Residential Garbage Collection

Residential Garbage produced from 600,000 households in single-family homes or apartment buildings of four units or less (others must arrange for private garbage collection).

Chicago collects approximately 1.1 million tons of residential garbage and recyclables annually. Pick-ups are weekly, Mondays through Fridays.

The average number of living units collected daily by each garbage truck has been increased, in part due to the creation of a "night shuttle" program. Previously, the garbage trucks needed to leave their alleys in time to dump their loads and return to their assigned yards by the end of each shift.

Now, the truck crews skip their last dumping and remain longer on their routes. Parked fully loaded at the end of the day, they are then shuttled to their dump sites by specially assigned second-shift drivers. This results in greater productivity from the laborers on each truck, who no longer are idle while their vehicles are off to dump the loads.

Chicago's municipal garbage trucks bring their refuse to Sorting Centers.

  • Report a Missed Garbage Pick-up
  • Request Additional Garbage Carts
  • Report Garbage Cart Missing or Stolen

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