Trash & Recycling in Oak Park, IL (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Oak Park, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Oak Park requires residential properties with five units or fewer to store garbage in a Village mobile cart or a metal or plastic container no larger than forty gallons. Carts over fifty pounds when full, garbage in the wrong container, or garbage frozen to a dirty container all go uncollected.
Oak Park Garbage Container Requirements
Some RestrictionsOak Park Village Code § 20-7-2(A)
It shall be the duty of every owner, operator, occupant or responsible party of every residential building containing five (5) or less dwelling units to store all garbage, except compostable kitchen waste placed in a compost pile, and refuse in a "mobile cart" as defined in section 20-7-1 of this article, except for permissible shared mobile carts under this article. Mobile carts which weigh in...
Bin Placement Rules
Oak Park residential properties must set out garbage, recycling and yard waste containers close to the alley, no more than three feet from it, or between the curb and sidewalk where there is no alley. Materials go out no earlier than 7:00 AM on the scheduled day, and empty containers must come back in by 10:00 PM.
Oak Park Garbage Cart Placement and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsOak Park Village Code § 20-7-2(B)
Garbage, refuse, yard waste and recyclable materials stored in accordance with subsection 20-7-2 A of this section and all bulk materials for special pickup shall be placed for collection close to, but not encroaching upon, the public alley abutting the property for which they are provided, and shall be no more than three feet (3') from the alley and easily accessible to the collector or on the...
Bulk Item Disposal
Oak Park limits bulk item pickup to one item per week and charges eight dollars, covered by two refuse stickers. Brush must be bundled and tied with rope or twine, not wire or plastic cord, and extra trash beyond the weekly cart needs its own refuse sticker.
Oak Park Bulk Item and Brush Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsOak Park Village Code § 20-7-2(A), (C), (F)
Bundles of brush, securely tied and not exceeding four feet (4') in length may be neatly stacked next to the yard waste bags for the separately scheduled regular yard waste collection. The Village will not collect bundles of brush tied with either wire or plastic cord. ... ... C. Bulk Material And Extra Trash Pickups: Occasional extra trash may be disposed of in containers of not more than thir...
Recycling Requirements
Oak Park residents in buildings of five units or fewer must recycle through the Village's official blue containers or designated drop-off boxes under Village Code section 20-7-2, and it is a village offense for anyone but the Village or its authorized agent to remove materials from a resident's recycling container or the curb.
Oak Park Curbside Recycling Rules
Some RestrictionsOak Park Village Code §§ 20-7-2, 20-7-3
Recyclable material may only be donated to the Village for recycling by placement of specified materials in official Village boxes or at designated Village of Oak Park recycling stations located throughout the Village or by placement in the official Village recycling container owned by the Village but made available to individual residents exclusively for the collection of recyclable materials;...
Valet Trash Rules
Oak Park offers back door collection, meaning pickup at the house itself rather than the alley or street curb, as an optional add-on for residents who need it. The service costs an extra $18.33 a month, charged on top of a household's regular garbage, recycling and yard waste rates under the Village Code.
Oak Park Back Door Trash Collection Service
Light RestrictionsOak Park Village Code § 20-7-1; § 20-7-2(I)
BACK DOOR COLLECTION SERVICE: Collection of waste and recycling that is not at the alley or the street curb. ... ... I. Back Door Service: The rate for back door service shall be eighteen dollars and thirty-three cents ($18.33) per month which shall be in addition to all other applicable rates set forth in this article.
Illegal Dumping
Oak Park bans dumping litter anywhere in the Village except in an authorized receptacle, covering streets, alleys, gutters and private property alike. If garbage piles up illegally on private land, the Village can remove it after 48 hours' notice and bill the owner, with unpaid costs becoming a lien.
Oak Park Illegal Dumping and Litter Rules
Some RestrictionsOak Park Village Code § 20-7-9; § 20-7-11(A), (B)
In addition to the other remedies provided in this code, the Director may cause the removal of garbage or litter from private premises where it has accumulated in violation of this code, provided written notice of said removal is served upon the owner, operator or occupant forty eight (48) hours prior to said removal. ... ... A. It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit litter in any place...
Yard Waste Collection
Oak Park residents must bag grass clippings, small brush, and trimmings in thirty-gallon yard waste bags or a labeled rigid container to get them picked up under section 20-7-2, while larger limbs and bundled brush follow separate size limits, and every bag or container needs a purchased Village yard waste sticker.
Oak Park Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsOak Park Village Code §§ 20-7-1, 20-7-2
YARD WASTE: ... Includes grass clippings, trimmings from shrubs, hedges and other vegetation, brush, branches and limbs presented for collection by the Village in accordance with section 20-7-2 of this article. ... It shall be the duty of every owner, operator, occupant or responsible party of every ... building within the Village presenting yard waste for collection by the Village to separatel...
Dumpster Rules
Buildings with more than five dwelling units, and other non-residential structures, must use garbage containers sized under Village Code section 20-7-3, including at least one cubic yard of capacity per six multi-family units, and any container over thirty two gallons must meet specific bottom-width, outrigger, and lid standards.
Oak Park Commercial Dumpster Standards
Some RestrictionsOak Park Village Code § 20-7-3
DUMPSTER: ... A one cubic yard or larger container for the disposal of garbage or refuse. ... ... B. Containers: ... Containers with a capacity of at least one cubic yard shall be provided for each six (6) units in a multiple-family building. C. Containers In Excess Of Thirty Two Gallons: Garbage containers with a capacity in excess of thirty two (32) gallons may be permitted provided they meet...
Collection Schedule
Oak Park requires every residential property with five units or fewer to use the Village's own garbage, refuse and recycling collection service. Hiring a private scavenger for that service is against the code, and every qualifying property owner pays the collection rates the Village Board sets under this article.
Oak Park Mandatory Village Trash Collection
Significant RestrictionsOak Park Village Code § 20-7-2(M)
M. Private Scavengers Prohibited: The employment of private scavengers by an owner of any residential property within the Village containing up to five (5) dwelling units for the collection of garbage, refuse and recyclables shall not be allowed. All owners of residential properties within the Village containing up to five (5) dwelling units shall pay the collection rates prescribed in this art...
Recycling Rules
Oak Park residents may only recycle through the Village's own program: official recycling boxes, designated drop-off stations, or the blue Village recycling cart. Scavenging a recycling container or its contents is a code violation, and mixed paper has to be separated from newspaper and bundled before it goes out.
Oak Park Curbside Recycling Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsOak Park Village Code § 20-7-2(A), (D)(1)
Recyclable material may only be donated to the Village for recycling by placement of specified materials in official Village boxes or at designated Village of Oak Park recycling stations located throughout the Village or by placement in the official Village recycling container owned by the Village but made available to individual residents exclusively for the collection of recyclable materials ...
Looking for Cook County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Oak Park city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Cook County →