Trash & Recycling in Evanston, IL (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for Evanston, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Evanston sets exact curb hours for trash carts, out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup, off the curb by 7 p.m. on collection day, plus alley collection-site rules.
Evanston Trash Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 8-4-8
All properties which abut an alley must designate a collection site at the edge of the property directly adjacent to the alley. Where practicable, the site should not be fenced or otherwise closed off in such a manner as to impede efficient collection. Any gates leading to the collection site from the alley shall be unlocked. The collection site may be on the alley itself, provided that contain...
Recycling Requirements
Evanston requires recyclables, paper, cartons, glass, aluminum, steel, and plastics coded 1-5 and 7, to be cleaned and set out separately from trash; mixing in non-recyclables can trigger a special collection fee.
Evanston Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 8-4-4(A)
The recyclable materials listed in this Section set out for disposal shall be cleaned and segregated from any refuse and compostable material and set out in special receptacles provided by the City or the franchise waste private scavenger(s):1.Paper items including newspapers and all inserts, direct mail advertising, office paper, magazines, catalogs, phone books, cardboard, paper bags, and chi...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Evanston does not require residents to compost. Section 8-4-5 encourages property owners to put compostable materials in the City's food and yard waste cart during the 9.5 months of the year it is collected, and to join the year-round food scrap program run by a private scavenger under contract with the City. The one firm duty falls on landlords: tenants must be told about compostable collection and cannot be denied access to it.
Evanston Food Scrap and Compost Disposal Rules
Light RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 8-4-5(A)
(A) Property owners are encouraged to dispose of compostable materials in the food and yard waste cart during the nine and one-half (9.5) months of the year that food and yard waste is collected. Property owners are also encouraged to participate in the year round food scrap collection program provided by a private scavenger under contract with the City. (B) Acceptable compostable materials inc...
Illegal Dumping
Evanston bans depositing litter or waste on any private or public property in the city, including vacant lots and alleys, under the littering provisions of Title 8, Chapter 3.
Evanston Illegal Dumping Ban
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 8-3-7-3
(E)No person shall throw or deposit litter on any private property within the City, whether owned by such person or not, except that the owner or person in control of private property may maintain private receptacles for collection in such a manner that litter may be prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, alley, sidewalk or other public place or upon any priv...
Yard Waste Collection
Evanston Code § 8-4-3(D) allows yard waste in City carts or dumpsters, in paper bags of 30 gallons or less, or in cloth-tied branch bundles no longer than 4 feet and no wider than 3 feet. City crews take branches under 4 inches thick. Heavier bags and overfull carts are cited at $50 for a first offense.
Evanston Yard Waste Containers and Bundles
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 8-4-3(D), (F)
(D) Yard Waste may be stored in: 1. Roll out carts or dumpsters provided by the City; 2. Thirty (30) gallon or less biodegradable paper bags designated for yard waste; or 3. Yard waste consisting of brush or tree branches may be tied in bundles which must be no more than four (4) feet in length and tied with cloth ties. Tree branches less than four (4) inches in diameter are considered yard was...
Dumpster Rules
Evanston requires business and multifamily dumpsters to display the property's name and address, locks them downtown, and sets a minimum weekly capacity for buildings over four units.
Evanston Dumpster Labeling & Lock Rules
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 5-1-3 (2021 IPMC §§ 308.2.2, 308.2.3)
308.2.2 Container Labeling. All containers servicing business, commercial, or multi-residential premises shall display the name and address of the premises they serve in conspicuous lettering. Said lettering is to be maintained in a clean and legible condition. Containers shall be situated so that the required lettering is visible from the public way. 308.2.3 Container Locks. If located in t...
Collection Schedule
Evanston collects municipal solid waste once per week when practicable from every single-family detached home and every multiple dwelling of five or fewer units, under City Code § 8-4-9-1(A). Condominium, cooperative, townhouse and row house complexes with six or more units that are at least 75 percent owner occupied get twice-weekly pickup from a private scavenger under City contract. Curb set-out runs from 6:00 p.m. the evening before to 7:00 a.m. on collection day.
Evanston Trash Collection Schedule and Eligibility
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 8-4-9-1(A), (B)
(A) The City shall provide municipal solid waste collection service, not including the collection of construction debris, on a once per week basis when practicable, to the following: 1. All single-family detached homes. For purposes of this Section, a structure commonly called a "coach house" or "carriage house" is considered to be a "single-family detached home" separate from the principal hou...
Looking for Cook County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Evanston city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Cook County →