Figuring out what the city takes. Waiting for pickup day. Calling around for quotes. It’s a lot to sort out for something you’re ready to be done with.
Standard sofa$79First item example Before applicable tax
Your exact price. Upfront.
Find your items in the catalog and see your exact price online. Book without phone calls or an in-person estimate.
Gone as soon as today.
Choose your pickup day. Book by 2pm local time for same-day pickup, where available.
In the loop until it’s gone.
Get a booking confirmation, a text before arrival and pickup photos when it’s done. Follow along on your pickup page.
Made for your place
Your place. One easy pickup plan.
A house, a condo or an apartment. Choose an accessible outdoor spot that works for your property. You arrange the move outside; we take it from there.
1
Book before you bring it out.
Your items can still be inside when you book. Follow the readiness instructions in your confirmation.
2
Choose a clear outdoor spot.
You arrange any carrying out of your home or down interior stairs. Keep entrances, sidewalks and shared access clear. We handle loading and haul-away from outside.
3
Show us where to find it.
Add a photo and clear location notes. Contact us before booking if a gate, building rule or restricted access window needs an arrangement.
At a house: outside, accessible and easy to identify.At an apartment: an approved outdoor spot with shared access clear.
Access needs an arrangement?
Check any building or shared-area rules. Contact us before booking if access is limited to particular hours.
City collection A large piece of furniture goes out with one of the two free bulk trash collections each year, or on a special pick-up charged by volume if the household cannot wait for those weeks. No charge. Evanston residential properties of one to five dwelling units that receive a City refuse bill, for the two bulk trash collections each year at up to six cubic yards per household; a load beyond that limit or outside those weeks is charged as a special pick-up.
City collection A mattress and box spring is the unit the City uses to describe six cubic yards, so a set fits one free bulk trash collection each season. No charge. Evanston residential properties of one to five dwelling units receiving a City refuse bill, up to six cubic yards per household in each of the two bulk trash collections each year.
City collection A refrigerator or freezer belongs to the appliance category the City removes on request rather than in the bulk pile, and the household should ask about refrigerant preparation when it books. No charge. Evanston households arranging appliance removal through 311 or 847-448-4311, which the City describes as free and separate from the bulk trash collection.
City collection Up to six cubic yards of household bulk trash is collected free twice a year, and anything larger or outside those weeks becomes a special pick-up charged by volume. No charge. Evanston residential properties of one to five dwelling units that receive a City refuse bill, for up to six cubic yards of bulk trash in each of the two collections each year; quantities beyond six cubic yards are tagged for a special pick-up and charged.
The highest first-item price applies once. Every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Applicable sales tax is shown before payment.
Selected customer reviews. Counts checked September 2026.
The local disposal guide
Will the city take it?
Evanston collects trash and recycling from residential properties of one to five dwelling units through its own Public Works Agency and the residential hauling contract with LRS, and it handles large items in two separate ways. Twice a year, in spring and fall, the City runs a free bulk trash collection on a published schedule that takes up to six cubic yards per household, which is roughly a love seat and a chair, or a mattress and box spring, or twenty five medium garbage bags. The rest of the year a large piece of furniture or a clean-out load is a special pick-up on request, charged by volume on the water bill and booked through 311 or 847-448-4311. Trash carts come in three sizes, recycling is included in that cost, food and yard waste is a separate cart service, and the City publishes a holiday rule that pushes collection one day later whenever the collection day falls on or after a holiday. Tires and appliances are not taken in the bulk pile, so the City arranges their free removal through 311, construction debris and hazardous material are not collected at all, and electronics are illegal to put in Illinois trash and instead go to the drop-off programmes the City runs.
A large piece of furniture goes out with one of the two free bulk trash collections each year, or on a special pick-up charged by volume if the household cannot wait for those weeks.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Evanston residential properties of one to five dwelling units that receive a City refuse bill, for the two bulk trash collections each year at up to six cubic yards per household; a load beyond that limit or outside those weeks is charged as a special pick-up.
