What you can bring
The center has “junk” bins (the city posts a list of acceptable items), a yard waste area for clean brush, leaves and grass (no plastic bags or planting trays, nothing over 6 inches thick), electronics recycling for computers, printers, DVD players, VCRs and TVs, battery recycling (bag or tape each one) and cell phones, and a textile and shoe bin run with SWALCO. Residents can also take home finished compost, up to four 32-gallon containers a day.
Not allowed: garbage, food scraps, animal waste, hazardous waste, oil-based paint, and appliances that contain refrigerant. Vehicles bigger than a standard pickup truck aren't allowed, and neither are commercial contractors. The center closes on New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Illinois keeps a long list of things out of its landfills: car batteries (since 1990), yard waste (since 1990), appliances that still have their Freon, mercury switches or PCB parts (since 1994), whole tires, and, since January 1, 2012, TVs, computers, monitors, printers and other electronics. That's why landfills turn them away and counties run separate programs for them.
Common questions
When is the Lake Forest dump open?
From March 15 to November 30, Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From December 1 to March 14, Saturdays only, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's closed on weekdays.
Who can use the Lake Forest Compost & Recycling Center?
Lake Forest residents with a current city vehicle sticker on the windshield. A driver's license isn't accepted as proof, and contractors can't use it.
Can I bring garbage to the Lake Forest Compost Center?
No. It takes junk-bin items, yard waste, electronics, batteries and textiles, but not garbage or food scraps.
How do I get rid of a refrigerator in Lake Forest?
The city collects appliances with refrigerant on your regular garbage day for a $90 disposal fee. They aren't accepted at the Compost Center.
