Trash hauler changeover happens this week in DeKalb

DeKALB – As the city’s trash hauling service provider changes this week, have you done nothing to prepare? Officials said that’s OK, as long as you don’t have any special requests.

The city's new provider, Lakeshore Recycling Systems, began delivering 95-gallon garbage and 65-gallon recycling toters Monday, but if you need an additional – free – trash can, you should visit lrsrecycles.com, or contact the provider by email at dekalb@lrsrecycles.com or call 815-770-7550.

Services for residents will be mostly the same, including pickup days, as it has been with Waste Management as the city’s trash hauler. After about 30 years of service, Waste Management was underbid by LRS, and the City Council voted, 6-1, June 25 to hire LRS, whose bid was about $1.32 less a household a month compared with that of Waste Management.

Waste Management will make its final collections and retrieve all of its cans Wednesday through Friday. Be sure to leave your cans out so they can be picked up.

The LRS contract begins Saturday, and collections will start next week. Because it’s a holiday week, trash and recycling will be picked up Thursday through Saturday.

Residents will notice a drop in their bill soon, as LRS’ base rate of $15.58 is about $3.75 less than customers have been paying. The council first shot down putting $2 a resident of the savings into road repairs, and then also voted against putting $1 a resident into roads projects, so residents will receive the full savings.

The major change to the services, which some residents have bemoaned at meetings, is the three citywide yard-waste containers are being closed permanently: at DeKalb Fire Station No. 2, 1154 S. Seventh St.; the city garden plots west of Fire Station No. 3, 950 W. Dresser Road; and at the southeast corner of North Seventh and Oak streets.

Unlimited curbside yard-waste pickup will continue, however. Just make sure your yard waste is in a can or bag 32 gallons or fewer and marked with an “X” or “YW.” Receptacles should not exceed 50 pounds.

Residents wanting to dispose of more yard waste can do so at the DeKalb County Landfill, 18370 Somonauk Road, Cortland, between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Call the landfill at 815-758-6906 for information.