Garbage Program Guidelines

General Guidelines

Trash and recycle carts are the property of the City of Elgin and are not to be removed from the property. Contact Elgin 311 at 847-931-6001 to obtain a replacement if your cart is missing or damaged.

Solid waste materials must be placed out for collection by 6:00 a.m. the day of your scheduled collection, but not before 5:00 p.m. the day before your pickup. All containers and any materials that were not collected must be removed from the curb by midnight after your scheduled collection. View the collection schedule.

Carts should be placed at least five feet apart, with the handles facing away from the curb. For safety reasons, carts and other materials should be placed on the tree bank (the area between the sidewalk and the curb) for pickup and not in the street.

Please keep in mind that separate trucks pick up trash, recycling, yard waste and bulky items. Therefore, each of these materials may be picked up at different times of the day.

Holiday Collections 

Collection will not take place on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. When scheduled collections fall on or after one of these holidays, collections are delayed by one day for the remainder of the week, with Friday’s collection taking place on Saturday. Please note that collections will not be delayed when these holidays fall on a Saturday.

Cart Storage 

City ordinance requires that trash and recycling carts be stored in such a way that they are not near any public street, sidewalk, tree bank or parkway, or in any area visible from a public street or in public view. Condo/townhome residents should check with their homeowners association for specific guidelines, as outdoor storage may be prohibited.

Violations 

Trash related violations should be reported to Elgin 311 at (847) 931-6001.