Construction Services
Drop Off Locations
Pay Bill
Request A Quote
Construction Services
DeKalb Refuse, Recycling & Yard-Waste Collection Program
LRS is the refuse, recycling and yard-waste service provider for the DeKalb residents. LRS is a privately-owned company headquartered in Morton Grove, Illinois with locations throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. LRS has a facility currently based in neighboring Cortland, IL and has provided services throughout northern, IL for nearly 20 years. LRS currently provides services to nearly 40 municipalities.
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
Recycle Tips
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) Pickups
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 & 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.
During the first two weeks of January, we will begin to gladly collect your non-artificial Christmas trees as organic material – free of any tinsel, ornaments or lights. Trees can be left loose (never in bags) in the area where you have regular curbside or alley service for trash and recycling. Due to snow and ice, trees may not always be picked up on your service day, as our drivers and trucks will be in the city all month for pickups, working to safely collect your trees.
– First two weeks in January: no charge collection
– After Jan 15: prepaid and prescheduled to LRS. Please contact customer service.
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 homes a Household Hazardous Waste Home Collection during the months of April through October of each year. Residents who live in an incorporated City of DeKalb home, currently receiving LRS residential cart services are eligible to participate.
When does collection take place?
Collections are available from April through October. Collection dates are scheduled directly with each resident after submitting a request.
How do I submit a request?
LRS has a simple process to submit a request using the LRS Household Hazardous Waste Request Web Portal. The online request form provides a list of items to select from, clear instructions and information regarding the collection. The collection date will be provided by the hazardous waste collection team within a couple days of receiving the request, excluding holiday’s and weekends.
After your request is received and scheduled, a kit will be mailed containing clear, thick, plastic bags. Residents also receive a reminder of what is and is not acceptable along with a collection date confirmation.
The items listed below are the most commonly collected HHW materials:
- OIL BASED PAINTS, FLAMMABLE OILS
- Oil, Lead, Urethane, Chromium Based Paints, Shellac, Water or Driveway Sealer, Oil Based Stain, Varnish
- PESTICIDES / HERBICIDES / FERTILIZERS
- Poison, lawn chemicals, weed killer
- AEROSOLS
- Spray-paint, Hairspray, WD-40, Air Fresheners, Spray Adhesives, Oven Cleaner, Insecticide Bug Spray
- AUTOMOTIVE CHEMICALS/FLUIDS
- Antifreeze, Brake or Transmission Fluid, Gasoline, Diesel, Motor Oil
- HOUSHOLD CLEANERS (ACIDIC/CAUSTIC)
- Bleach, Ammonia, Muriatic Acids, Pool Cleaners, Drain Cleaners, Solvents, Paint Stripper or Thinner
- BULBS/BATTERIES
- Fluorescent bulbs, CFL, NiCad, Lithium, Lead Acid, – Automotive, Marine and Sump Pump Batteries
Electronic Waste Curbside Collection
City of DeKalb residents with electronic waste (e-waste) need to submit a request two (2) business days (Monday through Friday) prior to your regular garbage collection day to ensure pick-up. Requests must be submitted online through the E-Waste Collection Request web portal.
Click on the following link to submit a request now or continue reading to learn more about DeKalb’s E-Waste Home Collection. LRSrecycles.com/ewaste
LRS collects 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.
Special e-waste items
Residents with televisions and monitors weighing over 100 pounds or larger than 60 inches are required to contact LRS Customer Service prior to the scheduled collection day as they may require additional labor and equipment.
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 device (CED). 17 CED’s may contain hazardous materials and are banned from Illinois landfills.
LRS collects the following E-Waste with our DeKalb E-Waste Home Collection service:
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 recorders
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.
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, vacuum cleaners, 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.
DeKalb Program Information Brochures & Materials
DeKalb LRS Program Brochure
What is & What is Not Recyclable?
Please be sure to properly prepare materials before placing them to be recycled. Information on how to ensure materials are properly prepared and placed for recycling can be found in the following section.
PAPER
- Newspaper and inserts
- Magazines, catalogs, and phone books
- Office paper, notebooks (staples are okay, remove all-metal clips and spirals and throw in trash), computer printouts, hanging file folders (remove metal and trash it), pastel-colored sticky notes (no fluorescent), glossy brochures, index cards, greeting cards, stationery, fax paper, manila folders and envelopes (cellophane windows are ok to leave in)
- Junk mail (please remove all non-paper: plastic cards, magnets, etc.)
- Chipboard/paperboard – cereal, cracker, tissue, shoe, gift, and 6/12-pack boxes, paper towel tubes, and egg cartons
- Cardboard boxes must be flattened and cut to 3’x3’
- Brown paper grocery bags
- Paperback books (no hardcover books)
- NO used paper plates or pizza boxes, or fluorescent paper (they contaminate the paper stream with food, dye, or plastic coating) If pizza box top is clean you can tear it off and recycle it.
- NO paper towels, tissues, or napkins, which are not recyclable because the fibers are too small to reuse (please compost them with kitchen food scraps if possible)
- NO Shredded Paper – Loose shredded paper causes major sorting problems in the Recycling Facilities
- NO frozen food boxes, which are made of a hybrid of paper and plastic, and are not wanted by paper mills
- NO paper cups, which are also made of a hybrid of paper and plastic rendering them unrecyclable
Aluminum
ALUMINUM CANS AND FOIL
-
- Aluminum cans (please empty, do not crush or flatten)
- Aluminum foil (ball clean foil to 2 inches or
- Aluminum cans (please empty, do not crush or flatten)
- Aluminum foil (ball clean foil to 2 inches or
Cartons
Steel/tin Cans
- Food cans and lids (please empty and rinse, labels can be left on)
- Metal paint cans and lids (must be empty and dry, some dried paint residue is fine)
- Empty aerosol cans (labels can be left on, nozzles and lids should be removed and put in the trash )
- Metal lids are recyclable (place in recycling loose)
- NO utensils, propane tanks, wire hangers, or small appliances
Glass Bottles & Jars
- All colors are accepted (please empty and rinse, labels can be left on, remove lids and put them in separately, avoid breaking the glass)
- NO window or auto glass, bakeware, ceramics, mirrors, light bulbs, coffee pots or drinking glasses
Plastic Containers
- BOTTLES (i.e. empty water, soda, juice bottles, empty laundry detergent, soap and shampoo bottles, empty health and beauty products and cleaner bottles) Replace plastic screw-top caps on empty plastic bottles.
