Oak Park, IL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Section 20-7-2 requires that recyclable material be donated to the Village only by placing it in the official recycling container the Village provides to each household, in official Village boxes, or at designated Village recycling stations; overflow may go into Kraft paper bags placed on or beside the recycling container, and mixed paper must be separated from newspaper, flattened, and bundled with twine in two directions. Recycling containers, bins and mobile carts remain Village property; a sixty four (64) gallon mobile cart used for recycling must be blue, distinguishing it from the green ninety six (96) or sixty four (64) gallon carts used for solid waste.

Subsection D makes it unlawful for anyone other than the Village or its authorized agent to collect, procure, remove, or obtain recyclable materials or recycling containers placed for collection in the parkway or alley, unless the collection is an organized aluminum can or paper drive authorized by the Village Manager. Larger residential and commercial buildings covered by section 20-7-3 face additional recycling duties: owners must run an on-site multi-family recycling program with pickup at least once a week, sized to a minimum weekly capacity formula of seven gallons per studio or one-bedroom unit, eight gallons per two-bedroom unit, and nine gallons per three-bedroom-or-larger unit, and failure to comply can result in denial of the building's multi-family dwelling license renewal.