Cook County, IL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Cook County Code § 30-385
- On-site only
- Waste must be burned where generated
- Buffer distance
- 1,000 feet from homes, schools, hospitals
- Permit validity
- Up to one year, Department-issued
- Local override
- Municipal burning bans still control
Summary
Cook County lets residents burn landscape waste on-site only under strict conditions, not as a general disposal option.
(2)The open burning of landscape waste, but only:(i)On the premises on which such waste is generated;(ii)When atmospheric conditions will readily dissipate contaminants...(iv)In those areas of the County which are not in the following prohibited areas:(A)Municipalities in which open burning is prohibited;(B)Unincorporated areas 1,000 feet or less from a municipality in which open burning of landscape waste is prohibited.
Full Breakdown
Cook County Code § 30-385 bars open burning countywide except for listed exceptions. Landscape waste (grass, leaves, brush, tree limbs) may only be burned on the premises where it was generated, when weather will disperse the smoke, and not in a municipality that already bans open burning or in unincorporated land within 1,000 feet of one. The Department of Environment and Sustainability can also issue destruction permits for landscape waste burning outside restricted areas and more than 1,000 feet from homes, schools, hospitals or nursing homes, valid up to one year. Violations are handled under the penalty and cost-recovery provisions of Section 30-131.
Violations & Fines
Open burning of landscape waste outside these conditions, or without a required permit, is enforced by the Department of Environment and Sustainability under the penalties, cost recovery and remedies set out in Cook County Code § 30-131.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn leaves and brush in my yard in Cook County?
Does this apply in Chicago?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
Compare Cook County to another location·View the Illinois trash & recycling overview
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