Weekly Recycling Collection

The City encourages all residents to take advantage of the recycling program. In 2014 each residential dwelling unit was furnished a blue 32-gallon recycling bin. If you do not have one, residents may purchase a new one through Rock River Disposal by calling 815-965-2489. The cost is $30 and includes delivery. Residents may also purchase a bin from a retailer as long as it is blue and clearly labeled for recycling. Recyclables will be collected on your regular garbage collection day. Please refer to the Rockford Recycling Guidelines sheet to verify items can be recycled. Residents may also verify if an item can be recycled by using the Waste Wizard tool featured below or by downloading the WasteConnect mobile App. Some items that are not eligible for the City's recycling program, such as clothing, shredded paper, certain appliances, and many others, can be brought to Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful's Rockford or Machesney Park Recycling Centers. The Rockford facility is located at 4665 Hydraulic Road in Rockford. Please visit the KNIB website for operational hours and their Green Guide for a comprehensive list of accepted items. Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful also accepts electronics and monitors as discussed in the Electronic Waste Disposal section. KNIB provides residents living in multi-family housing or condominium associations a place to practice recycling if that service is not offered.

The following are additional practices that residents can adopt to improve recycling in Rockford:

  • Do not place general garbage, yard waste, or other prohibited items in recycling containers. The container will not be collected.
  • Place recyclables in containers loosely and not in plastic bags or can liners. Materials in bags and liners will not be collected.
  • Food-contaminated paper, containers, and cardboard, such as pizza boxes, will not be collected.
  • Please be sure all eligible metal, plastic, and glass containers and cartons are completely empty and free of food and debris. Please rinse and remove all residual food as best as possible and drain containers of all liquids, including rinse water.
  • Please remove all styrofoam, plastic bags, and packaging materials from cardboard boxes. Plastic air-bags may be recycled along with plastic shopping bags and other soft plastic wraps at several local retailers, including Meijer, Walmart, Lowes, Target, and Schnucks.
  • Excess recyclables that do not fit in the recycling bin may be placed in a paper bags or cardboard boxes and set out for collection. Large cardboard and paperboard must be flattened and bundled with string or twine (not wire). Bundles should be no larger than 2 feet by 2 feet. Residents may dispose of small electronics that are less than 2 feet by 2 feet in size in their City-issued blue recycling bins, with exception to televisions and computer monitors.