Bin There, Done That: New Garbage, Recycling Carts Coming To Wilmette

WILMETTE, IL — The overhaul of the village's waste management system is underway as part of the launch of a new contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems, or LRS, to handle garbage, recycling and yard waste.

More than 19,000 carts are being replaced, according to village staff. Deliveries began Monday and are due to continue through Dec. 22. New bins are being delivered curbside, with garbage, recycling and yard waste carts potentially arriving separately and while residents are not at home.

Village staff encouraged residents to start using their new LRS carts as soon as they receive them.

Households that have requested sizes different from the standard 96-gallon garbage and 64-gallon recycling carts may receive their carts at different times compared to their neighbors. The delivery of carts for organics and yard waste is slated for the later part of the transition period.

Old carts will start being picked up on Monday, with the removal process expected to continue through the end of the year.

Village staff asked residents to leave old carts — labeled Veolia, Advanced Disposal or Waste Management — at the usual collection spot after the new carts arrived.

These old carts should be empty and will be either reused or recycled, according to village staff. Those that cannot be repurposed will be ground down, and the plastic will be used in the manufacture of new carts.

The new LRS carts will have blue-colored sides. Recycling carts have lids with a lighter shade of blue, and yard waste carts will have a yellow lid.

Service from LRS officially begins on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Collections during the prior week will be delayed by one day due to the holidays.

Following a competitive bidding process, the village board approved a new, 8-year contract with LRS over the summer.

After five years of refuse collection remaining frozen, staff warned residents they will see an average increase in January of about $6 per month.

The village currently collects an average of 12,000 tons of refuse and recycling, with a recycling diversion rate of nearly 30 percent, village staff said, announcing the partnership.

As part of the new contract, LRS will assist with leaf collection, pick up trash from streetscape containers and help collect items at community events.

The Rosemont-based company, which operates a 1,400-vehicle fleet, also agreed to take part in a once-a-year, at-home hazardous and electronic waste collection event and a year-round organics program that will extend into the winter months on a subscription basis.

“We look forward to our partnership with LRS to provide high-quality refuse and recycling to our residents,” Assistant Village Manager Erik Hallgren said, announcing the new contract. “We were impressed with their high-level of customer care and their commitment to sustainability, which is demonstrated by the new and expanded services for residents.”