Mokena Recycling Calendar & Schedule Guide

Managing household waste efficiently starts with staying organized, and keeping track of the Mokena recycling calendar is essential for every resident in Mokena, Illinois. Whether you are a long-time homeowner or recently moved to the area, understanding your waste collection schedule ensures your recyclables are picked up on time while keeping our community clean and sustainable.

Waste collection in Mokena is managed through contracted municipal services, typically handled by Homewood Disposal. Because collection schedules follow specific bi-weekly or weekly patterns—often complicated by major holidays—having quick access to the correct dates saves you from missed pickups and overflowing bins.

Understanding Your Mokena Recycling Schedule

Recycling collection in Mokena generally operates on an alternate-week schedule alongside regular trash pickup. However, keeping track of whether it is an "A week" or a "B week" can sometimes get confusing, especially after a long weekend.

To ensure your bins are at the curb on the right morning, keep these core scheduling tips in mind:

• Placement Time: Place your recycling cart at the curb by 6:00 AM on your designated collection day, or optionally the evening before after 6:00 PM.
• Cart Positioning: Keep carts at least four feet apart from each other and from obstacles like mailboxes or parked cars so the automated truck arms can empty them safely.
• Handle Orientation: Face the wheels and handles of the cart toward your house, with the lid opening pointing toward the street.

Holiday Schedule Adjustments

One of the most common reasons residents consult the Mokena recycling calendar is to check for holiday delays. If a major holiday falls on or before your regular collection day during the workweek, pickup services are typically delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.

Holidays that typically impact the schedule include:

• New Year's Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

If a holiday falls on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday), your collection day for that week usually remains unaffected.

Accepted Items in Your Recycling Cart

Video: 2020 Garbage and Recycling Calendar Cling

Knowing what goes into your recycling bin is just as important as knowing the collection dates. Putting non-recyclable items into the bin—known as "wishcycling"—can contaminate an entire truckload of recyclables and result in them being sent to a landfill instead.

Review this quick checklist of what is accepted in Mokena curbside recycling:

• Paper and Cardboard: Flattened cardboard boxes, newspaper, magazines, junk mail, office paper, and clean paperboard (like cereal or shoe boxes).
• Plastics: Rigid plastic containers numbered 1 through 5 and 7. Bottles, jugs, and tubs are universally accepted as long as they are empty and rinsed.
• Metal Cans: Aluminum, tin, and steel food and beverage cans, rinsed clean.
• Glass: Glass bottles and jars of any color, empty and rinsed (labels can remain).

What NOT to Include

To avoid contamination, keep the following items out of your curbside recycling bin:

• Plastic bags, film, and wrappers (these jam the sorting machinery at recycling facilities). Return these to local grocery store drop-offs instead.
• Styrofoam cups, trays, and packing peanuts.
• Electronics and batteries (these pose severe fire hazards in collection trucks).
• Clothing, textiles, and shoes.
• Hazardous waste containers, paint cans, or automotive fluid containers.

Yard Waste and Special Collections

Beyond standard household trash and recycling, the Mokena waste program accounts for seasonal yard waste and bulky items. Yard waste collection typically runs from April through November on your regular service day, requiring specific yard waste stickers or designated biodegradable brown landscape waste bags.

For items that do not fit into your standard curbside routine, such as large furniture, mattresses, or household appliances (white goods), you may need to schedule a special pickup directly with the waste hauler ahead of time.

How to Stay Updated on Changes

Schedules can occasionally shift due to severe weather events, equipment failures, or municipal updates. To ensure you never miss a schedule update, bookmark the official Village of Mokena website or download the mobile notification app provided by your waste hauler. Setting a recurring weekly reminder on your smartphone is also a foolproof way to keep your household aligned with the correct collection week.

Image Gallery