As of 2022, landfills in our area had a life expectancy of five years. In response, we must do whatever we can to reduce the amount of trash that we produce and send to the landfill. Highland Park’s waste collection program includes recycling, compost and trash carts, and it can be confusing. The recycling and compost carts have guidelines on their lids to help. Here are some common questions and mistakes to avoid:

Plastic bags – You may use plastic bags in the trash cart only. They are recyclable at drop off programs at most larger grocery and big box stores that have special bins for this purpose. Please do not put them in your recycle or compost cart. Plastic bags and plastic wrap can get tangled in the sorting equipment or can contaminate an entire truck load which may then have to be taken to the landfill. If you want to bag your recyclables, use paper bags only. For compost, you can bag in paper or purchase and use BPI certified compostable bags. 

What goes in the Compost Bin? If it grows, it goes. The yellow lidded cart gets collected year round, and you can use it for yard waste and food scraps. Leaves, sticks, fruit and vegetable peelings, moldy food, old pumpkins, meat and cheese scraps, bones, egg shells, greasy pizza boxes, coffee grounds, tea bags without a metal staple, paper napkins and paper towels can all go into this bin. These materials go to a commercial facility where they decompose into compost, a rich soil amendment that can be used on landscaped areas and farms to nourish plants. 

More detail on Paper – if it’s clean and dry, please recycle it. Wet, dirty or greasy paper and cardboard goes into the compost. Napkins and paper towels are compostable, but not recyclable. 

Recycling and Compost are Included in Highland Park’s trash program. Highland Park has negotiated a waste hauling agreement that is designed to incentivize reduction of landfill waste. Our landfills are rapidly filling up, and are expected to have less than 5 years remaining. We all pay a monthly fee for waste hauling, which includes both recycling and compost pick up. For trash, you can choose to pay by the can or for pick up either weekly or twice a week. With the addition of the compost cart, you may be putting less into the trash. If that is the case, you may want to reevaluate your options. You might save money going to the pay by the can program, or going from twice to once per week. There is also an option to pay for a larger cart for once a week pick up, which saves money over the twice a week program. 

Electronic Waste can be collected curbside or dropped off. You may put one large or several small electronic items at the curb on your first trash pick up day of any month. Household electronics can also be dropped off at the City’s recycling center, 1180 Half Day Road, from 7 am – 1 pm any Tuesday or the first Saturday of the month. Details are here.

HP Recycling Center at 1180 Half Day Road is open from 7 am – 1 pm every Tuesday and the first Saturday of the month, and accepts electronic waste, styrofoam, textiles and paired shoes for recycling. Details are here.

If you have a bulky item under 50 pounds, you can place it next to your trash cart for pick up on your regular trash collection day. Please donate anything usable to a local charity. 

Spring trash pick ups continue for two more weeks in Highland Park. There are many items that end up in the landfill, but could have been recycled or donated instead. Click here for ideas on how to better dispose of items that you may not need anymore. For those whose primary trash pick up is on Thursdays or Fridays, the next two Saturdays are your spring clean up dates. Remember, you don’t need to save up for spring clean up. You may put one large item out with your trash on your regular trash day anytime during the year.

The spring clean up days that were postponed due to Covid-19 have been rescheduled to August. The new dates coincide with your normal trash collection day. Monday collection: August 8, Tuesday collection: August 15, Thursday collection: August 22, Friday collection: August 29.

Electronics and recycling will not be collected during the special summer clean up days. Recycling should go out on your regular trash day. Electronics can be left out next to your trash on the first pick up of the month or taken to the City Recycling Center when they are open. You can take used clothing and textiles to the drop boxes at the Recycling Center or the HP Metra Station for reuse and recycling.

Remember that you can put out one large item with your trash each week rather than waiting for these seasonal pick up days.

Lakeshore Recycling Systems wants to know what you think of their service. This is your chance to provide input. Please click here to take the survey before July 1.