Trash & Recycling in Winnebago County, IL (2026)
5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Winnebago County, Illinois.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Winnebago County requires garbage to be kept in a metal or plastic container with a fitted cover and hauled away at least weekly.
Winnebago County covered container rule
Some RestrictionsWinnebago County Code § 70-4
All persons within the county who accumulate garbage shall dispose of it in an approved manner and in a suitable container of metal or plastic with fitted covers. All garbage shall be placed in a container, as set forth above, and removed at least once per week. All persons generating garbage shall keep a record of who is removing such garbage.
Illegal Dumping
Winnebago County bans dumping garbage, filth, offal or rotting refuse on any unincorporated property, and bans placing garbage or rubbish in streets, alleys or roadways, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 70-3. A companion rule, Sec. 70-5, separately bars leaving rubbish on premises in a manner that becomes a nuisance or breeds disease. Both are enforced by the Winnebago County Health Department, with fines running as high as $500 per violation per day.
Illegal Dumping Ban in Winnebago County
Heavy RestrictionsWinnebago County, IL Code of Ordinances §§ 70-3, 70-5
It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge, deposit, place or permit the discharging, depositing or placing on any premises in the county, of any garbage, filth, offal or refuse accumulations of animal, fruit or vegetable matter, other nauseous matter or substance, or waste from sewage disposal facilities, which by reason of its quality or decomposition would become foul, odorous, subject...
Yard Waste Collection
Unincorporated Winnebago County allows open burning of dry landscape waste only on specific spring and fall weekends, with strict time and distance limits.
Winnebago County Yard Waste Burn Window
Significant RestrictionsWinnebago County Code of Ordinances Sec. 42-3(c)
In any unincorporated area outside of those areas described above, dry, landscape waste may be burned on the weekends from April 15 through May 15 and on weekends during the month of November when following these restrictions... There shall be no burning of landscape waste before 10:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. ... nor shall there be any burning of landscape waste within 25 feet of any building, ...
Dumpster Rules
Any refuse or recycling dumpster serving a commercial, industrial or multi-family site in unincorporated Winnebago County must sit behind a five-foot screen enclosure on three sides, either a solid wood fence, masonry wall or an extension of the building itself, with a gate closing the fourth side. Sec. 20.9(A) of the Unified Development Ordinance sets the standard, and the Planning and Zoning Officer enforces it through site plan review.
Winnebago County Commercial Dumpster Screening Rule
Some RestrictionsWinnebago County, IL Unified Development Ordinance (Ch. 90) Sec. 20.9(A)
A.Refuse Disposal Dumpsters, Recycling Containers and Refuse Storage Areas. All refuse and recycling containers shall be fully enclosed on three (3) sides by a solid wood or simulated wood screen fence, an opaque masonry wall (stone, stucco or brick) or principal structure wall five (5) feet in height and the enclosure shall be gated. The materials used for screening, including the enclosure, s...
Collection Schedule
Every unincorporated Winnebago County household must dispose of its garbage in an approved metal or plastic container with fitted covers and have it removed at least once a week, under Code Sec. 70-4. Residents must also keep a record of who hauls their garbage, and any hauling vehicle used to reach a disposal site in the county needs a Health Department permit under Sec. 70-6.
Winnebago County Weekly Trash Removal Rule
Some RestrictionsWinnebago County, IL Code of Ordinances § 70-4(a)-(c)
(a)All persons within the county who accumulate garbage shall dispose of it in an approved manner and in a suitable container of metal or plastic with fitted covers.(b)All garbage shall be placed in a container, as set forth above, and removed at least once per week. All persons generating garbage shall keep a record of who is removing such garbage.(c)All garbage hauling vehicles transporting g...
Trash & Recycling by City in Winnebago County
1 cities in Winnebago County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Winnebago County ordinances
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