Springfield, IL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Pickup window
- Within 5 business days of curbside placement
- Unstickered bag fee
- Up to $2.50 per bag/receptacle
- Hauler violation fine
- Up to $250 per violation
- Free leaf pickup
- Spring and fall, bags capped at 33 gallons
- Enforcing agency
- Office of Public Works
Summary
Springfield requires yard waste to go out in stickered paper bags or receptacles containing yard waste only; haulers must collect it within five business days, and unstickered bags can be billed up to $2.50 each unless the city is running a free collection period.
(a)All yard waste that is placed for residential and commercial pickup by licensed waste haulers shall meet the following requirements:(1)Yard waste must be placed in paper bags or emptyable waste receptacles;(2)The bags or receptacles must have yard waste stickers attached thereto; and(3)The bags or receptacles must contain yard waste only.(b)(1)Haulers must pick up all stickered paper bags or waste receptacles containing yard waste within five business days after the yard waste is placed curbside by the customer;(2)For paper bags or receptacles with no stickers attached, the hauler must pick up all yard waste but shall charge the property owner up to $2.50 per bag or receptacle on the first occasion where stickers are not attached, and up to $2.50 per bag for all subsequent occasions... (e)Any hauler that violates this section shall be fined no more than $250 for each violation. Failure to follow these provisions at each customer addresses constitutes a separate violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 82).
Full Breakdown
Springfield City Code Sec. 12 requires all yard waste set out for residential or commercial pickup to be placed in paper bags or emptiable waste receptacles, each carrying a yard waste sticker, and containing yard waste only. Licensed haulers must pick up every stickered bag or receptacle within five business days of it being placed curbside. 25 starting January 1, 2022 and every five years thereafter. A bag mixing yard waste with other trash, or a plastic bag used for yard waste, gets tagged with a notice from the office of public works explaining why it was skipped rather than collected.
No sticker is required during the city's designated free yard-waste periods, and haulers are separately required under Sec. 29 to provide free leaf pickup each spring and fall, with bags capped at 33 gallons. The director of the office of public works may extend the collection window for bad weather or other emergencies. A hauler that violates Sec. 12 faces a fine of up to $250 per violation, with each customer address treated as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
A licensed hauler that fails to follow the bag, sticker, or five-business-day pickup requirements of Sec. 105.12 is fined up to $250 per violation, and failing to comply at each customer address is a separate offense; unstickered yard waste can be billed to the resident at up to $2.50 per bag or receptacle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a sticker on my yard waste bags in Springfield?
How fast must my yard waste be picked up?
Is there ever free yard waste pickup with no sticker needed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
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