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 mandate food-scrap or yard-waste separation. Code § 8-4-5 only 'encourages' property owners to use the food and yard waste cart or the year-round food-scrap program.
Evanston Organics Recycling Is Voluntary
Few 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 includ...
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 residents may set out yard waste in City roll-out carts, 30-gallon Kraft paper bags, or tied bundles: branches must be under 4 inches thick, bundles no more than 4 feet long and 3 feet across, tied with cloth only.
Evanston Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsEvanston City Code § 8-4-3(D)
(D)Yard Waste may be stored in:1.Roll out carts purchased from the City and owned by the property owner;2.Thirty (30) gallon or less biodegradable paper bags designated for yard waste; or3.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 cons...
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's Public Works Department collects municipal solid waste once a week from single-family homes and multi-family buildings of five units or fewer, and twice a week from owner-occupied condo, co-op and townhouse complexes of six or more units via a contracted private scavenger. Carts go out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before and must come off the curb by 7:00 p.m. collection day.
Evanston Curbside Trash Collection Schedule
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 house ...
Looking for Cook County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Evanston city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Cook County →