Evanston Announces Food, Yard Waste Pick Up Start Date

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston residents starting Monday, April 1 will be able to have food and yard waste collected by the city. Until Thursday, Dec. 12, pick up will be on the regular refuse and recycling days.

Food scraps "can now ride along with grass clippings and leaves in food and yard waste carts or can be picked up by Collective Resource," the city's website says. The food pick up is a part of Evanston's expanded composting program.

See a list of acceptable and unacceptable items at the Evanston website.

Here are the options for collection offered by the city:

• Purchase and fill a 95-gallon food and yard waste cart. To order a cart, complete the online order form at cityofevanston.org/waste, or visit the City Collector's office, 2100 Ridge Ave. A cart costs $82.50 plus a $25 annual fee. Yard waste fees are assessed annually and appear on residents' water, sewer and sanitation bills.
• Place only yard waste (no food waste) in paper yard waste bags and affix each bag with a City of Evanston yard waste sticker. Stickers are available for purchase for $1.75 each at the City Collector's Office in the Morton Civic Center, the Levy Senior Center, Jewel-Osco grocery stores, Lemoi Hardware, The Home Depot, and Valli Produce.
• Sign up for year-round food scrap composting through the City’s exclusive food scrap hauler, Collective Resource, by visiting www.collectiveresource.us. or by calling/texting 847-448-4311. Tree trimming bundles are collected separately from food and yard waste and must be less than three feet in total diameter, with individual branches being less than four feet long and less than four inches in diameter. Each bundle must be affixed with a City of Evanston yard waste sticker. Community members are also reminded that backpack-mounted or hand-held gasoline-powered leaf blowers are allowed by the City for use between March 30 and May 15 and between September 30 and the first Thursday of December, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. As a reminder, raking or blowing yard waste or leaves into the streets is illegal and can cause flooding. For more information about food and yard waste pick-up, visit cityofevanston.org/waste or call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may also dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.