Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Wheaton
Trash Day
Collection is scheduled Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday depending on your neighborhood zone.
Recycling
Collected weekly on the same day as trash pickup.
Yard Waste
Collected weekly on your regular pickup day from the first full week of April through the second full week of December.
Set Out Time
By 6:00 AM on collection day (can be set out after 7:00 PM the night before)
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Trash and recycling services are managed and billed directly through LRS based on cart size and pickup frequency, while municipal water and sewer services are billed monthly by the City of Wheaton.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Mail, Phone, In-Person
Blue or Grey LRS Cart Bin (Trash)
Place carts out between 7:00 p.m. the night before and 6:00 a.m. the day of collection. Extra trash bags (max 33 gallons/50 lbs) require one universal sticker each.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Treated wood (small pieces)
- ✓Styrofoam
Blue LRS Cart with Yellow Lid Bin (Recycling)
Items must be placed loosely in the recycling cart. Do not bag recyclables. Clean and rinse all food containers.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cardboard and paperboard
- ✓Office paper and newspaper
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Rigid plastic containers
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags (film)
- ✕Food-soiled materials
- ✕Electronics
- ✕Batteries
Yard Waste Bin
Use a 35-gallon container or biodegradable kraft bag. Max weight 50 lbs. Requires 1 sticker per bag/container. Brush stacks under 4ft also require a sticker.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings and leaves
- ✓Fruits, vegetables, and dairy
- ✓Meat, poultry, bones, and seafood
- ✓Food-soiled paper towels and paper plates
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly (Requires Stickers)
Placement
Place bulk items at the curb between 7:00 p.m. the night before and 6:00 a.m. the day of your normal collection, alongside your carts.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, tables)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Carpet rolls (max 4 feet long, 18 inches diameter, 1 sticker per roll)
- ✓ Toilets (tank and bowl separated, 5 stickers)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (paint, motor oil)
- ✕ Unbundled loose construction debris
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Items excessively heavy without prior LRS coordination
Bulk disposal costs are covered by purchasing the universal stickers (e.g., 5 stickers for a toilet, 1 sticker for a roll of carpet).
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls on a weekday, garbage, recycling, and yard waste pickups for the remainder of that week will be delayed by one day.
Yard Waste Exception
During the active organics season, yard waste collections are delayed on the exact same schedule as refuse and recycling.
If a holiday such as Independence Day falls on a weekend, the weekday collection schedule generally remains completely unaffected.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Spring/Fall
April - DecemberWheaton's yard waste and organics composting program runs from the first full week of April through the second full week of December. During the winter months, no food scraps or yard waste will be collected at the curb.
Winter
December - JanuaryLRS provides a free, two-week live Christmas tree collection period immediately following the holidays. Trees must be placed at the curb with no plastic bags, lights, or ornaments. No sticker is required during this free period.
Fall
October - NovemberWhile leaf pickup is part of the standard yard waste program (requiring bags and stickers), the City strongly encourages 'leaf mulching' with a lawnmower to fertilize your lawn and reduce the volume of bags placed at the curb.
Local Tips & Community Info
Wheaton's Flexible Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) Partnership
Waste management in the City of Wheaton is uniquely designed to give residents flexibility, operating through an exclusive contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS). Unlike many municipalities that mandate a flat monthly fee for trash, Wheaton offers a pay-as-you-throw sticker program alongside traditional cart subscriptions. Regardless of which method your household chooses, all refuse and recycling must be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your designated pickup day. Residents are permitted to set out their materials no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before collection to keep neighborhood streetscapes looking tidy overnight.
Navigating the Pay-As-You-Throw Sticker System
For households that produce minimal garbage, the refuse sticker program is an incredibly cost-effective option. Under this system, you must affix one official City of Wheaton garbage sticker to each 33-gallon plastic bag or personal trash can you set at the curb. Each individual bag or can is restricted to a maximum weight of 50 pounds. You can easily purchase these refuse stickers in sheets at various local retailers throughout town, including Jewel-Osco, Tony's Fresh Market, and directly at the finance counter inside Wheaton City Hall.
Hassle-Free Single-Stream Recycling
Recycling is highly encouraged and comes at no additional sticker cost for residents using the LRS-provided recycling carts. Wheaton utilizes a single-stream recycling method, meaning you can place clean cardboard, aluminum cans, glass jars, and rigid plastics into the same bin without separating them. It is absolutely essential that all recyclables remain loose. Do not place them inside plastic shopping bags, as these films easily tangle in the LRS facility sorting machines and can cause entire truckloads to be rejected.
Composting and Yard Waste Integration
Wheaton features an advanced yard waste and organics composting program that operates from the first week of April through the middle of December. Residents must apply one refuse sticker to each biodegradable Kraft paper bag or bundle of brush. Notably, the city allows you to mix organic food scraps—such as vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, and eggshells—directly into your yard waste bags or a dedicated organics cart. Brush bundles must be securely tied with biodegradable twine, measuring no more than four feet in length and two feet in diameter.
Disposing of Furniture and Electronic Waste
Getting rid of bulky items like old mattresses, couches, or broken dressers requires a bit of preparation. Under the LRS contract, residents can dispose of one large bulk item per week by attaching exactly five garbage stickers to the item. State law prohibits electronic waste from entering traditional landfills, so you cannot leave old laptops, printers, or televisions at the curb with standard stickers. Instead, residents can schedule a specialized e-waste home pickup directly through the LRS customer service portal or attend a designated DuPage County recycling event.
Drop-off Facilities
Wheaton Public Works Storage Yard
820 W. Liberty Drive, Wheaton, IL 60187
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How many stickers do I need to throw away a large piece of furniture?
To dispose of a standard bulk item like a sofa or mattress, you must securely attach five official City of Wheaton refuse stickers to the object before placing it at the curb.
Are garbage pickups delayed if a holiday occurs on a weekday?
Yes, Lakeshore Recycling Systems observes major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Labor Day, and Christmas. If a holiday falls on a weekday, all subsequent collections for that week will be pushed back by one day.
Can I put wet paint cans in my regular LRS garbage bag?
No, liquid paint is strictly prohibited. You must dry out latex paint using cat litter or paint hardener before throwing the cans away with the lids removed. Oil-based paint must be taken to a hazardous waste facility.