About the New Downers Grove Garbage & Recycling Program

🗑️ What You Need to Know About the New Downers Grove Garbage & Recycling Program

Downers Grove is launching an updated garbage program designed to make waste services more efficient and easier for residents to use. The new program begins April 1, 2026 and comes as part of a six-year contract with Republic Services — the Village’s solid waste collection partner.

Here’s everything you should know:

🆕 What’s Changing?

🔄 Mandatory Cart Service

Under the new program, all households MUST sign up for cart service and choose the sizes of trash and recycling carts that best fit their needs. This replaces the older sticker-only method where some residents used stickers on their own cans.

🗑️ Trash & Recycling Carts

• Trash carts and recycling carts are available in multiple sizes — from smaller 35-gallon options up to larger 95-gallon carts.

• You’ll choose the cart size that works best for your household’s routine.

• Recycling carts are provided at no extra charge with your trash service.

🌿 Organics & Yard Waste 

One of the biggest changes is how organic waste and yard waste are handled:

✔ You no longer need stickers for yard waste brown bags or cans.
✔ You can optionally sign up for a dedicated organics cart at no additional cost.
✔ This includes year-round organics collection options, including winter pickup beginning in 2026.

This makes it simpler — and more affordable — to dispose of leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps responsibly.

📦 Bulk Items & White Goods

Good news if you’re cleaning out the garage or upgrading appliances:

• Up to two bulk items or white goods (like furniture or appliances) can be picked up weekly without stickers as long as residents are signed up for cart service.

• Stickers are only required for extra trash beyond what fits in your cart.

👵 Senior Discounts & Flexibility

The new program also includes discounted pricing for seniors based on the cart selected. In addition, residents can temporarily suspend service if needed (for example, short-term travel).

🕐 Pickup Schedules & Rules

As always:

• Place carts at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your scheduled day (but no earlier than noon the day before).

• Empty carts must be removed from the curb by midnight on collection day.

• Carts, bags or bundles must not exceed 33 gallons and 50 lbs if using cans or bags without carts.

And remember: schedules can shift slightly around major holidays — so keep an eye on updates from the Village or Republic Services.

📲 Tools to Help You Recycle Right

Want to check what goes in which bin?

• Downers Grove encourages residents to use the Recycle Coach app/website for detailed recycling guidelines and service reminders.

📌 Bottom Line

The new garbage and recycling program in Downers Grove is built to be more convenient, more sustainable and cost-effective for residents. The key changes include:

• Mandatory trash/recycling cart selection

• Easier organics and yard waste disposal

• Simplified bulk item pick-up

• Senior pricing discounts

• No stickers required for many types of waste

This program helps the Village meet sustainability goals while giving residents greater clarity and flexibility in how they manage household waste.

🏡 A Note from The Wardlow Group

At The Wardlow Group, we believe that understanding community updates like this is just as important as knowing home values and market trends. Changes to village services — from garbage and recycling programs to infrastructure improvements — all play a role in quality of life and can even impact day-to-day homeownership.

As longtime Downers Grove residents and real estate professionals, we make it a priority to stay informed so we can help our clients feel confident not only in their real estate decisions, but also in their community. Whether you’re a longtime homeowner, preparing to sell, or thinking about moving to Downers Grove, we’re always happy to answer questions about local services, village updates, and what they mean for you.

If you ever have questions about how community changes affect your home, your neighborhood, or your property value, The Wardlow Group has been the #1 producing real estate team in Downers Grove for over a decade based on MRED MLS sales data.