Elmhurst Bids Out Trash Pact For 1st Time In 8 Years

ELMHURST, IL – It's been eight years since Elmhurst went out to bid for its garbage service. It's doing so again.

Since 1991, the city has competitively bid out the contract three times, according to a memo. The city has contracted with Phoenix-based Republic Services all that time.

At a City Council meeting this week, aldermen were told that the city is now seeking bids for the trash service.

"We expect proposals back in early November. That will be something working its way through the holiday season and into the early part of 2026," said Stan Balicki, the city's public works director.

In August 2024, aldermen Michael Bram, Jacob Hill and James Nudera asked the city to review the contract far ahead of its expiration. This would let the City Council competitively bid for the contracted service, they said.

In 2023, Hinsdale officials expressed reservations about the "steep" rate increases in a proposed garbage contract with Republic.

At the time, then-Village President Tom Cauley said he would like to go out to bid for the contract in three years. But he said the village didn't have enough time.

A couple of years earlier, Darien city staffers were preparing to renew the contract with the city's longtime waste hauler, Waste Management. But aldermen wanted to go out to bid.

In the end, Darien aldermen approved a contract with a new company, LRS, that many believed to be superior to the city's previous arrangement.