Kankakee County, IL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Unincorporated recycling trigger
- Provided upon resident request, not automatic
- Municipal curbside threshold
- Required above 2,000 population
- Minimum materials list
- Set by § 46-117 (paper, metal, glass, plastics)
- Franchise option
- County or township may assign an exclusive hauler
Summary
Unlike municipalities in the county, unincorporated Kankakee County does not require curbside recycling for every home. Section 46-120(b)(2) requires a licensed hauler to provide recycling service to unincorporated residents and rental-property owners only upon request, covering at minimum the materials listed in Section 46-117.
(2)Unincorporated residential services.a.Licensee shall provide recycling services to residents and owners of rental residential dwelling units, including single-family, two-family, and multifamily dwelling units, upon request, in unincorporated areas of the county.b.Nothing in this division shall preclude the county or a township located within the county from awarding a franchise agreement to a county-licensed hauler for exclusive residential waste and recycling services to specific unincorporated areas under the county's or the township's jurisdiction.c.Materials to be collected for recycling (at a minimum) include those listed in section 46-117.
Full Breakdown
Section 46-120(b) splits recycling service obligations by location. S. Census population: curbside only above 2,000 residents, curbside or a drop-off center above 500, and no fixed requirement below 500. Unincorporated areas work differently under subsection (b)(2): a licensee must provide recycling services to residents and to owners of rental single-family, two-family, and multifamily dwelling units in unincorporated Kankakee County, but only upon request, rather than as an automatic curbside program. The same subsection lets the county or a township award a franchise agreement to a county-licensed hauler for exclusive residential waste and recycling service in a specific unincorporated area, which would then set that area's actual service level.
Whatever the delivery method, the materials collected for recycling must meet the minimum list in Section 46-117, which spans newspaper, cardboard, aluminum and metal cans, glass bottles and jars, and HDPE and PETE plastic containers of any color, plus landscape waste and anything else the hauler accepts for recycling.
Violations & Fines
A licensed hauler that fails to provide requested recycling service to unincorporated residents, or that fails to meet the minimum materials list in Section 46-117, is subject to the civil fine schedule in Section 46-121: $50.00 for a first violation, $100.00 for a second, and $200.00 for each additional violation, with continuing violations after the third fined at $200.00 per day and possible license suspension for flagrant noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I automatically get curbside recycling if I live in unincorporated Kankakee County?
What materials does my hauler have to accept for recycling?
Can my township pick who collects my recycling?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kankakee County
Compare Kankakee County to another location·View the Illinois trash & recycling overview
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