Oak Lawn Enters New Era Of Garbage Collection With Flood Brothers

OAK LAWN, IL — It was rather sad hearing Republic make its last early morning garbage pickup Tuesday on the final day of its contract, as Oak Lawn enters a new era of waste collection. Flood Brothers officially took over the village’s residential waste hauling on Wednesday.

Oak Lawn entered into a new contract with Flood Brothers earlier this summer. Flood Brothers will provide weekly residential garbage, recycling and yard waste collection.

The change resulted from a competitive bidding process and Flood Brothers’ bid was not only the lowest qualifying bid but also represents almost $500,000 in savings over the village’s previous contract.

For those of you with lingering questions, here are a few of the most oft posted FAQs on neighborhood social media regarding the new waste hauler and garbage in general:

• In order for older residents and/or persons with a disability need to apply in person at Oak Lawn Village Hall, 9446 S. Raymond Ave., to get the reduced rate for garbage pickup. Apparently there is a form to fill out. Bring a state ID/driver’s license, passport, REAL ID, etc. for proof of age. Persons with a disability must bring either a valid “Illinois Person With Disability ID Card” with their current address, age and disability. The quarterly rate for older residents over 65 and persons with disabilities is $58.65, a 13-percent decrease over the prior contract. A family member can also come into village hall and seek a senior or disability discount, but must bring a copy of the person’s driver’s license, stated ID or Medicare car where it includes the person’s address. Information will be compared to the village’s utility address database and, if matching, the senior or disabled person can obtain the reduced rate. NOTE: If you are already receiving the reduced rate for waste collection, you do NOT need to reapply.

• No, Republic did not take its waste carts back in the final days of its contract. Your current waste carts WILL NOT be replaced in December. However, if you have additional refuse and recycling carts (more than one of each) starting January 1, 2026, Flood Brothers will charge $35 a year for each additional container. The same goes for landscaping waste carts, unless you own the cart(s). Most residents own their own carts for yard debris. For landscaping waste, Flood will continue to service up to three resident-owned carts at no additional cost. Landscaping waste pickup starts in April, according to Jerry Dillon, assistant village manager for Oak Lawn.

• If a resident has a single damaged/worn Republic refuse and/or recycling container, Flood will replace it with one of their own at NO ADDITIONAL COST.

• Another question residents frequently ask is what to do with old furniture, mattresses, hot water heaters, etc. Residents are allowed to place one piece of furniture and large household good curbside, per week. This includes (but not limited to) hot water heaters, sofas, dressers, chairs, tables, mattresses, carpet rolls (not more than four feet in length – without incurring additional charge. Homeowners who wish to set out more than one of the items listed per week, should contact Flood Brothers to make arrangements for collection at an additional cost.

If you have questions about your service, or problems with collection, contact Flood Brothers at 630-261-0400 or oaklawn@floodbrothersdisposal.com.

If you continue to have problems, or can't get your problem resolved, contact the Oak Lawn Public Works Department at 708-499-7756 or pwsupervisors@oaklawn-il.gov.

The village newsletter has more information about the new residential waster collection service available on Oak Lawn Matters