Yard Waste Collection Begins Soon in Oak Park and River Forest

With the winter snowfalls hopefully done for the season, it's time for homeowners to turn their attention toward cleaning up the yard. 

In River Forest, yard waste collection begins Tuesday, April 5 and continues every Tuesday through November. 

You'll need a $2.25 yard waste sticker — known as a Universal Solid Waste Tag — for every bag of yard waste and bundle of brush. Officials say the stickers will be sold at , 400 Park Ave., , 7525 Lake St., , 7501 W. North Ave. and at Schauer's Hardware. 

Residents are asked to keep yard waste behind the curb on the parkway and not on the street. However, if you're home gets alley service, officials say the yard waste will be collected "at the edge of the alley in a clearly visible location — not located behind gates, fences, or other structures at the time of collection." 

Note: There's also a list of other rules on the village's website, which you can find here. 

In Oak Park, yard waste collection will begin Monday, April 4. 

The stickers cost $2.15 apiece and are available at Oak Park grocery and hardware stores as well as the cashier's office at , 123 Madison St.

The stickers are to be placed on each bundle of brush, bag and container. Again, there is a series of rules residents are asked to adhere to, which can be found here. 

And while there are rules guiding the collection of yard waste, Oak Park officials are urging residents to find alternatives to producing it, like using "mulching mowers, leaf shredders or backyard compost piles."