Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-160 Exemption.
11-5-160 Exemption.
For purposes of this Article IV, the term "private hauler(s)" shall not include backhaulers.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
PRIVATE HAULERS (11-5-160 et seq.)
Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 11, ch. 11-5, art. IV
in effectMunicipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-170 Source-separated recycling - Required.
11-5-170 Source-separated recycling - Required.
Each private hauler shall engage in source- separated recycling and shall source-separate materials in accordance with Section 11-5-080.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-180 Notification to customers - Required.
11-5-180 Notification to customers - Required.
Private haulers shall notify their refuse collection customers in writing that source-separated recycling is required under Chapter 11-5 of the Municipal Code of Chicago. In addition, the written notification required under this section shall set forth what materials are required to be source separated and shall describe the collection procedures for such materials.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-190 Private haulers to offer recycling services to customers - Required.
11-5-190 Private haulers to offer recycling services to customers - Required.
(a) If a private hauler provides waste collection service to a refuse collection customer, such private hauler shall offer in writing to provide recyclable material collection service to such refuse collection customer.
(b) If a private hauler's offer to provide recyclable material collection service is accepted by such hauler's refuse collection customer, the private hauler may provide recyclable material collection service to such refuse collection customer directly or may arrange to have such service provided to the refuse collection customer by a third-party provider. Provided, however, that if a private hauler provides recyclable material collection service to a refuse collection customer through a third-party provider, such private hauler shall be responsible for reporting all of the information required to be reported under Section 11-5-220 about the recyclable material recovered within the city by the third-party provider on such private hauler's behalf.
(c) If a private hauler's offer to provide recyclable material collection service is declined by the private hauler's refuse collection customer, the private hauler shall: (1) keep written documentation of such fact on file at the private hauler's primary place of business for the duration of the waste collection service contract between the private hauler and such customer; and (2) report such fact to the department, on a form provided by the department for such purposes, within 10 business days of the date on which the private hauler's offer to provide recyclable material collection service is declined by the refuse collection customer.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-200 Delivery of recyclable material to properly permitted facility - Required.
11-5-200 Delivery of recyclable material to properly permitted facility - Required.
Private haulers shall deliver all collected recyclable material to a properly permitted facility that will keep the recyclable material separate from waste until the recyclable material can be returned to the economic mainstream as new, used or reconstituted products.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-210 Record keeping - Required.
11-5-210 Record keeping - Required.
(a) Private haulers shall maintain complete and accurate records containing the following information: (1) the total tonnage of recyclable material collected by the private hauler from the totality of the private hauler’s refuse collection customers within the City during each calendar year; (2) the name and address of each facility to which the private hauler delivered any percentage of such collected recyclable material during each calendar year; (3) the percentage of recyclable material delivered each calendar year by the private hauler to each facility identified pursuant to item (2) of this section; (4) the location at any given time of any of the private hauler’s scavenger vehicles, following the requirements of Section 4-6-130(e)(15); and (5) any other information that the Commissioner may require in duly promulgated rules. The records required by this section shall be kept on file by the private hauler for a period of three years.
(b) Upon request of the City, each private hauler shall submit to the Commissioner a report containing records required by Section 11-5-210(a)(4), with the content and in the format required by the Commissioner within seven days of the request. The report shall contain an attestation, made under penalty of perjury, that the data submitted is accurate and complete.
(c) Failure to have a properly operational GPS device that tracks and submits the location of a private hauler vehicle at any given time or failure to record and report the location of each private hauler vehicle at any given time shall be considered a violation of this section. Each and every day that a violation exists for any individual violation of this section shall be a separate offense.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-7-23, p. 5782, § 3)
Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-220 Annual recycling report - Required.
11-5-220 Annual recycling report - Required.
(a) Duty to submit recycling report. Each private hauler shall submit to the Department, on a form provided by the Department, an annual recycling report meeting the requirements of subsections (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this section.
