Garbage and Recycling Collection
Yard waste collection begins the first FULL week of April and ends on the LAST week of November. Weather permitting, collection services may be extended.
Additional 95 Gallon Garbage Totes or 35 Gallon Recycling Totes are available at request for a fee of $56 per year. Contact Waste Management at (815) 874-8431.
Yard Waste Guidelines:
Residents may place an unlimited amount of properly prepared yard waste curbside every week during the yard waste season: April 1 – November 30.
• Yard waste includes: grass clippings, leaves, weeds, shrubbery, brush, small branches (less than 4” in diameter) and must NOT be mixed with the refuse or recycling.
• Residents may use Kraft paper bags or reusable containers (cans) for the collection of yard waste. Reusable containers must be clearly marked “Yard Waste”.
• Cans and/or Kraft paper bags must be no larger than 33-gallons nor weigh more than 50 lbs. Oversized or overweight cans or bags will NOT be collected. Do NOT use plastic tape, wire or duct tape to close your yard waste bags.
• Brush and/or branches that do not fit in a Kraft paper bag or can may be bundled. Each bundle may not be larger than 4 feet long nor weigh more than 50 lbs. Each bundle must be securely tied with either biodegradable string or twine. Individual branches cannot be larger than 3” in diameter.
• Plastic bags may NOT be used for yard waste collection.
• Christmas trees are collected at no additional charge during the first three weeks of January. Trees must be cut in 4ft sections, free of lights, ornaments and garland.
Bulk Item Pickup:
If you have a bulk item (e.g., couch, love seat, table, chair, etc.), which is defined as an item that is too large to fit within a normal garbage container, residents may dispose of these items. Items purchased as a set represent multiple bulk items (e.g., a dining room table set that includes a table and four chairs would represent 5 bulk items). However, hazardous materials (e.g., paints, herbicides, insecticides, motor oil, gasoline, pool chemicals, etc…), white goods (e.g., washer, dryer, stoves, refrigerators, air conditioners, water heaters, etc…) and construction debris cannot be disposed of through this program. Please contact Waste Management (815-874-8431) prior to placing any item at the curb to determine if it meets the bulk item requirements.
RECYCLING
How to Prepare Recyclables:
Sorting recyclable materials is no longer required. Waste Management uses a single-stream collection system to pick-up our recyclable materials. To save room in your recycling bin, paper products, such as newspapers, can be placed in a paper bag next to the recycling bin.
Plastics:
Recyclable plastic products are identifiable by the three arrow triangle surrounding a number and the plastic type abbreviation. The three arrow triangle is usually found on the bottom of the item. #1 PETE, #2 HDPE, #3 PVC or Vinyl, #4 LDPE, #5 PP. Note: #6 PS is no longer collected for recycling. Please place #6 PS (polystyrene) into the regular trash. Items that can be recycled, but are not limited to, peanut butter jars, ketchup/salad dressing bottles, deodorant containers, health and beauty aid bottles, yogurt tubs and milk jugs.
Aluminum and Steel Containers:
Samples include aluminum cans, foil, pie plates, decorative tins, and empty aerosol cans.
Paper:
Samples include, kraft brown paper bags, newspapers, magazines, catalogues, stationary, flyers, cards, windowed envelopes, and telephone books. In addition, juice boxes and milk/juice cartons that have been rinsed clean can also be recycled.
Paperboard:
Samples include frozen food boxes, paperboard carrying boxes for soda and beer, cereal and other dry food boxes, note pad backs, toilet tissue cores, and corrugated boxes flattened into pieces that are no larger than 2×2 feet (no food contamination allowed).
Items that Cannot be Recycled:
No packing peanuts, plastic grocery bags, window glass, plastic utensils, motor oil, or any hazardous chemicals/materials. Please remove all lids from recyclable items and throw them in the regular garbage. Lids cannot be recycled!
The Waste Management’s refuse, recycling and yard waste neighborhood collection schedule and map can be found here.
HOLIDAY TRASH SCHEDULE
If your trash pick up day falls on or after one of the holidays listed, your pick up will be delayed by one day. The holidays are New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.