Residential & Condo Waste Service Updates

Residential Program (Single-Family Homes and Properties with Fewer Than Five Units)

Refuse (Trash) Service

The City is introducing a new 35-gallon refuse cart option for households that generate smaller volumes of waste. The monthly rate for this cart size will be $11.93. The 65-gallon cart rate will increase from $11.93 to $14 on April 1 to maintain incentives for reducing landfill waste, while the 95-gallon cart rate will remain unchanged. In the coming months, an online portal hosted by LRS will enable households to request changes to their cart sizes. The requested changes will be applied during March and April 2026, with the billing adjustments reflected in subsequent statements.

Food and Yard Waste Service

The Food and Yard Waste program is transitioning to a year-round service. Households not already using a cart will receive a 35-gallon cart by the end of March, unless they notify the City through the LRS portal that they do not wish to participate (residents must opt-out by February 21, 2026). Those who miss the initial opt-out period may adjust their service at any time. 

Accepted materials have expanded to include items such as fruits and vegetables, meat and bones, eggshells, grains, coffee grounds and filters, paper towels, and other similar materials.

Schedule: Weekly collection will occur from April through November, and during December through March, collection will occur every other week. Winter collections will alternate between “A” weeks, which include Monday and Tuesday routes, and “B” weeks, which include Wednesday and Thursday routes. Residents are encouraged to use the Recycle Coach app to receive service reminders reflecting the new schedule. 

Service Fees: Food and Yard Waste cart service fees will now appear on the water bill as a year-round charge of $7 per month, billed as $14 per cycle. Households that opt out of the service will not be charged.

Yard Waste Stickers: LRS has replaced the City as the distributor of yard waste stickers, which will be available at Valli Produce, Jewel-Osco, Lemoi Ace Hardware, City Hall, the Levy Senior Center, and the Evanston Ecology Center in early spring. Previously issued City stickers will be accepted until November 1, 2026. New stickers will be priced at $2.50 per sticker.

Carts: The City will no longer charge households for the initial purchase of refuse or Food and Yard Waste carts. An additional $11.93 monthly fee will apply for each additional cart assigned to a property. Households will be permitted one free service adjustment per year, with a $90 fee applied for additional requests within the same calendar year.

Special Pickup and Bulk Waste

The City Council approved a multi-year pilot program to expand special bulk waste pickup services. A $1 per unit per month fee will be applied to all residential accounts, allowing residents to schedule additional pickups through the 311 Center. Each pickup is limited to 3 cubic yards (about the size of a couch or twin mattress), with an annual limit of 12 cubic yards per unit. This new pilot program will replace the previous pre-scheduled spring and fall bulk trash pickup days. Additional program details are available on the City’s website.

Condominium Properties (More Than Five Units)

Refuse (Trash) & Recycling Services

Refuse and recycling services for condominium properties will remain unchanged. These properties will continue to receive twice-weekly refuse collection and weekly recycling service. Rates for 2026 are expected to remain the same.

Food and Yard Waste Service

Food and Yard Waste services are available to condo properties that choose to participate. The same expanded list of compostable materials applies, and the program will follow the new year-round schedule listed above with weekly collection from April through November and every-other-week collection from December through March. Winter collection weeks will alternate between “A” and “B”. This schedule is determined by the property’s location within set residential collection zones. A static map showing all residential collection zones is available on the City’s website.

• Condo properties may view schedules and receive reminders through the free Recycle Coach app.

• Service fees will appear on the water bill at the same rates as residential properties.

• Condominium properties may enroll in or modify this service at any time by contacting 311. There is no opt-out period, as participation is by sign-up only.   

Special Pickup and Bulk Waste

The special pickup pilot program also applies to condominium properties. A $1-per-unit monthly fee allows residents to schedule bulk waste pickups through 311. Properties with 6-20 units are permitted six yards per pickup, with a total of 30 yards per year. Properties with 21 or more units are permitted six yards per pickup, with a total of 75 yards per year. 

For more information, residents and property managers can visit cityofevanston.org/wastetransition, the City’s homepage, or call 847-448-4311. Community members may simply dial 3-1-1 while in Evanston.