Garbage Guidelines

Overview

Garbage must be placed inside of the gray City of Elgin refuse cart with the lid closed in order to be collected. Additional items that are stacked above, on top of, or placed along side of the 64-gallon cart will require a garbage sticker for collection.

Dropdowns

Unacceptable Items

Some items such as household hazardous waste and electronics are not allowed in the garbage bins. These items can be collected through the At Your Door Service free of charge or dropped off at certain locations. 

What is Household Hazardous Waste?

Household products that are flammable, toxic, corrosive, or reactive can be dangerous to collection personnel and the environment when disposed of improperly. These are items such as:

  • Paint
  • Pesticides
  • Poisons 
  • Cleaning Solvents
  • Tanks
  • Automotive Batteries
  • Gasoline 
  • Used Oil
  • Other Automobile Fluids

Note: Dried latex paint is not considered hazardous and can be disposed of in your regular household trash. To dry latex paint, simply leave an open can in the sun or add cat litter until it is dried completely solid. (Keep the lid off when disposing of the dried paint so that the waste collector can see that it is dry).

Special Collections (Large Clean-Up’s, Move-Out’s, Remodeling, etc.) 

For larger volumes of waste, residents can contact Waste Management directly to arrange for a special collection or to order a dumpster. For more details, contact Waste Management customer service at 1-800-796-9696.

Dropdowns

Tires

Contact Waste Management customer service at 1-800-796-9696 to schedule pickup. Tires require special handling and are collected separate from trash. Rims must be removed from tires prior to placing them out for collection (tires with and without rims can be disposed of at local auto repair shops for a fee).

  • One garbage sticker is required for each automobile tire without rim (any tire 18" or less in diameter as measured on the inside of the tire)
  • Five garbage stickers are required for each truck tire without rim (any tire greater than 18" diameter as measured on the inside of the tire)

Carpet Rolls

Must be no larger than five feet in length, two feet in diameter and weigh less than 45 pounds. One garbage sticker must be affixed to each roll for collection Do- It -Yourself Renovation Debris (Small Quantities)

  • Must be placed in bundles weighing less than forty-five pounds, up to four feet in length, and up to two feet in diameter.
  • One garbage sticker must be attached to each bundle or container for collection
  • Placed in 40-gallon containers weighing less than forty-five pounds

Looking For A Place to Haul Your Waste?

Click here to learn about drop-off locations in and near Elgin.