Cicero, IL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered buildings
- 1-4 unit residential/apartment dwellings
- Minimum materials
- Newspaper, PET/HDPE, aluminum & ferrous cans
- Unauthorized removal fine
- $50 to $750 (Sec. 78-117)
- Hauler reports due
- August 1 and February 28 yearly
- High-density buildings
- Need written recycling plan on-site
Summary
The Town of Cicero requires residents of buildings with four units or fewer to place recyclables in a distinctively marked bag for pickup with regular trash by the town's designated hauler. At minimum, newspaper, PET and HDPE plastic containers, and aluminum and ferrous cans must go in the bag, and the commissioner sets the bag's color and markings.
The residents of residential or apartment dwellings of four units or less located within the corporate limits shall place all recyclables in a distinctively marked strength plastic bag, to be collected along with other municipal waste, by the waste hauler designated by the town pursuant to section 78-77. At a minimum, the term "recyclables" as used in this section shall include the following materials: Newspaper, plastic containers (PET and HDPE), aluminum cans and ferrous cans. From time to time this list may be altered by the commissioner, and the commissioner shall designate the type, coloring or marking of the bags to be used for recyclables. Bags designated for recyclables shall be distributed by the waste hauler designated pursuant to section 78-77.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 121).
Full Breakdown
Town Code Sec. 78-118 governs curbside recycling for one- to four-unit residential and apartment buildings within Cicero's corporate limits: residents must place recyclables in a distinctively marked strength plastic bag, collected alongside municipal waste by the hauler the town designates under Sec. 78-77. The commissioner can add to the minimum material list, which starts at newspaper, PET and HDPE plastic containers, and aluminum and ferrous cans, and sets the bag's required color or marking; the designated hauler distributes the bags. Larger buildings face a stricter regime: Sec.
78-119 requires the owner or condo/co-op board of every high-density residential building to run an 'effective recycling program' collecting at least two, and often three, categories from a longer list including cardboard, mixed paper, magazines, glass and metal, plus a written recycling plan kept on-site for inspection. Offices and commercial establishments carry parallel duties under Sec. 78-120 and Sec. 78-121: any business licensee that is a refuse collection customer must certify on its town business license application that it runs an effective recycling program and name its hauler and recycling provider.
Haulers and recycling service providers must file semiannual written reports with the commissioner by August 1 and February 28 each year under Sec. 78-122, and the commissioner's approval of those reports is a prerequisite to renewing any town waste-hauling license.
Violations & Fines
Removing recyclable material from any bin, bag or container without a lawful hauler contract is a separate offense under Sec. 78-117, punishable by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $750.00 upon conviction. Business licensees who fail to file the required certifications, or whose hauler's semiannual reports are late or incomplete under Sec. 78-122, can have the town collector's office of revenue withhold their license until the report is completed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cicero require apartment buildings to recycle?
What materials must go in Cicero's recycling bags?
Can someone else take recyclables out of my bin?
Do Cicero businesses have to recycle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cicero
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle recycling requirements.