Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Waukegan
Trash Day
Trash is collected once per week by LRS between 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM.
Recycling
Recycling is collected every other week on your regularly scheduled service day.
Yard Waste
Yard waste is collected seasonally from March 15 through December 15 on your regular pickup day with stickers or a seasonal subscription.
Set Out Time
By 6:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Standard weekly residential refuse and recycling service is funded through city property taxes. Additional cart rentals, yard waste subscriptions, and oversized special collections are billed directly by LRS.
Billing Cycle
Included in Property Taxes
Accepted Methods
Property Tax, Online, Auto-Pay, Mail, Phone, In-Person
LRS-issued Cart Bin (Trash)
All regular trash must fit inside the 95-gallon LRS cart with the lid closed. Excess garbage requires a prepaid waste sticker. Carts must be placed at the curb by 6:00 AM on collection day, but no earlier than 5:00 PM the night before.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food wrappers and waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Small broken household goods
LRS-issued Cart Bin (Recycling)
Recyclables must be placed loosely inside the 65-gallon cart. Never bag recyclables in plastic bags. Contaminated carts will be tagged and left unemptied.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean cardboard and paper
- ✓Plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, cords)
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Electronics
Yard Waste Bin
Use 30-gallon compostable paper yard bags or rigid containers (up to 32 gallons/50 lbs) marked with a yard waste decal. Brush must be bundled with biodegradable twine (under 4 feet long and 50 lbs).
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Weeds and garden trimmings
- ✓Small branches and twigs
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
One item per week on regular collection day
Placement
Place your single bulk item securely next to your garbage cart between 5:00 PM the night before and 6:00 AM on your collection day.
Accepted
- ✓ Small furniture (chairs, end tables)
- ✓ Mattresses (must be wrapped in plastic)
- ✓ Rolled carpet (cut to 4ft, under 50 lbs)
- ✓ Standard household items too large for the cart
Not Accepted
- ✕ Electronics and televisions
- ✕ Construction and remodeling materials
- ✕ Automotive parts and tires
- ✕ Hazardous chemicals and wet paint
- ✕ Items heavier than 50 lbs (unless pre-scheduled)
If an item weighs more than 50 pounds, or if you need to dispose of more than one item, you must call LRS at 844-633-3577 to pre-schedule and prepay for the extra service.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a recognized holiday falls on a Sunday through Friday, your scheduled pickup day will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste collection follows the exact same holiday delay schedule as regular garbage during the active season.
If a holiday falls on a Saturday, there is absolutely no delay in the regular Monday through Friday collection schedule.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Spring through Late Fall
March 15 - December 15Standard weekly yard waste collection is active. You must bag your yard debris or use marked personal cans during these months on your regular garbage collection day.
Mid-Autumn
October - NovemberLRS conducts specialized unbagged leaf vacuuming. The city publishes a zone map and schedule each October. Rake leaves to the parkway (not into the street) just prior to your zone's scheduled week.
Winter
JanuaryLive Christmas tree collection typically occurs in the first two weeks of January. Trees must be completely stripped of all decorations, tinsel, and lights, unbagged, and cut if longer than 6 feet.
Local Tips & Community Info
Lakeside Sanitation Protocols in Waukegan
Positioned right on the shores of Lake Michigan, the City of Waukegan places a high priority on environmental preservation through strict neighborhood refuse policies. The municipality contracts with Groot Industries to deliver comprehensive residential waste and recycling solutions. This structured partnership ensures that single-family households receive dependable weekly service. By adhering to the authorized disposal guidelines, homeowners play a direct role in keeping local waterways clean and streetscapes free of blowing litter.
Container Spacing and Timetables
Preparation is critical for a smooth weekly route. Groot requires all designated carts to be wheeled out to the parkway no later than 6:00 a.m. on your specific collection morning. However, city ordinance mandates that bins should never be left out for days on end; you may place them outside starting at 6:00 p.m. the evening prior. When positioning your toters, ensure there is a minimum clearance of four feet between the trash cart and the recycling bin so the mechanical arms on the collection trucks can grab them without knocking anything over.
Sorting Commingled Recyclables
Waukegan utilizes a highly efficient single-stream recycling format, completely eliminating the need for residents to separate paper from plastic. Your dedicated recycling cart is the perfect destination for rinsed aluminum cans, flattened corrugated cardboard, glass jars, and rigid plastic jugs. It is absolutely imperative that you never bag your recyclables. Tanglers, such as plastic grocery sacks, old garden hoses, or electrical cords, wrap around the gears at the sorting facility and cause massive equipment failures.
Organic Landscape Debris
Managing a lawn near the lake often results in plenty of seasonal brush. Waukegan’s landscape waste program operates annually from the beginning of April through the end of November. Grass clippings, leaves, and weeds must be contained within 30-gallon biodegradable Kraft paper bags, and each bag must display a prepaid yard waste sticker. Alternatively, households that generate substantial organic debris can bypass the sticker system by subscribing to an annual yard waste cart directly through Groot.
White Goods and Oversized Refuse
Dealing with bulky waste is straightforward under the current municipal contract. Every home is permitted to set out one standard bulk item—such as a piece of furniture, a mattress, or a wooden chair—every single week alongside their normal garbage at no extra cost. However, 'white goods' like refrigerators, washing machines, and dehumidifiers fall under a different category. These large metal appliances require you to call Groot at least one full business day in advance to schedule a special pickup, which will incur an additional handling fee.
Service Disruptions for Holidays
The sanitation calendar observes six primary holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Whenever one of these major holidays lands on a weekday, all subsequent neighborhood collections for that week will be delayed by exactly 24 hours. For example, a Thursday pickup will shift to Friday. If the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, your normal weekday schedule remains entirely uninterrupted.
Drop-off Facilities
Waukegan Public Works Dumpster (E-Waste & Tires)
1700 N McAree Rd, Waukegan, IL 60087 (Confirm exact gate entrance via City)
Materials Accepted
SWALCO Gurnee Household Chemical Waste Facility
1311 N Estes Street, Gurnee, IL 60031
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should my trash carts be at the curb in Waukegan?
All refuse and recycling carts must be placed at the edge of the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day, but no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before.
How do I throw away an old refrigerator in Waukegan?
Refrigerators and other major appliances, known as white goods, cannot be thrown out with regular trash. You must call Groot in advance to schedule a dedicated appliance collection, which requires an extra fee.
Does Waukegan collect yard waste year-round?
No, the municipal yard waste collection season is strictly seasonal, running from April 1st through November 30th. During this window, you must use stickered Kraft bags or a subscribed yard waste cart.