Evanston, IL Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)

Evanston regulates organics in Title 8, Chapter 4 of the City Code (Municipal Solid Waste), rewritten in 2018 by Ord. 128-O-18 and amended most recently by Ord. 71-O-25 on November 24, 2025. Section 8-4-5(A) is written as an invitation, not a mandate: property owners are "encouraged" to use the food and yard waste cart for compostable materials during the nine and one-half months the City collects it, and "encouraged" to enroll in the year-round food scrap program provided by a private scavenger. Because food scraps are also allowed in the City-provided refuse cart under Section 8-4-3(E), a household that skips composting breaks no rule.

What counts as organic material comes from Section 8-4-1. Food scraps cover all fruit, all vegetables, coffee grounds and filters, meats, bones, dairy products, eggs and egg shells, unwrapped candy, fried food, grains, baked goods, seafood, spices, herbs, tea and tea bags without staples, and food soiled paper. Packaging only qualifies as compostable if it carries the BPI logo, the phrase "meets ASTM standards for compostability," or a "Certified Compostable" designation, and the material must break down within 180 days.

Container standards are mandatory even though participation is not. Under Section 8-4-6(B), City food and yard waste carts come in 95 gallon or 35 gallon sizes with a green lid and a weatherproof sticker listing acceptable items. Contents cannot exceed 50 pounds and the lid must close completely. Kraft paper yard waste bags are capped at 30 gallons and 50 pounds, and no food scraps may go in them. Branches cannot exceed four inches in diameter or four feet in length, and bundles cannot exceed three feet in diameter. Section 8-4-3(D) adds that bundles must be tied with cloth ties; plastic, wire, or rope ties are refused.

Cost is set in Section 8-4-11(B): $2.50 per yard waste sticker, one on each bag or bundle, and $7.00 per month per yard waste cart starting April 1, 2026.

Landlords carry the binding duty. Section 8-4-3(M) requires every property to make tenants and occupants aware of compostable collection services, bars an owner, manager, or representative from denying a tenant access to recycling or compostable collection, and lets the owner pass the cost of compostable collection on to tenants.