REFUSE (GARBAGE) COLLECTION

Refuse (Garbage) must be placed at the curb at 6 a.m. the morning of collection. Please note that the time of the day items are collected will likely change. Drivers will not necessarily arrive at the same time as they have in the past as the routes may have changed. The routes may be adjusted at any time, therefore, it is important for all items to be out to the curb by 6 a.m. on the day of collection.

Residents are allowed to place an unlimited amount of containerized refuse (garbage) to the curb each week so long as it’s properly prepared and placed inside the cart or approved refuse container. Please do not place loose plastic grocery bags or paper in the cart as they tend to fly out of the cart as it’s emptied into the truck.

Resident owned containers may only be used for refuse exceeding the cart capacity. Resident owned containers may not exceed 32 gallons, 50 pounds in weight and must have two handles.

Please note that resident owned containers are discouraged as they contribute to injuries and are not as safe for disposal. LRS offers additional refuse and recycle carts for households who frequently generate more waste materials from the home. This offer is for City of DeKalb residents and the waste generated in the household. It does not apply to businesses or waste materials generated by a business.

Large or Bulk Refuse (Garbage) Items

One (1) large or bulky item that does not fit into the refuse cart or approved waste container may be placed out for collection each week. This may be an item such as a couch, chair, table or mattress.

Very heavy items that cannot be managed easily such as a piano, sofa sleeper, etc. are considered a special pick-up and residents will need to contact LRS for an estimate. Residents who have more than one large item and would like a special pick-up, please contact LRS for an estimate on a special collection.

E-mail for an estimate: DeKalb@LRSrecycles.com

Call for estimate: 815.770.7550

Recycling Collection

Recycling must be placed at the curb at 6 a.m. the morning of collection. Please note that the time of the day items are collected will likely change. Drivers will not necessarily arrive at the same time as they have in the past as the routes may have changed. The routes may be adjusted at any time, therefore, it is important for all items to be out to the curb no later than 6 a.m. on the day of collection.

There is no need to separate recycle materials before placing them into the recycle cart.

Residents are allowed to place an unlimited amount of recyclables to the curb each week so long as it’s properly prepared and placed inside the cart or approved refuse container.

Resident owned containers may only be used for recycling exceeding the cart capacity. These containers must be clearly marked with the word “RECYCLE.” Resident owned containers may not exceed 32 gallons, 50 pounds in weight and must have two handles.

Please note that resident owned containers are discouraged as they contribute to injuries and are not as economical. Often times they are not as safe for disposal as the cart offered by LRS.

LRS offers additional refuse and recycle carts for DeKalb households who frequently generate more recycle materials from the home. This offer is for City of DeKalb residents and the waste generated in the household. It does not apply to businesses or waste materials generated from a business.

Appliances

One (1) appliance may be placed out for collection each week. Appliances are considered items such as a refrigerator or stove. Leave at least 2’ between carts and appliance for removal.

Special Refuse (Garbage) Pick-Ups

LRS provides special pick-ups or special collections for large amounts of garbage from a move-out or a flooded basement or large clean outs. Please contact LRS by phone or email to schedule a special pick-up estimate or learn more about how LRS can help.

Residents also have the option of ordering a construction style, open top (roll-off) dumpster from LRS. Click here to learn more about having an open top dumpster delivered.

Contact LRS to order an open top construction style dumpster by calling 815.770.7550

Disposal of Liquids and Latex Paint

Non-hazardous or non-chemical containing liquids should be emptied out of containers prior to disposal.

Latex paint needs to be completely dried with the lid off in order to be collected. Kitty litter may be mixed in with the unwanted latex paint to expedite drying process for proper disposal.

CHRISTMAS TREES

LRS will provide a special collection of Christmas trees for the first two weeks in January.

• Flocked trees, trees with shiners, tinsel, light bulbs, glitter, wire or plastic or in plastic bags will not be included in this special collection and are considered a large item.
• Lightbulbs should be completely removed from live trees and artificial trees when possible and recycled at County events.

Yard Waste and Food Scrap Collection for Composting

What is Considered Yard Waste?

Yard-waste, also known as landscape waste, consists of organic waste materials accumulated as the result of cultivation and maintenance of gardens, lawns, shrubbery, trees and vines.

Yard waste is garden trimmings, branches and brush under two inches (2”) in diameter, leaves, flowers, tree droppings (crabapples and pinecones), garden plants, vines, weeds and grass clippings and yard trimmings.

