Trash & Recycling in Arlington Heights, IL

If you live in Arlington Heights or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Arlington Heights has 7 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Bin Placement Rules

Arlington Heights, Illinois requires refuse containers to sit in side or rear yards, entirely within the lot line, under Section 19-107, and bars leaving carts at the curb outside the set-out window in Section 19-108: not before 7:00 p.m. the prior evening (April-October) or 4:00 p.m. (November-March), and back off the curb by 8:00 a.m. the day after pickup.

Key details: Container location: Side or rear yard only, § 19-107. Weight cap: 50 lbs. for back-door collection. Earliest curb set-out: 7 p.m. (Apr-Oct) / 4 p.m. (Nov-Mar). Cart removal deadline: 8 a.m. day after collection. Penalty: $50.00-$750.00 per offense, § 19-126.

Placing or leaving a refuse container in violation of the side/rear-yard location rule in Section 19-107, or outside the curbside set-out and removal window in Section 19-108, is a violation of Article I of Chapter 19, punishable under Section 19-126 by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $750.00 for each offense.

Recycling Requirements

Owners of multi-family buildings in Arlington Heights, Illinois (Cook County) must offer recycling service to every resident and collect at least six specific materials, from newspaper to PET and HDPE plastics, with no substitutions, under Section 19-121 of the Village code. Section 19-119 makes the service mandatory for owners even though individual tenant participation stays voluntary.

Key details: Required materials: 6 types, no substitutions (§19-121e). Studio/1BR capacity: 7 gallons per unit weekly. 2BR capacity: 8 gallons per unit weekly. 3BR+ capacity: 9 gallons per unit weekly. Plan resubmission window: 15 days if rejected.

Because Sections 19-119 through 19-125 sit inside Chapter 19's Solid Waste article, a multi-family owner who fails to establish, maintain, or properly report on a recycling program is subject to the Article I penalty in Section 19-126: a fine of $50.00 to $750.00 per offense. The Village can also reject or require revision of a noncompliant recycling plan under Section 19-120 before service can proceed.

Illegal Dumping

In Arlington Heights, Illinois (Cook County), Section 19-111 flatly bans burning, dumping or burying solid waste anywhere within Village limits. The code separately declares buried or accumulated solid waste a public nuisance, letting the Village Manager order abatement, place a lien on the property, and fine violators up to $750 per offense.

Key details: Core prohibition: No burning, dumping or burying of solid waste. Fine range: $50-$750 per offense (§19-126). Nuisance trigger: Buried/accumulated waste is a declared nuisance. Abatement notice: 7 days after notice, or immediate if hazardous. Lien recording: Filed with Cook County Recorder within 60 days.

Violating Section 19-111 exposes the responsible party to the Article I penalty in Section 19-126: a fine of $50.00 to $750.00 per offense, plus possible revocation of a hauler's Village license. If dumped or buried waste also meets the nuisance definition in Section 19-203, the Village can abate it directly and bill the property owner, recording an unpaid cost as a lien on the real estate under Section 19-208.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Arlington Heights actively enforces its illegal dumping requirements.

Dumpster Rules

Commercial and multi-family properties in Arlington Heights, Illinois, cannot just drop a dumpster anywhere on site. Municipal Code Section 19-103 requires newly built or substantially remodeled container sites in Cook County's Village of Arlington Heights to be paved, curbed, graded and screened, with enough turning room for the scavenger truck that services them.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § 19-103(d). Container site surface: Paved, curbed, graded to front. Screening: Visual screening of site required. Commercial collection hours: 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.. Near residential property: Collection limited to 7 a.m.-6 p.m..

Failing to provide an approved container site meeting the paving, screening and access standards, or letting solid waste accumulate outside an approved container, is a violation under Article I of Chapter 19. Article I carries a general penalty in Section 19-126: a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $750.00 for each offense, with the responsible party's Village solid waste license also subject to revocation.

Bulk Item Disposal

Arlington Heights, Illinois residents may set large items like furniture and white goods at the curb for collection, plus brush bundled in five-foot lengths, but every disposable container is capped at 50 pounds. Items go out no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the night before (April-October) or 4:00 p.m. (November-March), and empty carts must come off the curb by 8:00 a.m. Cook County's Village-contracted hauler enforces this Chapter 19 schedule.

Key details: Weight limit: 50 lbs per disposable container. Brush bundling: Tied in 5-foot bundles. Earliest set-out (Apr-Oct): 7 p.m. the prior day. Earliest set-out (Nov-Mar): 4 p.m. the prior day. Container pickup deadline: 8 a.m. day after collection.

Section 19-126 sets the penalty for the entire Solid Waste article: any person, firm or corporation violating any provision, including the curb-placement rules of Section 19-108, faces a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $750.00 per offense, and a hauler's Village license can be revoked for repeat violations. The Village Manager's office and the solid waste contractor monitor curb compliance on scheduled routes.

Collection Schedule

Arlington Heights, Illinois restricts residential solid waste pickup to 7:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. under Section 19-118(a) of the Cook County village's code, while commercial routes generally run 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. except next to residential zoning. The downtown Arlington Alfresco district gets extended 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. collection hours from May through September.

Key details: Residential hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Commercial hours: 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.. Near-residential commercial: Limited to 7 a.m.-6 p.m.. Downtown Alfresco (May-Sept): 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.. Service: Mandatory for occupied premises under 4 units.

Collecting outside the hours set in Section 19-118, or otherwise violating the Solid Waste article, exposes a hauler or resident to the Section 19-126 penalty: a fine of $50.00 to $750.00 per offense, with a hauler's Village license subject to revocation for repeated violations. Because collection is mandatory under Section 19-115, refusing residential service does not excuse a property from the underlying billing and inspection provisions.

Yard Waste Collection

Arlington Heights, Illinois defines landscape waste as grass, shrubbery cuttings, leaves, and tree limbs under six inches in diameter under Section 19-101(h). Residents set out landscape waste bags or bundled brush at the curb, branches tied in five-foot bundles, for collection between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., with fines up to $750.00 for violations.

Key details: Definition section: § 19-101(h), under 6 in. diameter. Curb placement: § 19-108(a), bags or 5-ft bundles. Set-out time: 7 p.m. (Apr-Oct) / 4 p.m. (Nov-Mar) prior day. Collection hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. residential, § 19-118. Penalty: $50.00-$750.00 per offense, § 19-126.

Violating the landscape-waste placement, timing, or burning rules in Article I of Chapter 19 is punishable under Section 19-126: a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $750.00 for each offense, and a licensed hauler's collection license can be revoked in addition to the fine.

The Bottom Line

Arlington Heights's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Arlington Heights is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Arlington Heights can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.