Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Geneva
In Illinois, garbage and recycling services run on weekly zone-based routes. Exact pickup days vary by local municipality and private hauler.
State Mandate
Electronics and landscape waste are strictly banned from landfills.
Varies (Blue/grey LRS carts, or personal 32-gallon cans) Bin (Trash)
Personal cans must not exceed 32 gallons or 50 pounds and require a visible waste sticker looped on the handle. Subscribed LRS carts do not need stickers. Place at curb between 7 p.m. the night before and 6 a.m. on collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Food waste (if not composted)
Blue cart (Standard 65-gallon provided by LRS) Bin (Recycling)
All recyclable materials may be mixed loosely in the LRS cart. Do not bag recyclables. Rinse all food and juice containers clean.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic containers (PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC)
- ✓Cardboard
- ✓Mixed paper
- ✓Kraft paper bags
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Expanded foam/polystyrene
- ✕Motor oil containers
- ✕Soiled pizza boxes
- ✕Household batteries
- ✕Unrinsed containers
Yard Waste Bin
Use 50-pound Kraft paper bags with a waste sticker, or a subscribed LRS yard waste cart. Available from April to November. Un-stickered bags allowed during the free collection weeks in late March.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Small branches
- ✓Vines
- ✓Garden waste
- ✓Pinecones
- ✓Food scraps
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly on regular garbage day (Thursday or Friday)
Placement
Place bulk items alongside your regular trash between 7 p.m. the night before and 6 a.m. Mattresses and box springs must be wrapped in plastic and sealed in separate bags.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Wrapped mattresses
- ✓ Wrapped box springs
- ✓ Carpet rolls (max 4 ft long, 18 in diameter)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Unwrapped mattresses
- ✕ Items over 50 pounds (without special pickup)
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Unscheduled heavy construction debris
Standard bulk takes 1 waste sticker. Do-It-Yourself construction debris, white goods, and extremely heavy items require calling LRS (844-633-3577) to schedule a special pickup which may be priced by the yard.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a recognized holiday falls on or before your regular Thursday or Friday pickup, collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste is paused during the winter months, so winter holidays do not affect yard waste routes.
The LRS contract maintains these 6 core holidays. Check the Geneva City News flashes for specific delay announcements around summer and winter holidays.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Plastic Bags Out of the Cart
Never place your recyclables inside plastic grocery bags. The LRS sorting facility relies on loose items, and plastic films can jam the recycling machinery. Return bags to local Kane County grocery stores instead.
Rinse Out Food Containers
A dirty peanut butter jar or unrinsed juice bottle can contaminate a whole batch of clean paper and cardboard. Give all aluminum, glass, and plastic containers a quick but thorough rinse before tossing them in your 65-gallon cart.
No Soiled Pizza Boxes
While clean cardboard is highly recyclable, the greasy bottoms of pizza boxes are not. Tear off the clean top half for the recycling bin and put the grease-stained bottom in your garbage, or food scrap bag if participating in organics collection.
Seasonal Information
Spring
March to AprilGeneva typically offers two weeks of free yard waste pickup in the third and fourth full weeks of March, requiring no refuse stickers. Monthly zoned brush collection also begins in April.
Autumn
October to NovemberCurbside yard waste collection and food scrap ride-alongs conclude at the end of November. For late-falling leaves, the city occasionally implements a December leaf bag program.
Winter
December to FebruaryDuring severe winter weather, garbage pickup on Thursdays and Fridays may be delayed. Holiday schedules like Christmas and New Year's usually push Friday collections back by one day.
About Geneva Waste Management
Geneva's Flexible Pay-As-You-Throw Waste Program
Geneva residents enjoy a customizable refuse system tailored to household needs. Under the current LRS contract, you can opt for the traditional pay-as-you-throw method by affixing city-approved waste stickers to 32-gallon cans or bags, or subscribe to a dedicated 35, 65, or 95-gallon LRS garbage cart for a fixed monthly rate.
Free Spring Yard Waste and Food Scrap Ride-Alongs
To kick off the landscaping season, Geneva offers two free weeks of yard waste collection every March without the need for stickers. Additionally, from mid-March through the end of November, you can combine food scraps directly into your Kraft yard waste bags or designated yard carts to help keep organics out of local Kane County landfills.
Zoned Monthly Brush Collection
Unlike standard yard waste, Geneva's Public Works Department coordinates a monthly brush collection from April to November. The city is divided into two zones, with pickups occurring on the first and second full weeks of the month. Ensure limbs are unbundled, neatly stacked with cut ends facing the curb, and placed out by 7 a.m. on your designated Monday.
Convenient Options for Electronics and Hazardous Waste
Keeping toxins out of the waste stream is straightforward in Geneva. Residents can schedule a once-a-year curbside household hazardous waste pickup through Clean Harbors, accommodating up to 70 pounds of materials like latex paint and automotive fluids. Alternatively, the Naperville HHW facility serves Kane County residents every weekend for drop-offs.
Guidelines for Bulk and White Goods Disposal
Got an old couch, mattress, or refrigerator? Most standard bulk items can be set out on your regular Thursday or Friday collection day provided they have one refuse sticker attached. Mattresses must be securely wrapped in plastic. Heavy construction debris or items over 50 pounds, however, require a special pickup arranged directly with LRS.
Drop-off Facilities
Naperville Household Hazardous Waste Facility
156 Fort Hill Drive, Naperville, IL
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Geneva's pay-as-you-throw sticker system work?
If you don't subscribe to a monthly LRS garbage cart, you must affix one city-approved waste sticker to every 32-gallon trash can or bag (up to 50 lbs). Loop the sticker around the can's handle so the LRS driver can easily remove it. Do not stick it flat on the lid.
Can I recycle glass and plastic together in Geneva?
Yes. Geneva utilizes a single-stream recycling program. You can loosely mix aluminum, steel, glass jars, cardboard, and rigid plastics inside your 65-gallon LRS recycling cart without separating them.
How do I dispose of a mattress in Geneva, Illinois?
To throw away a mattress or box spring, it must be completely enclosed in a plastic mattress bag and sealed. Set it at the curb on your normal Thursday or Friday collection day and attach one Geneva waste sticker to each wrapped piece.
When does Geneva collect yard brush and tree limbs?
The City handles brush collection separately from LRS yard waste. Crews pick up brush monthly from April to November, divided into Zone 1 (first full week) and Zone 2 (second full week). Branches must be stacked unbundled at the curb by 7 a.m. on the Monday of your zone's week.