Waukegan, IL Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Chapter 10 of the Waukegan City Code splits residential solid waste into separate streams, and Sec. 10-4(b) sets the container rules for each. Garbage and refuse go in the city-issued 65- or 95-gallon cart, recyclable commodities go in the 18-gallon recycling bin, and landscape waste gets its own handling: biodegradable Kraft bags, a dedicated 10- to 30-gallon container carrying a yard waste sticker, or, for tree branches and brush, a bundle tied with biodegradable string or twine. The bundle limits are specific: no longer than five feet, no thicker than 18 inches in diameter, and no heavier than 50 pounds, so a resident cannot drag out an entire fallen limb loose at the curb and expect collection.

The department of public works issues the standard garbage and recycling containers at no charge and will inspect and replace a damaged one for free at its discretion, but yard waste bags, stickered bins, and twine are the resident's own supply. Curb-line timing for yard waste follows the same rule as trash: Sec. the evening before the scheduled collection day and requires removal by the evening of collection, unless the address has council- or public-works-approved back door or alleyway service. Sec. 00 for each offense, and treats every day a violation sits uncorrected as a separate offense, so an ignored citation compounds daily rather than resetting.