Some household products are potentially dangerous to living things and the environment when disposed of improperly. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has designed a program to deal with such problem wastes. Utilizing funds from the Solid Waste Management Fund and the General Revenue Fund, the Agency sponsored 71 household hazardous waste collections during the state fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. These one-day events served 70,776 households and resulted in the collection and proper disposal of more than 14,577 fifty-five gallon drums of toxic household hazardous waste. Participation rates in targeted areas of the state have ranged from 0.24 percent to 51.53 percent, with a three-year average of 2.42 percent. Costs for the 71 events totaled $5,003,962.76, with an average cost of $70,478.35 per collection and an average cost per participating household of $70.70. Cosponsor contributions to help defray costs of these events totaled $1,021,293.14. With those added contributions, the actual outlay by the IEPA totaled $3,982,669.62. The Agency believes that funding the collections is a worthwhile, feasible and increasingly popular program. Toxic wastes are collected and handled in a safer manner when compared to ordinary refuse collections and direct landfilling. Communities are relieved of the burden and expense of disposing of these materials on their own, and residents who have fallen heir to outlawed or banned products and chemicals have found these collections their only alternative for legal, cost-free disposal. The value of the program for Illinois residents far outweighs the costs of administering it. Increasing public awareness of hazardous materials, and encouraging the use of nontoxic alternatives and safer disposal are additional benefits of the program. This report details the benefits of household hazardous waste collections in Illinois and summarizes the results of the projects.