What it costs to dump in Illinois: 2026 landfill rates
Most of Illinois's landfills and transfer stations are privately run and don't post prices, so the clearest numbers come from public agencies: $100 a ton ($25 minimum) at SWANCC's Glenview Transfer Station near Chicago, $63 a ton at the Knox County Landfill, and one free load a week for Peoria County residents.
2026 cost to dump in Illinois, county by county
| County | Small load | Bigger loads | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenview Transfer Station (SWANCC, Des Plaines) | $25 up to 500 lbs | $100 a ton | Card only; closed 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays |
| Chicago (private transfer stations) | Call for price | By weight | Often a one-ton minimum |
| Kane County (Batavia, Elgin, Elburn, West Chicago) | Call for price | By weight | Often a one-ton minimum |
| Peoria County (Peoria Transfer Station) | Free: one household load a week | Gate rates for construction debris | Under 580 lbs, no building materials |
| Knox County (Knox County Landfill) | $20 up to 500 lbs | $63 a ton ($67 out of county) | Saturday loads by 11:30 a.m. |
| Rock Island County (Milan, East Moline) | Call for price | Call for price | Free appliance and tire pickup instead |
Rates verified from each county's own published pages, October 2026. Free programs are for county residents. Confirm with the site before a big load.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across Illinois, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
Why Illinois prices are hard to find
Illinois EPA lists 38 active landfills for household trash, and most belong to private companies that set gate rates privately and quote them by phone. Where a county runs the program, the rules are public: Knox County posts every rate for its landfill, and Peoria County publishes the rules of its free weekly load program.
Around Chicago, residents haul to private transfer stations. Kane County's recycling office warns that the public usually pays the same per-ton rate as commercial haulers there, often with a one-ton minimum, which makes SWANCC's posted $25 minimum the exception.
The Peoria City/County Landfill closed in 2025. Since June 8, 2026, Peoria County residents use the Peoria Transfer Station on Southport Road instead.
Free and nearly free options
- Peoria County residents get one free load of household refuse a week at the Peoria Transfer Station, and City of Peoria residents can set bulky items next to their cart on trash day.
- Rock Island County residents get free pickup of up to four appliances and ten tires a year, and free year-round drop-off for electronics and household chemicals.
- Knox County takes clean concrete, rock, brick and dirt free.
The catches that cost people money
- Building materials in a free load. Peoria County's free program excludes drywall, wood, roofing, siding, windows and other construction debris.
- Small loads at a big minimum. Knox County charges at least $20 for anything up to 500 pounds, so combine trips when you can.
- Missing the scale cutoff. Knox County's scale closes at 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays, and the landfill opens only every other Saturday in winter.
- Bringing banned items. Landfills turn away TVs, computers, tires, appliances, car batteries and yard waste, so sort them out before you go.
What Illinois law keeps out of landfills
Illinois bans a long list of items from its landfills. Lead-acid car batteries were banned on September 1, 1990, and landscape waste (grass, leaves and brush) on July 1, 1990. Appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, ranges, water heaters and air conditioners were banned on July 1, 1994 unless their mercury switches, Freon and PCB parts have been removed. Whole tires are banned from landfills, and since January 1, 2012, so are TVs, computers, monitors, printers and other covered electronics.