Yard waste · 7 min read
Leaves, branches and grass clippings feel like the easiest thing in the world to throw away. In Illinois they are one of the few things that cannot go to a landfill. Here is what that means when you rent a box for a yard job.
Illinois EPA says landscape (yard) waste has been "banned from landfills since July 1, 1990." Its suggested routes are to leave clippings on the lawn, mulch, take it to a permitted compost facility, use a community landscape-waste collection, or compost at home. That is why the City of Naperville's garbage page says landscape materials "cannot be collected with normal trash," and why every town around us runs yard waste as its own collection, on its own season, often with its own stickers.
A yard-waste dumpster works because the load stays clean: branches and limbs, leaves and grass clippings, bushes, shrubs and hedge trimmings, weeds, roots and plants, small stumps and general yard debris. We take it to facilities that handle yard waste, including composting. Keep out treated or painted wood, pressure-treated lumber, plastic planters, fertilizers or chemicals, and bagged household trash — any of those turns a compost load into a problem.
So ask before you mix yard waste with trash. If the job is a landscape remodel that also throws out an old fence, a shed's contents or a pile of junk, it usually makes sense as two loads — one yard waste, one everything else. Call (630) 864-6143 and tell us what is in the pile; we plan the boxes around it.
Sod is the exception people trip on. Naperville's code says sod is not landscape waste and goes out as refuse (§ 4-2-1), and Romeoville says plainly that "Sod and dirt are considered trash, not yard waste." Soil, sod and mulch can go in a roll-off, but they are heavy — we take dirt only in a 10 or 15 yard, and keep it apart from branches and clippings so neither load is spoiled. A patio, sod-removal or regrading job is usually its own small, heavy box.
Naperville yard waste is collected at least weekly from March 15 to December 15. Every bag, bundle or container needs an approved sticker, and yard waste must not be mixed with refuse (§ 4-2-3). The limits: kraft paper bags up to 33 gallons and 60 pounds; reusable containers up to 32 gallons and 60 pounds, labeled "Yard Waste Only"; branch bundles no thicker than 3 inches, 60 pounds, 2 feet across and 4 feet long. The sticker price is not published on the City pages we read. A weekend of tree trimming or a storm clean-up can run to dozens of stickers and bundles — that is where a box earns its keep.
Every neighbor runs yard waste differently, and several have tightened up:
| Town | Yard waste and brush |
|---|---|
| Woodridge | April 1 to December 15 in kraft bags or 35-gallon cans; brush bundles 4 ft, 2 ft across, 50 lb. The Village's brush drop-off and free mulch program closed in May 2025 for the Jubilee Point Park redevelopment. |
| Winfield | Season runs the first week of April to the last week of November. The spring clean-up (week of April 20) takes appliances, furniture, carpet, DIY home-improvement materials and yard waste free — up to about 4 cubic yards. |
| Wheaton | LRS stickers for yard waste, leaves and bulk. DIY construction debris is $17.00 a cubic yard plus a $24.00 pickup charge. |
| Glen Ellyn | Brush and branches once a month, May to October, by area. In 2026 brush moved to an emergency village-wide pickup from August 3. |
| West Chicago | Brush the first Monday of each month, May to November, $1.25 a month. Limbs over 6 inches, root balls and lumber are rejected, and it is "Not designed for pickup of whole tree removal." |
| Warrenville | April 1 to November 30, a sticker on each bag or can; brush bundles free; leaves free for the last six weeks. |
| Montgomery | April 1 to November 30, a red LRS sticker ($2.74) on every bag, can or bundle, with two sticker-free weeks in spring and fall. |
| Bolingbrook | April 6 to December 11 in kraft bags up to 33 gallons and 50 lb; brush bundles 4 ft and 50 lb. |
| Romeoville | April 1 to December 11, 2026 in kraft bags or the WM cart only; chipper service only during the spring and fall Clean Up Weeks after a major storm. |
| Batavia, Lisle, Downers Grove | Batavia $3.37 a sticker or a seasonal toter; Lisle a sticker per bag or an LRS yard cart; Downers Grove carts, bags or labeled cans with no sticker. |
Aurora, North Aurora, Oswego and Plainfield yard-waste details were not published on pages we could read, so check with your town or call us.
For most homes, a 15 or 20 yard is the right box for a yard clean-up. A 10 suits a small clean-up or a round of tree trimming; a 15 a landscaping project or seasonal clean-up; a 20 tree removal and storm clean-up; a 30 full property clearing or a large landscaping job. Branches are bulky and light, so break them down and lay them flat to get more in. See our yard waste dumpster rental page, or the sizing guide for the full table.
Call (630) 864-6143, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tell us the address, what is in the pile and whether sod, dirt or junk is coming out too. We offer same-day or next-day delivery in most areas around Naperville, depending on availability, and place the box on your driveway, curb or job site. We also support landscapers and property managers with scheduled pickups.
Talk to a real person
Call (630) 864-6143 with the address and what is going in. A flat price and a delivery window before you hang up.
Open 24 hours, 7 days
From this guide
Ask first. Illinois has banned landscape waste from landfills since July 1, 1990, so branches, leaves and clippings need a separate load from household trash. We plan the boxes when you call.
Not in Naperville or Romeoville. Naperville's code says sod is not landscape waste and goes out as refuse, and Romeoville says sod and dirt are trash. It is heavy, so it goes in a 10 or 15 yard.
It is collected at least weekly from March 15 to December 15, with an approved sticker on every bag, bundle or container. It must not be mixed with regular trash.
A 15 or 20 yard suits most homes. A 10 is enough for a small clean-up or tree trimming; tree removal and storm clean-up usually need a 20, and full property clearing a 30.
Keep reading
The rest of the series, same approach — official sources, no filler.
Sizing
Quick answer: a 20 yard fits most Naperville remodels and cleanouts. How to pick between 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 yards by volume, weight and driveway space — and why the Groot cart will not take the job.
Read the guidePermits
No Naperville permit found for a driveway roll-off; a Right-of-Way permit for the street. Across the 17 places we serve the rules run from street occupancy permits to scavenger licences capped at seven. Every town, from its own code.
Read the guideCost
Naperville dumpster rentals typically run $350–$750. What is inside that number — disposal, the weight allowance, the days, the drive — the town fees that are published, and the disposal rates that are not.
Read the guide