What are Considered Acceptable Food Scraps?

Bread, cereal, coffee grounds, dairy, egg shells, eggs, fruits, grain, pasta, shells, vegetables

What are NOT Acceptable Food Scraps?

Bones, diapers, fats, glass, grease, liquids, meat, metal, oil, packaging, paper plates, pet waste, plastic, poultry, seafood, service ware, shells, and Styrofoam.

LRS allows organic food scraps to be mixed in with yard waste placed in approved biodegradable landscape waste bags, garbage containers or the LRS yard waste cart. Food scraps are collected with yard waste during yard waste season.

Collection Season and Approved Yard Waste Containers or Bags

Yard waste is collected by LRS on regularly scheduled collection days seasonally from April 1st through the end of November.  Landscape waste must be placed in approved biodegradable landscape waste bags or open garbage cans not larger than 32 gallon capacity marked with “YW” or “X”.

LRS also offers optional 65-gallon and 95-gallon carts yard waste. These are optional and available for residents to rent for a small fee billed quarterly.

65-gallon yard waste cart = $3.00 per month

95-gallon yard waste cart = $5.00 per month

Brush must be cut to 4 foot lengths and bundled with biodegradable twine or string, not to exceed 50 pounds.

Household Hazardous Waste

LRS offers City of DeKalb residents Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Home Collection service.  Residents may submit a collection request online or call Customer Service to schedule the collection. Collections begin in April of every year, with the last collection being in October.

To schedule a home collection, visit our online HHW portal in the upper right hand corner of this webpage or call Customer Service at 815.770.7550.  Once the request is submitted, you will be contacted with the date of pick-up and further instructions on the collection.

Electronic Waste Curbside Collection

Beginning September 1, 2019, DeKalb residents who have electronic waste (e-waste) need to submit a request two (2) days prior to your collection day to ensure pick-up. LRS will begin collecting electronic waste (E-Waste) on the first full week of every month on the regularly scheduled pick-up day. E-Waste must be placed at the curb no later than 6 a.m.

Residents with televisions and monitors weighing over 50 pounds or larger than 19 inches are to contact the LRS customer service department prior to the scheduled collection day as they may require a special pick-up.

Items described in the following section should be properly placed at the curb as described in the following section.

What is Considered E-Waste?

E-Waste items are defined as a “covered electronic devices.”

Computer mice, computer monitors, computers, digital converter boxes, digital video disc players, digital video disc recorders, fax machines, keyboards, portable digital music players, printers, satellite receivers, scanners, small scale servers, televisions, video game consoles, videocassette records

Smaller E-Waste items may be placed at the curb in a brown paper bag, a 24” x 24” x 24” or smaller cardboard box. Please mark the box as E-WASTE.

E-waste should be separate from the refuse (garbage), recycle and yard waste containers in a noticeable location so they are easily identifiable for the driver.

Common E-Waste Items (Acceptable and Unacceptable)

Accepted Items

The following electronics will be accepted: cables, cable boxes, cameras, cash registers, cell phones, copiers, cords, DVD players, fax machines, keyboards, laptops, printers (and cartridges), projectors, radios, satellite dishes, stereos, typewriters, VCRs, video games.

The following household items will be accepted: blenders, bread makers, carpet sweepers, coffee makers, clocks, curling irons, electric knives, electric toothbrushes, fans, fryers, hair cutters, hair dryers, heaters, irons, landline phones, metal tools, mixers, remotes, shaving equipment, toaster ovens, and vacuum cleaners (without bags).

Items Not Accepted

The following items will not be accepted: large appliances (refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves, washers, dryers), air conditioners, ballasts, bare CRT tubes, capacitors, dehumidifiers, household batteries (AA, AAA, D, C, Lithium), light bulbs, liquids, microwaves, salvaged units, smoke detectors, VHS cassette tapes and medical equipment (any material that is considered or has come in contact with biohazard or radioactive material).

LRS has expanded our temporary services division to create an easier customer experience for those using our services especially for the homeowner, whether a residential renovation project with a dumpster or home event needing a portable restroom. These temporary services include portable restroom rental and dumpster roll-offs of all sizes to contain your construction debris.

Contact us today at 630.377.7000 to discover all the ways Lakeshore can make your waste removal even easier, no matter the project.