When Evanston says a special pickup is required
The city started a multi-year pilot for these pickups on April 1, 2026. Residential properties with one to five units can set out up to 3 cubic yards per pickup and up to 12 cubic yards in a calendar year.1 The city compares 3 cubic yards to the size of a couch or a twin mattress. Pickups are scheduled through the city's 311 center.
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What the city's pickup leaves out
Evanston's special pickups do not take construction debris or hazardous materials (the city names batteries, gas, oil, asbestos, pesticides, medical waste and paint) or electronics; the city says a private disposal firm can be hired for construction debris and hazardous materials, and that it is illegal in Illinois to put electronics in the trash.1
Paint, chemicals, batteries and asbestos are not ours.
Tires and appliances are scheduled separately from other special pickup material, because they are banned from the landfill and handled differently.1
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How the city wants material set out
Special pickup material goes on the alley line or the parkway; city crews will not remove items from private property.1 City Code 8-4-3(K) says items for a special pickup may not be placed on public property until the scheduled pickup day.1
All material should be bagged, contained or bundled with no loose garbage; broken glass should be boxed, taped and labeled as glass; bedbug-infested items should be bagged before the collection.1 If an item may have bedbugs, say so on the call.
Evanston homes by the numbers
Of Evanston's 34,095 housing units, about 49 percent are in buildings with five or more units; single family detached homes account for about 32 percent, and about 13 percent are in buildings of two to four units.2 About 56 percent of Evanston's occupied homes are owner occupied.2
The median year built for Evanston's housing is 1953, and 13,749 of the city's 34,095 homes were built in 1939 or earlier, about 40 percent of the total.3
Construction debris in Evanston
Residents, businesses and licensed contractors in Evanston disposing of construction debris are required to use the city's franchised hauler.4 The dwelling occupant or owner handles construction debris through the private scavenger under contract with the city, under City Code 8-4-3(H).4 Building materials generated from installation, repair, maintenance, alteration, enlargement, demolition or abandonment of facilities count as construction debris under the code.4
Yard waste in Evanston
Evanston's residential yard waste program covers properties with one to five dwelling units.5 Yard waste such as sticks, twigs, leaves and grass goes in a city-branded cart or in kraft yard waste bags with a sticker; branches can be bundled up to 4 feet long and 4 inches in branch diameter, and each bundle must have a sticker attached to be collected.5 Properties with more than five dwelling units are outside the residential program.