DuPage County, IL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Yard Waste
- DuPage County Code §§ 30-17 and 30-26 prohibit
- Yard Waste
- Recreational fires may NOT be used to dispose
- Penalties
- Violations carry fines of $500 to $1,000 per
- Organics Program
- Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (415
- Debris Burning
- Limited exceptions: firefighter/extinguisher training, air-curtain destructors, prairie/ecological burns,
- Yard Waste
- Recreational fires are allowed only for clean, seasoned,
Summary
DuPage County Code Sections 30-17 and 30-26 (Chapter 30, Solid Waste Management) prohibit the open burning of garbage, debris, refuse, and landscape waste in unincorporated DuPage County. Combined with the Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (415 ILCS 15), which bans landscape waste from Illinois landfills, every DuPage household must use a hauler-provided yard-waste program or compost on-site.
A Recreational fire shall not be used to dispose of any garbage, debris, refuse or waste (including landscape waste). Open burning of yard waste is prohibited in unincorporated DuPage County. Fuel for a Recreational fire shall be limited to the burning of clean, seasoned, dry firewood.
Full Breakdown
DuPage County Code Sections 30-17 and 30-26 sit inside Chapter 30 (Solid Waste Management) and make it unlawful to burn garbage, debris, refuse, or landscape waste in an open fire anywhere in unincorporated DuPage County. The DuPage County Department of Environment and Sustainability administers the rule and works with the DuPage County Sheriff and local fire protection districts on enforcement. The ordinance explicitly states that a "Recreational Fire" may not be used to dispose of any garbage, debris, refuse, or waste (including landscape waste); recreational fires are limited to clean, seasoned, dry firewood in a fire pit or grill under constant adult supervision.
A second, equally important layer of regulation comes from state law: the Illinois Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act (415 ILCS 15) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS 5/22.22) bar the disposal of landscape waste at municipal solid waste landfills statewide. This is why every DuPage County waste hauler offers a separate curbside yard-waste collection program (typically April through November/December) using paper bags or county-approved kraft bags or tagged carts, with material directed to commercial composting sites. Residents who do not subscribe to a yard-waste service must compost on-site; mixing leaves, grass clippings, or brush into the regular MSW cart is a violation of both county and state law. Specific collection schedules, accepted material lists, and bag/tag requirements are set by each DuPage municipality and its franchised hauler.
Violations & Fines
Open burning of landscape waste under Sections 30-17 and 30-26 is punishable by fines of $500 to $1,000 per violation, plus court-ordered removal and proper disposal of the burned material at the violator's expense. Mixing landscape waste into landfill-bound refuse may also trigger Illinois EPA enforcement under 415 ILCS 5/22.22.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn leaves or yard waste in my yard in unincorporated DuPage County?
How do I legally dispose of yard waste in DuPage County?
Why can't landscape waste go in my regular trash in DuPage County?
Are there any exceptions to the DuPage open-burning ban for vegetation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DuPage County
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