- TUBS (i.e. empty coffee, tofu, cottage cheese, yogurt, margarine tubs)
- JUGS (i.e. empty milk and juice jugs)
- JARS (ie. empty mayo and peanut butter jars) Replace plastic screw top lids on empty plastic jars.
- NO plastic bags (do not put in the curbside bin, see Plastic Bag Recycling
- NO plastic film (plastic wraps, sandwich bags, freezer bags, tarps)
- NO plastic utensils or plates (plastic wraps, sandwich bags, freezer bags, tarps)
- NO plastic cups, lids or straws
- NO plastic toys or hard plastic packaging
- NO candy wrappers, cereal bags, potato chip bags, or snack bags
- NO empty motor oil, pesticide, or chemical bottles
- NO Styrofoam, polystyrene (do not put in curbside bin)
- NO straws, cup lids, paper, or packing peanuts. (UPS stores will reuse clean, bagged and unmixed foam peanuts)
Refuse, Recycle & Yard Waste – Carts
Each household will automatically be issued a new 95-gallon cart for refuse and a new 65-gallon cart for recycling. The refuse cart will have a different color lid from the recycle cart. The carts are very durable, on wheels, with a flip top lid and handle bar.
If you would like to update your recycling cart to a larger 95-gallon size, please utilize this portal or email DeKalb@LRSrecycles.com. Additionally, DeKalb Residents who frequently produce more refuse (garbage) and recycling may receive one additional cart at no charge.
Special Cart Requests
FOR SENIORS, RESIDENTS IN MULTI-FAMILY OR ATTACHED UNITS AND FOR ADDITIONAL CART
Smaller Refuse (Garbage) or Recycle Cart
Multi-family attached households with a one car garage and senior citizens may request a 65-gallon or 35-gallon refuse cart in place of the standard issued 95-gallon refuse cart.
Multi-family attached households and senior citizens may request a 35-gallon recycle cart in place of the standard issued 65-gallon recycle cart.
If a smaller cart is requested, only one refuse or recycle cart will be issued.
Multi-family, attached homes or seniors may request a smaller refuse or recycle cart by submitting a request online or calling LRS DeKalb Customer Service.
Additional LRS Refuse (Garbage) or Recycle Cart
Residents may request one additional 95-gallon refuse cart for no extra charge. Residents who would like more than two 95-gallon carts may lease them for $5.00 per month/per cart and will be billed on a quarterly basis directly from LRS to the resident.
Residents who frequently have refuse (garbage) exceeding the 95-gallon refuse cart capacity are encouraged to contact LRS for the additional cart which will be issued at no additional charge.
Residents who frequently have recycle exceeding the 65-gallon recycle cart capacity are encouraged to contact LRS for an additional 95-gallon cart which will be issued at no additional charge.
Yard Waste Cart – Optional Service with Monthly Cart Fee
LRS offers 65-gallon and 95-gallon yard waste carts for DeKalb residents for a small monthly fee. The monthly fee is billed directly to the resident by LRS on a quarterly basis.
- 65-gallon optional yard waste cart – $3.00 per month
- 95-gallon optional yard waste cart – $5.00 per month
How to Submit Special Cart Requests
To request a special cart size (multi-family or seniors only), request an additional refuse (garbage), recycle or yard waste cart, please CLICK HERE.SPECIAL CART REQUEST
- Please use the online request form as the first option. Requests are processed immediately.
- Please do not submit the request more than once.
- If you need to make a change or made an error in your request, please follow the instructions described next (2.).
- Please send an email with your name, phone number, email address and full home address to DeKalb@LRSrecycles.com. LRS will respond to your email request.
- If you are unable to submit the request online or need to speak with someone, you may call LRS at 815-770-7550.
- Please note, LRS is anticipating high call volumes during the initial two months of the transition and hold times could be long during certain peak hours of the day.
Cart Maintenance
Cleaning The Cart
Fill the cart with hot water and a capful of vinegar or grease-cutting dish soap. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and rinse. Once the cart has been thoroughly rinsed, set the cart out with the lid open in the sun to dry.
Cart replacement
Carts that are broken due to damage incurred during the collection are reported by the driver for replacement at no charge. Residents are encouraged to contact LRS if they notice damage to the cart during the collection process to request a replacement cart.
If damages occur to the cart due to other reasons, please contact LRS to request a replacement cart. A $25.00 exchange fee will be applied and billed to the resident if requesting a new cart due to damage not incurred during the collection process or odors.
Missed Pick-Ups & Improperly Prepared Items
How do I Notify LRS That my Refuse, Recycling or Yard Waste was Not Picked up?
Please contact LRS at 815-770-7550 to notify the LRS DeKalb Customer Service your waste material was not collected. If you would prefer to email, please send your name, phone number, full address and specifically what material was not collected (garbage, recycle, yard waste, large item, etc.) to DeKalb@LRSrecycles.com.
Improperly Prepared Materials placed for collection will not be collected. LRS will tag the items left behind for the resident communicating the non-compliance preventing the collection.
Recycling Guides
