McLean County, IL Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

McLean County regulates recycling collection stations as an accessory use under § 350-43A(6), standards that apply on top of whatever principal commercial or institutional use hosts the drop-off point. The size cap is 1,000 square feet under § 350-43A(6)(a); anything larger needs a site plan reviewed and approved under Article VIII of the zoning ordinance before it can operate. Section 350-43A(6)(b) requires every collection station to be screened from public view of adjoining properties and any street right-of-way with a six-foot-tall, one-hundred-percent opaque solid screen, or to sit fully inside a building, so an open row of bins in a parking lot without a fence or enclosure does not comply.

Section 350-43A(6)(c) keeps the stations away from housing: the structure has to sit at least 150 feet from an R-1 or R-2 zoning district boundary. Reverse vending machines get their own noise standard and must be located or soundproofed so operating noise cannot be heard from any residentially zoned or used property line. The ordinance also assigns upkeep duties: an employee, business owner, or property owner is responsible for keeping the site clean and safe and must retrieve any recyclable material that has blown around the site or the surrounding area, with materials required to be stacked properly in bins and monitored frequently.

Operating hours are controlled by posting: a sign on the enclosure must state when collection may occur, with the actual hours set by the Director of Building and Zoning.