Waukegan, IL Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Section 10-2 imposes a continuous, joint-and-several duty on the owner, occupant, and lessee of any premises: waste must be lawfully removed or disposed of, and the property kept free and clear of any accumulation, to preserve a sanitary and healthful condition. Waste counts as properly containerized only when temporarily stored in a container of suitable size and construction until collection. Section 10-6 then regulates whoever actually performs pickup: every permitted solid waste collector must carry a rake, broom, shovel, or similarly durable tool in the collection vehicle, and after servicing a container must completely recover and remove any debris scattered or spilled within three feet of the container, plus anything dropped during collection itself.

A collector who fails to do so risks not just a fine but suspension or revocation of the collector's license issued under Chapter 14. Commercial buildings and larger multi-family structures of four units or more fall outside these residential rules; § 10-7 instead requires them to use an approved dumpster on a concrete or asphalt pad, screened per the zoning code, emptied daily, rather than the individual carts and curb pickup used for smaller residential structures.