When & how
Set bulk trash out on the weekend before the published bulk collection day for the household's normal collection day, and have it at the alley line or the parkway by 7 a.m. because the crews do not return for late items. A special pick-up is booked instead through 311 or 847-448-4311.
Get it ready
Keep the pile under six cubic yards, which the City describes as roughly a love seat and a chair, or one mattress and box spring, or twenty five medium garbage bags, keep it bagged, contained or bundled with nothing loose, put glass in a box that is taped and labelled, and keep construction material, hazardous material and electronics out of the pile.
A mattress and box spring is the unit the City uses to describe six cubic yards, so a set fits one free bulk trash collection each season.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Evanston residential properties of one to five dwelling units receiving a City refuse bill, up to six cubic yards per household in each of the two bulk trash collections each year.
When & how
Put the mattress out on the weekend before the published bulk collection day for the household's collection day, at the alley line or the parkway, by 7 a.m.
Get it ready
The City uses one mattress and box spring as an example of the six cubic yard limit, so a larger set of bedding belongs on a special pick-up instead. Keep the set out of the alley and off the street until the collection weekend, because municipal solid waste is not allowed to accumulate in a public place.
Appliances are not collected in the bulk pile, but the City arranges their removal separately and describes that arrangement as free.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Evanston households that call 311 or 847-448-4311 to arrange the removal of appliances, which the City describes as free and keeps out of the bulk trash pile.
When & how
Call or text 311, or the Public Works Agency on 847-448-4311, to arrange the removal, and do not put the appliance into the bulk trash pile.
Get it ready
Keep the appliance out of the bulk pile because crews do not collect appliances there, remove anything that could spill, and confirm the arrangement with the City before the item goes to the alley line or parkway.
A refrigerator or freezer belongs to the appliance category the City removes on request rather than in the bulk pile, and the household should ask about refrigerant preparation when it books.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Evanston households arranging appliance removal through 311 or 847-448-4311, which the City describes as free and separate from the bulk trash collection.
When & how
Book the removal through 311 or 847-448-4311 rather than setting the appliance out with bulk trash, and ask at that point what preparation the unit needs.
Get it ready
Empty the appliance before removal, keep it out of the bulk pile, and ask the City whether the doors or the refrigerant need anything done to them before collection, because the City publishes no cooling appliance preparation rule of its own.
Illinois law keeps electronics out of the trash and the City's published drop-off list covers small electronics without naming a television, so the route for a set has to be confirmed.
City cost & eligibility
The City states that electronics are not permitted in the trash and that it is illegal in Illinois to dispose of them that way, and its Ecology Center drop-off list names small items such as flat monitors and laptops without naming a television, so call 311 or 847-448-4311 and confirm the route, including the annual Evanston Recycles Day drop-off event, before the set is put out.
When & how
Ask 311 or 847-448-4311 where the set is accepted, then use that route, which may be the annual drop-off event rather than the Ecology Center counter.
Get it ready
Never put a television in the trash, the recycling cart or the bulk trash pile, because Illinois law prohibits disposing of electronics that way, and ask about the accepted size and type before moving the set.
Small electronics drop off free at the Ecology Center, and the City also runs seasonal collections for holiday string lights.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Evanston residents dropping small electronics at the Ecology Center, with holiday string lights and extension cords accepted there from December 1 through January 31.
When & how
Take the items to the Ecology Center during its open hours, and bring holiday string lights between December 1 and January 31 when that seasonal collection is running.
Get it ready
Separate the accepted items from what the City does not take: the published list covers cell phones, cameras, flat monitors, laptops and notebooks but not desktop computers, MP3 players, printer cartridges, graphing calculators, game consoles, GPS units, radar detectors, routers, modems, Apple products and cords, and it does not include holiday decorations other than lights and extension cords.
The City states that it is not equipped to collect construction debris, so a renovation load needs a private disposal firm or a rented roll-off container.
