Yard waste will be collected on the same day as your trash and recycling, starting the first full week in April through the last full week in November. Yard waste is collected by a private hauler, Waste Management. Additional guidelines of the program are listed below.
NOTE: Yard waste stickers are available for immediate purchase at the local businesses listed below. Residents can also purchase stickers online (choose “Yard Waste Sticker Request” from the list of options). Residents will receive an invoice via email, and their stickers will be mailed to their home.
Yard Waste Collection Guidelines:
- Only acceptable yard waste material placed into biodegradable brown paper bags (32-gallons maximum), in properly tied bundles, or in a yard waste toter will be collected.
- Examples of acceptable yard waste material: shrub trimmings, grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and garden waste.
- Yard Waste DOES NOT include: whole bushes, root balls, or soil. (Small amounts of soil and root balls that fit inside the toter and weigh less than 50 lbs can be thrown away as trash. Whole bushes can be cut up and bundled according to the guidelines below.)
- Each bag, bundle or 35-gallon yard waste/organics toter must have 1 official Village yard waste sticker affixed, while 96-gallon toters require 3 stickers per collection.
- Branch bundles must be less than 4 feet in length, contain branches having a maximum diameter of 3 inches, be wrapped with a natural twine only, and weigh no more than 50 lbs.
- Residents have the option of leasing a yard waste toter from Waste Management free of charge. If you would like a yard waste toter, please contact Public Works at 847-853-7500 or pubworks@wilmette.com. 35-gallon toters require 1 sticker per collection, while 96-gallon toters require 3 stickers per collection.
- Residents with a yard waste toter can also participate in the Curbside Food Scrap Composting Program. Food scraps cannot be put in paper yard waste bags.
- Yard waste collections are made from only one location at each residential property.
- Residents with alley access must place yard waste in the alley.
- Residents without alley access must place their yard waste in front of their home, behind the curb.
- Yard waste should be placed at the designated location no earlier than 4:00 pm the day before, and no later than 7:00 am the day of collection.
- Biodegradable Yard Waste bags and official Village Yard Waste Stickers ($2.25 per sticker) are available for purchase at the following locations:
Wilmette Village Hall
1200 Wilmette Avenue
Chalet Nursery & Garden Shop
3132 Lake Avenue
Millen Hardware
1219 Wilmette Avenue
Jewel Food Store
1517 Sheridan Rd.
(Plaza del Lago)
Jewel Food Store
411 Green Bay Rd.
Christmas Tree Collection
Waste Management collects Christmas trees annually for composting during the first two full weeks in January. Trees will be collected on the same day as your garbage and recycling. If you have alley collection, trees must be placed in the alley. All other trees should be placed curbside next to your garbage and recycling toters. Trees must be devoid of any ornaments, tinsel, garland or plastic/fabric bag wrap. Other holiday decorations, such as wreaths and garland may be bagged with garbage and set out as refuse.
This page was updated on 3/20/23.