring drop-off program accepts leaves and twigs at four locations.
• Latex Paint Recycling Stand-alone latex paint recycling through the Hobart City Latex Paint Recycling Program, accepting usable latex paint (gallon cans more than half full) which is re-blended and offered to the public for purchase.
• Miscellaneous Materials Recycling Directory Directory service helping Lake County residents find local options for responsibly recycling or safely disposing of miscellaneous materials including acetylene tanks, asbestos, gas cylinders, batteries, motor oil, furniture, clothing, textiles, books, ink cartridges, light bulbs, and smoke detectors.
• Environmental Education Programs Comprehensive environmental education offerings including field trips at the Environmental Education Center in Merrillville, the Enviromobile in-classroom programs, the Reuse Room (free craft supplies), and summer programs. All programs align with Indiana Department of Education standards and are provided free to Lake County schools and educators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 pounds of plastic caps recycled into community furniture via CAP-A-THON
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tradebe Environmental ServicesminorOthersTradebe Environmental Services is referenced as a vendor for businesses or residents with large quantities of hazardous materials who cannot use the district's free HHW collection events. Contact: (800) 388-7242 or (219) 688-9100.
• Veolia Environmental ServicesminorOthersVeolia Environmental Services is referenced as an alternative vendor for businesses or residents with large quantities of hazardous materials. Contact: (219) 392-6709.
• Best BuyminorOthersBest Buy is listed as an additional electronics recycling option for Lake County residents. Best Buy is the nation's largest retail recycler of used electronics and appliances and accepts all kinds of used tech regardless of where purchased. A fee may be charged for some items including tube TVs, portable TVs, and TVs smaller than 50 inches.
• Amazon (Trade-In and Mail-In Program)minorOthersAmazon is listed as an additional electronics recycling option offering product trade-in and a mail-in recycling program for residents.
• DellminorOthersDell offers free returns on all Dell branded products for recycling. Residents are directed to dell.com/recycle for more information.
• Lake County Soil and Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization co-hosting Educator Day 2026 at the Environmental Education Center. Both districts collaborate on environmental education program offerings for Lake County schools and educators.
• Lake County Parks and RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization co-hosting Educator Day 2026 at the Environmental Education Center. Collaborates with the district on environmental education program offerings for Lake County.
• Liberty Tire RecyclingminorOthersLiberty Tire Recycling in North Liberty, IN is listed as the primary tire recycling vendor for businesses or individuals with large quantities of tires. Contact: (574) 596-9852 (Jim Shreiner).
• Steel City TiresminorOthersSteel City Tires in Hammond, IN is listed as an alternative tire recycling vendor for businesses or individuals with large quantities of tires. Contact: (219) 922-2200.
• K & S Tire RecyclingminorOthersK & S Tire Recycling in Chicago Heights, IL is listed as a tire recycling option for businesses or individuals with large quantities of tires. Contact: (312) 805-8266.
• A&L Great Lakes LaboratoryminorOthersCompost samples are sent to A&L Great Lakes Laboratory for quality testing to ensure the district's compost meets Grade A certification standards.
• Illinois EPA (Out-of-County Referrals)minorOthersIllinois EPA is referenced as a resource for Illinois residents seeking household hazardous waste collection information, as the district's programs are exclusively for Lake County, IN residents.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM): State-level environmental regulator that oversees solid waste management districts statewide and administers the recycling and HHW policy framework under which LCSWMD operates. Comparable as the broader public-sector environmental authority governing LCSWMD's mandate.
• CalRecycle: California's state agency administering recycling and waste reduction programs statewide. Comparable as a public-sector entity funding and coordinating recycling, HHW, and waste reduction programs at a larger jurisdictional scale.

Direct peers

• Pinellas County Solid Waste: County-operated solid waste program providing HHW collection, recycling drop-off sites, and educational outreach for Pinellas County, Florida residents. Directly comparable as a county-government solid waste service provider.
• Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction District: Adjacent Indiana county-level district operating HHW events, recycling drop-offs, and education programming for Porter County residents. Comparable in scope, services, and statutory framework as a neighboring Northwest Indiana district.
• Hennepin County Environment and Energy: County-level government unit operating household hazardous waste facilities, recycling drop-offs, and environmental education for Hennepin County, Minnesota residents. Comparable as a county-government environmental services provider with a similar free-to-resident model.
• Marion County Public Health Department - Environmental Health: Provides household hazardous waste collection and environmental programs for Indianapolis/Marion County, IN residents. Directly comparable as an Indiana county-level program offering free HHW services and education to residents.
• Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO): Public solid waste authority serving Franklin County, Ohio with HHW collection events, recycling programs, composting, and environmental education. Comparable as a regional public-sector solid waste authority with education and diversion programs.
• Allen County Department of Environmental Management: County-level environmental agency serving Allen County (Fort Wayne), Indiana, with solid waste, household hazardous waste, and recycling programming for residents. Closely comparable operating model and Indiana regulatory context.
• Hamilton County Recycling and Waste Management District: Another Indiana county-level solid waste management district providing residential recycling, household hazardous waste, and education services under Indiana Code 13-21. Most directly comparable in legal structure, mandate, and service mix within the same state regulatory framework.

Others

• Keep Indiana Beautiful: Indiana statewide nonprofit focused on litter prevention, recycling education, and community beautification. Comparable as an education and outreach partner ecosystem operating alongside Indiana solid waste districts, including LCSWMD.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lakecountyswmd
• Facebookfacebook.com/LCSWMD
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakecounty_swmd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-county-solid-waste-management-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lake County Solid Waste Management District