City cost & eligibility
The City states plainly that it does not collect construction debris and that a private disposal firm can be hired for it, and the waste services hub lists a separate roll-off dumpster service for construction or cleanout projects, so the City garbage program carries no amount for this material.
When & how
Keep construction material out of the garbage, recycling and bulk piles and arrange either a private disposal firm or a rented roll-off container.
Get it ready
Absolutely no construction material is collected in the bulk trash, and this is separate from the free bulk collection that does take household furniture, so a renovation load has to be staged for its own container or contractor.
Exercise equipment is not named in the City's bulk rules, so a household should confirm that it fits the six cubic yard limit before setting it out.
City cost & eligibility
The City publishes the bulk trash rules around a cubic yard limit and named examples rather than an item list, and it does not name exercise equipment, so call 311 or 847-448-4311 to confirm the item and whether it fits the free collection or needs a special pick-up.
When & how
Confirm the item with 311 or 847-448-4311, then either put it out on the weekend before the published bulk collection day or book a special pick-up.
Get it ready
Keep the machine within the six cubic yard limit with the rest of the pile, contained or bundled with nothing loose, and clear of the street until the collection weekend.
Up to six cubic yards of household bulk trash is collected free twice a year, and anything larger or outside those weeks becomes a special pick-up charged by volume.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Evanston residential properties of one to five dwelling units that receive a City refuse bill, for up to six cubic yards of bulk trash in each of the two collections each year; quantities beyond six cubic yards are tagged for a special pick-up and charged.
When & how
Put the material out on the weekend before the household's published bulk collection day and have it at the alley line or parkway by 7 a.m., since crews will not return for a late set-out. Special pick-ups are booked through 311 or 847-448-4311.
Get it ready
Bag, contain or bundle everything with nothing loose, keep the load under six cubic yards, break glass into a box that is taped and labelled, keep the pile off the street until the collection weekend, and keep tires, appliances, electronics, construction material and hazardous material out of it.
The two free bulk weeks follow the normal collection day
Each spring and fall the City publishes a bulk trash collection day that follows the household's normal collection day, with Monday routes served on one Friday, Tuesday routes on the next, and so on through the week. Everything has to be out by 7 a.m. because crews do not return for a late set-out, and if the routes cannot finish on the Friday the collection continues on Saturday. Bulk trash cannot be put out before the weekend ahead of the scheduled day, and municipal solid waste is not allowed to accumulate in the street, alley or another public place.
A special pick-up is any trash beyond the capacity of the garbage cart plus one additional bag, and the City requires one after a move-out or move-in, after a major clean-up, or for a large piece of furniture. The charge is a fee for the first three cubic yards and a further fee for each additional cubic yard, placed on the water bill for payment later, and the request is made by calling or texting the Public Works Agency on 847-448-4311 or by dialling 311 inside Evanston.
Trash carts come in three sizes with recycling included in the monthly cost, collection is weekly on the assigned day, and the City bills trash, recycling and food and yard waste every two months on the water, sewer and sanitation bill. A household gets one free service adjustment each year and pays a published fee for further changes in the same calendar year, though cart maintenance such as replacing, repairing or exchanging a broken cart is separate. If a collection day falls on or after a City-recognised holiday, the service is postponed by one day.
Seasonal drop-offs for trees, lights and mercury bulbs
Holiday trees are collected by the residential hauler during the first two full weeks of January on the normal collection schedule days and are either composted or chipped into mulch, and a tree left after those weeks has to be logged with the City's 311 service for the Public Works team. Holiday string lights and extension cords are accepted from December 1 through January 31 at selected community centres, and no other holiday decorations are taken. Mercury-containing bulbs are accepted at the Ecology Center, including linear, U-tube and circline fluorescent tubes, bug zappers, tanning bulbs, black lights, germicidal and high-output bulbs, while LED and incandescent bulbs are not accepted and can go in the trash.
Use a permitted, accessible outdoor spot. Arrange the move out of your home, keep shared access clear and follow your confirmation’s readiness instructions. Check with your building about access or staging limits before booking.
