McHenry County, IL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- McHenry County Code § 8.44.050
- Plan filing deadline
- 6 months after ordinance adoption
- Tenant notice
- Within 30 days of move-in, annually after
- Plan updates due
- Within 15 calendar days of change
- Container duty
- Licensed hauler maintains common bins
- Fine
- $25 to $100 per violation
Summary
Owners of multi-family buildings in unincorporated McHenry County must file a written Recycling Plan with the Department and keep educating tenants on recycling under Code § 8.44.050. Communal recycling containers must be as convenient as the trash bins, and the licensed hauler maintains them.
A. RESPONSIBILITIES. 1. A multi-family dwelling owner or the owner's representative is responsible for notifying and continually educating its occupants on recycling issues and practices through a formal and ongoing education campaign. Every owner or their representative shall distribute to every new occupant, within thirty (30) calendar days of occupancy...general recycling information and current program recycling guidelines...5. Every multi-family dwelling owner or the owner's representative must provide a Recycling Plan on the form provided by the Department within six (6) months of adoption of this Ordinance by the McHenry County Board.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-5: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. A25-0037, passed 8-19-2025 | State legislation current through ALS 2025 Pamphlet No. 1).
Full Breakdown
050 of the Residential Recycling Program sets separate, more detailed rules for buildings with three or more dwelling units. 6). 8). 1). 10). 9).
Violations & Fines
A multi-family owner who fails to maintain a properly set up program, including the filed plan, tenant education, and containers, faces the same enforcement path as any other occupant: a Department warning notice, capped at two before escalation to a Notice to Appear, and a fine of $25 to $100 per violation for the ordinance generally (§§ 8.44.060, 8.44.070A). The Department may also pursue injunctive relief to compel compliance (§ 8.44.060D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an apartment complex in unincorporated McHenry County need its own recycling plan?
How often must an apartment owner remind tenants about recycling rules?
Who maintains the shared recycling dumpsters at an apartment complex?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in McHenry County
Compare McHenry County to another location·View the Illinois trash & recycling overview
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