Yard Waste Collection: Downers Grove vs Naperville

Can I burn leaves or yard waste in my yard in unincorporated DuPage County?

No. DuPage County Code §§ 30-17 and 30-26 prohibit the open burning of garbage, debris, refuse, and landscape waste in unincorporated DuPage. Recreational fires must use clean, seasoned firewood only — never leaves, brush, grass clippings, or other yard waste. Fines run $500 to $1,000 per violation. Many DuPage municipalities have an additional local burning ban, so even inside city limits open burning of yard waste is almost always illegal.

How do I legally dispose of yard waste in DuPage County?

Either subscribe to the seasonal yard-waste collection program offered by your municipality's franchised waste hauler (using paper yard-waste bags or a tagged yard-waste cart, typically April through November), drop off material at a DuPage County environmental drop-off event, or compost on-site. State law (415 ILCS 15 and 415 ILCS 5/22.22) bans landscape waste from Illinois landfills, so it cannot be mixed into your normal garbage cart.

Why can't landscape waste go in my regular trash in DuPage County?

The Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (415 ILCS 15) and Section 22.22 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS 5/22.22) prohibit the disposal of landscape waste at Illinois municipal solid waste landfills. That state ban, layered on top of DuPage County's Chapter 30 prohibitions on burning yard waste, is why every DuPage hauler operates a separate seasonal yard-waste program and bag/tag system.

Are there any exceptions to the DuPage open-burning ban for vegetation?

Yes, but they are narrow. DuPage County allows open burning only for firefighter or fire-extinguisher training, air-curtain destructors, prairie or ecological landscape burns, and disaster debris explicitly authorized by state, county, or local authorities. Household yard-waste burning is not on that list and remains prohibited.

Can I burn leaves or yard waste in my yard in unincorporated DuPage County?

No. DuPage County Code §§ 30-17 and 30-26 prohibit the open burning of garbage, debris, refuse, and landscape waste in unincorporated DuPage. Recreational fires must use clean, seasoned firewood only — never leaves, brush, grass clippings, or other yard waste. Fines run $500 to $1,000 per violation. Many DuPage municipalities have an additional local burning ban, so even inside city limits open burning of yard waste is almost always illegal.

How do I legally dispose of yard waste in DuPage County?

Either subscribe to the seasonal yard-waste collection program offered by your municipality's franchised waste hauler (using paper yard-waste bags or a tagged yard-waste cart, typically April through November), drop off material at a DuPage County environmental drop-off event, or compost on-site. State law (415 ILCS 15 and 415 ILCS 5/22.22) bans landscape waste from Illinois landfills, so it cannot be mixed into your normal garbage cart.

Why can't landscape waste go in my regular trash in DuPage County?

The Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (415 ILCS 15) and Section 22.22 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS 5/22.22) prohibit the disposal of landscape waste at Illinois municipal solid waste landfills. That state ban, layered on top of DuPage County's Chapter 30 prohibitions on burning yard waste, is why every DuPage hauler operates a separate seasonal yard-waste program and bag/tag system.

Are there any exceptions to the DuPage open-burning ban for vegetation?

Yes, but they are narrow. DuPage County allows open burning only for firefighter or fire-extinguisher training, air-curtain destructors, prairie or ecological landscape burns, and disaster debris explicitly authorized by state, county, or local authorities. Household yard-waste burning is not on that list and remains prohibited.