Elgin Recycling’s latest move in the northwest suburbs is now standing tall in steel and concrete. Opus has finished a 52,174-square-foot build-to-suit facility for the family-owned recycler in Gilberts, Illinois, giving the company a new industrial hub in Turnberry Lakes Business Park. The single-story plant packs in a high-efficiency electronics shredder, expanded processing capacity, a 28-foot clear height, multiple docks, and space for heavy truck traffic. Elgin Recycling says the location is expected to be fully operational in July 2026.
Opus led design and construction
For this project, Opus took on design-builder duties and coordinated the full team, working with Architects Plus Design Studio PLLC, Structural Enginuity, Inc., and civil engineer Spaceco, according to Opus. Owner Bob Conroy credited the developer with steering the effort from start to finish, saying, “Opus guided us through the entire process.” The firm has cast the build-to-suit strategy as a way to squeeze maximum functionality out of the site while keeping the schedule tight.
Project details
The new Gilberts facility sits on a 2.76-acre lot and is set up for steady truck traffic and staff flow, with six dock doors, two drive-in doors, and parking for up to 58 vehicles, as reported by Connect Commercial Real Estate. Inside, the site houses a high-efficiency electronics shredder and follows R2 data-sanitization and security practices that are designed to protect sensitive media throughout the recycling process.
Why R2 certification matters
Elgin Recycling already runs an R2-certified electronics division and says the Gilberts operation will follow those same data-security and environmental standards, per Elgin Recycling. Industry coverage shows that regional processors have been adding e-scrap capacity in recent years, a trend noted by Resource Recycling, and the new plant fits squarely into that build-out.
Timeline and next steps
Opus first announced the groundbreaking for the project in September 2025, according to Opus. Local reporting now lists construction as complete, with operations slated to ramp up in July 2026, according to Connect Commercial Real Estate. Once the switch is flipped, the plant will shred and sort collected electronics before shipping material to downstream component recyclers.
The Gilberts facility adds to a small but growing cluster of e-waste operations in the Chicago suburbs and positions Elgin Recycling to boost throughput across its four local yards. Company representatives and the design-build team have not set a public ribbon-cutting date, but for now, that July 2026 ramp-up remains the milestone to watch.