City of Evanston Public Works Agency, with Lakeshore Recycling Systems as the residential waste hauler
The two free bulk trash collections each year
A household with up to six cubic yards of furniture, bedding or other bulk household material that can wait for the published spring or fall week.
Cost & conditions
No charge. Evanston residential properties of one to five dwelling units that receive a City refuse bill, and condo residents who receive a City refuse bill for the same residential schedule, up to six cubic yards per household per collection.
Arrange it
Put the material out on the weekend before the published bulk day for the household's normal collection day, at the alley line or the parkway, and have it out by 7 a.m.
Two collections a year, six cubic yards each, no construction material, no tires, no appliances and no electronics, and a load over the limit is tagged for a special pick-up instead. Condos that pay the franchise waste provider rather than the City cannot use the programme.
City of Evanston Public Works Agency, with Lakeshore Recycling Systems as the residential waste hauler
Book a special pick-up
A household with a move-out, a major clean-up or a large item that cannot wait for a bulk week or will not fit the six cubic yard limit.
Cost & conditions
From $100 for fee for the first three cubic yards of a special pick-up, with a further fee for each additional cubic yard, placed on the water bill for later payment. Evanston households that request the pick-up from the Public Works Agency, and the City also applies a per-unit monthly fee to water bills under the special pick-up pilot approved in 2025.
Arrange it
Call or text the Public Works Agency on 847-448-4311, or dial 311 inside Evanston, and the sanitation crews perform the pick-up and the fee is added to the water bill.
The City does not collect construction debris or hazardous materials on this route and says a private disposal firm should be hired for them, and the charge grows with the volume beyond the first three cubic yards.
City of Evanston Public Works Agency, with Lakeshore Recycling Systems as the residential waste hauler
Arrange free removal of appliances and tires
A household with a washer, dryer, refrigerator, freezer or tires, none of which belong in the bulk trash pile.
Cost & conditions
No charge. Evanston households that call 311 or the Public Works Agency on 847-448-4311 to arrange the removal, which the City describes as free of charge.
Arrange it
Call or text 311 or 847-448-4311, describe the item, and follow the arrangement the City gives instead of setting it out with bulk trash.
The City publishes no refrigerant, door or preparation rule for these items, so confirm those details when the removal is booked, and remember that neither tires nor appliances are collected in the bulk pile.
City of Evanston Public Works Agency, with Lakeshore Recycling Systems as the residential waste hauler
Ecology Center small electronics and bulb drop-off
A household with small electronics, cords, holiday string lights or mercury-containing fluorescent bulbs.
Cost & conditions
No charge. Evanston residents dropping accepted items at the Ecology Center, with no charge published for the drop-off.
Arrange it
Bring the accepted items to the Ecology Center during its open hours, and bring holiday string lights and extension cords only during the December 1 to January 31 collection.
The published list excludes desktop computers and covers small devices only, LED and incandescent bulbs are not accepted, holiday decorations other than lights and cords are refused, and a television is not on the published list so it has to be confirmed separately with 311.
City of Evanston Public Works Agency, with Lakeshore Recycling Systems as the residential waste hauler
Roll-off dumpster service for a construction or clean-out project
A household or contractor with construction material or a large clean-out that the garbage and bulk programmes will not take.
Cost & conditions
The City lists a roll-off dumpster service for construction and clean-out projects without publishing a rate on the retained page, so confirm the container size, the placement and the cost directly with the City.
Arrange it
Contact the City through the waste services hub or on 847-448-4311 to arrange the container, and confirm where it may be placed before it is delivered.
Construction debris is not collected by the garbage or bulk services, the City says a private disposal firm can be hired instead, and a roll-off needs enough space off the street so it does not block the public way.
Prices, timing and the details that matter at your address.
How much does pickup cost?+
Choose your items to see the exact price. A standard sofa is $79 first and $29 additional. The highest first-item price applies once; every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Review any applicable sales tax and the final total before payment.
