Oversized items

Springfield residents can call Allied Waste at 522-7797 to schedule a free home pickup of oversized items. Crews will haul away up to three large items, such as mattresses, furniture or appliances. Only one of the items can contain Freon. Additional items can be collected at the same time for an extra charge. Call Allied Waste for details.  Residents are limited to one free pickup per 12-month period.  The program is open to Springfield residents living in homes with up to four units. It is not available to apartment complexes or mobile home parks.

Other options for getting rid of large items:

Sangamon Valley Landfill, 2565 Sandhill Rd., 528-9256. Call for cost details.

F & W Resources, 3327 Terminal Ave., 525-1206. Call for cost details.

Waste Management of Illinois' transfer station, 3000 E. Ash St. - Accepts large piles of solid waste, including remodeling and demolition debris and bulky items. Also accepts large appliances without Freon. Typical charge is $45 per ton of material.

Mervis Iron, 1100 S. Ninth St. - Accepts and recycles large metal appliances without cooling units free of cost. A $15 charge is applied for each unit that needs Freon removed.

Yard waste disposal

The Office of Public Works provides branch collection from April through November. Place your branches in front of the curb for collection. There is no set schedule for collection and no need to call to receive services. Public Works zone managers inventory neighborhoods and subdivisions and will dispatch vehicles for collection.

Residents also can drop off their branches free of cost at 19th and Moffat.  The facility is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Grass and leaves - Banned from being included with general trash, with the exception of sweet-gum balls. Grass, leaves and other yard waste must be placed in paper yard waste bags or in an enclosed can marked "yard waste." The bags or containers must have a special sticker from your waste hauler's company in order to be collected. The stickers cost $1.50 each and are available at haulers' offices and various hardware stores.  The $1.50 stickers are not required on yard waste bags during the city's yard waste pickup programs, held in the spring and fall. Fall collection is usually in November.

Springfield curbside (blue box) recycling

Residents living in buildings with up to four living units can sign up by calling their private waste haulers. Recycling pickup is already included in customers' garbage pickup fee. Items accepted:
 

Hazardous materials

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency coordinates hazardous household waste collections at various locations statewide during spring and fall. Check http://www.epa.state.il.us for details and dates. Acceptable items at the collections include:

Oil-based paints (no latex), paint thinners, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, old gasoline, pool chemicals, cleaning products, mercury, household batteries, used motor oil, drain cleaners, lawn chemicals, solvents, antifreeze, hobby chemicals, aerosol paints and fluorescent lamp bulbs.

Other specific items

Tires - Can be brought to various service stations, including Johnson & Johnson Auto Service Center, 1325 Stevenson Drive and Midtown Tire and Auto Service, 2110 Clear Lake Ave. Each store charges between $2 and $5 to get rid of one standard-sized tire.

Used motor oil - Can be brought to various service stations, including all Auto Zone locations in Springfield, and Johnson & Johnson. Each location has various limits and charges. Call for details.

More information

To get answers to other questions about waste and recycling call 789-2327.