(b) Contents of recycling report. The recycling report required by this section shall be completed in full and shall contain the following information:
(1) the private hauler's full name and business address;
(2) the full name, business telephone number and e-mail address of a responsible person to contact regarding the content of any recycling report submitted under this section;
(3) the percentage of the private hauler's customers that are residential, commercial, industrial or institutional establishments;
(4) if applicable, the tonnage of all recyclable material, per material type or category, collected by the private hauler within the city during the applicable reporting period; the name of the facility or facilities to which such recyclable material was delivered; and the approximate percentage of recyclable material delivered to each named facility;
(5) if applicable, the tonnage of all construction and demolition debris, per material type or category, collected by the private hauler within the city during the applicable reporting period; the name of the facility or facilities to which such construction and demolition debris was delivered; and the approximate percentage of construction and demolition debris delivered to each named facility;
(6) if applicable, the tonnage of all waste, excluding construction and demolition debris, collected by the private hauler within the city during the applicable reporting period; the name of the facility to which such waste was delivered; and the approximate percentage of waste delivered to each named facility; and
(7) any other information that the Commissioner may require to implement this chapter.
(c) Certification required. Any private hauler submitting a recycling report under this section shall certify to the Department whether the information contained in such recycling report is accurate and complete. The Commissioner may investigate and verify any information contained in such recycling report. Any person who knowingly makes a false statement of material fact in any recycling report submitted pursuant to this section shall be subject to prosecution under the False Statement Ordinance, Chapter 1-21, of the Municipal Code of Chicago.
(d) Reporting schedule. The annual recycling report required under this section shall be submitted by the private hauler to the Department no later than February 28th following the calendar year to which the annual report relates.
(e) Review by commissioner – Failure to submit report. The Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation shall review and approve the adequacy of each annual recycling report submitted under this section. If the Commissioner notifies the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection that the annual recycling report required under this section has not been filed in a timely manner or is incomplete, no private scavenger license issued under Section 4-6-130 shall be renewed by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection until such time that the Commissioner notifies the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection that the annual recycling report required under this section has been filed and is complete.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-230 Recycling containers - Required.
11-5-230 Recycling containers - Required.
(a) All private haulers collecting recyclable material within the city shall provide their recycling customers with recycling containers that are legally accessible to the private hauler for collection.
(b) The recycling containers required under subsection (a) of this section shall: (1) be a shade of blue; (2) be distinctive in coloration from any waste container that is provided; (3) be constructed of a rigid material; (4) be clearly identified as a recyclable material container; (5) display a written and/or pictorial list of the recyclable material that may be deposited into the container; (6) be equipped with a close-fitting lid; (7) be leak-proof and rodent-proof; (8) bear the name and contact information of the private hauler providing the recycling containers, including the private hauler's business telephone number and business address; (9) in the case of a business, bear the name of the business served by the recycling container; and (10) in the case of a residential building, bear the address served by the recycling container. If the recycling container required to be provided under this section is constructed of plastic, the container's body and lid each shall be manufactured using 25 percent post-consumer recycled material; provided, however, that this requirement shall not apply to recycling containers in existence as of the effective date of this ordinance.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-240 Educating customers about recycling - Required.
11-5-240 Educating customers about recycling - Required.
(a) All private haulers shall provide their recycling customers with a written instructional manual describing the recyclable material collection service being provided to the customer by the hauler. Such manual shall include, but is not limited to, the following information: (1) the definition of source-separated recycling; (2) why it is important to recycle; (3) the list of material accepted and specifically prohibited for recycling as set forth in Section 11-5-080; (4) how to prepare recyclable material for handling by the hauler; (5) how to prevent contamination of recyclable material; and (6) the address of the Department's City of Chicago website, where this ordinance shall be posted and where additional information about disposal, reuse and recycling options can be obtained.
(b) Private haulers shall notify their recycling customers in writing of any change that the private hauler makes to the recyclable material collection service being provided by such hauler to the refuse collection customer. Such written notification shall be provided by the private hauler to the recycling customer at least 10 calendar days in advance of such change.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
Municipal Code of Chicago § 11-5-250 Violation - Penalty.
11-5-250 Violation - Penalty.
In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person who violates this Article IV or any rule promulgated thereunder shall be subject to a fine of not less than $500.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for a first violation; not less than $1,000.00 nor more than $2,500.00 for a second violation for the same offense within any 12-month period; and not less than $2,500.00 nor more than $5,000.00 for a third and each subsequent violation for the same offense occurring within 12 months of the most recent violation for the same offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
(Added Coun. J. 7-20-16, p. 28694, § 1)
Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2656263Fetched: 10/24/2026