Can I book a pickup for today?+
Book by 2pm at your pickup address for same-day pickup, where available. Choose from the dates shown at checkout. Your booking is for a pickup day, and we text you when your hauler is on the way.
Do my items need to be outside when I book?+
You can book while your items are still inside. Arrange any indoor carrying and have everything outside and accessible according to your confirmation. We load and haul it away from there. Contact us before booking if your property has restricted access.
How do I get rid of a couch or other large furniture?+
Use one of the two free bulk trash collections if the item can wait for the published spring or fall week, because the pile is limited to six cubic yards per household and has to be out by 7 a.m. on the collection day. If the item cannot wait, or the load is bigger than the limit, the City charges a special pick-up by volume and books it through 311 or 847-448-4311.Official guidance
Can an appliance go in the bulk trash pile?+
No. The City states that no tires or appliances will be collected in the bulk trash, and it asks residents to call 311 or 847-448-4311 to arrange their free removal instead. The bulk pile rules still apply to everything else, including the six cubic yard limit and the 7 a.m. set-out time.Official guidance
Where do small electronics go?+
To the Ecology Center, which takes cell phones, digital and video cameras, flat monitors, laptops and notebooks but not desktops, MP3 players, printer cartridges, graphing calculators, game consoles, GPS units, radar detectors, routers, modems, Apple products and cords. Holiday string lights and extension cords are accepted there from December 1 to January 31, and no other holiday decorations are taken.Official guidance
How does the free bulk trash collection work?+
Twice a year, once in spring and once in fall, the City removes up to six cubic yards of bulk garbage free from each eligible household on a published schedule that follows the normal collection day, with everything out by 7 a.m. and set out no earlier than the weekend before. Six cubic yards is roughly a love seat and a chair, or one mattress and box spring, or twenty five medium garbage bags. Anything over the limit is tagged for a special pick-up and charged, and tires, appliances, electronics and construction material are not collected in the pile.Official guidance
Who collects trash and bulky items in Evanston?+
The City of Evanston Public Works Agency collects residential waste for properties of one to five dwelling units, with Lakeshore Recycling Systems as the residential hauler, and it runs the bulk trash collections in spring and fall. Recycling is included in the cart cost, food and yard waste is a separate cart service, and large item questions and special pick-up requests go through 311 or 847-448-4311.Official guidance
How much bulk trash is free?+
Up to six cubic yards per household, twice a year, once in spring and once in fall on a published schedule. The City describes six cubic yards as roughly a love seat and a chair, or one mattress and box spring, or twenty five medium garbage bags. Anything beyond the limit is tagged for a special pick-up and charged by volume, and everything has to be out by 7 a.m. on the collection day, no earlier than the weekend before.Official guidance
What does a special pick-up cost?+
A fee for the first three cubic yards plus a further fee for each additional cubic yard, placed on the water bill for payment at a later date. A special pick-up is any trash beyond the capacity of the cart plus one additional bag, and the City requires one after a move-out or move-in, a major clean-up, or for a large piece of furniture. Requests go to 311 or 847-448-4311.Official guidance
What does the City refuse to collect?+
Construction debris and hazardous materials are not collected, and the City says a private disposal firm can be hired for them. Tires and appliances are not collected in the bulk trash pile, so the City arranges their free removal through 311 or 847-448-4311. Electronics are not permitted in the trash because Illinois law prohibits disposing of them there, and the City's drop-off programmes handle small electronics, bulbs and holiday lights instead.Official guidance
What do the carts and the billing cycle look like?+
Trash carts come in thirty five, sixty five and ninety five gallon sizes, billed monthly with recycling included in the cost, and households using the ninety five gallon cart may also put out one thirty gallon bag each week. Extra carts cost a monthly fee regardless of size, and the City bills trash, recycling and food and yard waste every two months on the water, sewer and sanitation bill. Food and yard waste collection runs weekly from April through November and every other week from December through March on alternating route weeks, with a monthly charge that can be opted out of.Official guidance
