Investigations
Chicago Cracks Down on Nearly 200 Illegal Trash Pickups in First Months of Enforcement Effort
(WTTW News)
Private waste haulers were slapped with nearly 200 tickets for illegal, early-morning pickups during the first six months of a new enforcement.
That’s according to records obtained by WTTW News from the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, which began coordinating the crackdown through a newly created 311 complaint category in October 2024.
Trash and recycling companies aren’t allowed to make pickups in Chicago between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. For nearly two years, WTTW News has been tracking numerous companies flouting the law and documenting a tsunami of complaints from residents.
Read More:
- Rude Awakening: Tracking Illegal, Early Morning Trash Pickups
- Two More Trash Haulers Caught Flouting City Noise Ordinance
- Private Trash Haulers Rarely Face Punishment for Illegal Pickups, City Data Shows
In the fall of 2023, alderpeople approved a measure allowing Streets and Sanitation to demand GPS and other electronic tracking data from waste haulers to verify those complaints. It took until October of last year for a 311 code specific to those scofflaws to go into effect.
The company that so far has been slapped with the most tickets is Lake Shore Waste with 48 tickets, followed by Flood Brothers at 34, Republic Services at 32, and Waste Management at 26. While most violations happened in the 6 o’clock hour, the illegal pickups happened all through the wee hours of the morning — with the earliest ticket listing a violation time of midnight.
Records show 185 tickets have been issued so far; they start at $500 and go up to $1,000. While the bulk of the tickets came between October and April, records show one violation each in January and July 2024 and two in August 2024.
“Noise complaints are in the Top 10 of 911 calls in almost every ward,” Ald. Daniel LaSpata (1st Ward), who spearheaded a City Council effort to curb the longstanding practice, told WTTW News when the ordinance was up for a vote. “This gives us … greater accountability and enforcement.”
“It is really disruptive,” Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward) previously told WTTW News. “While it may seem trivial, sleep disruption can really mess up your whole day and your whole week.”
“As one of the largest recycling and waste providers, we value our partnership with the City of Chicago and are committed to responsible operations and providing the highest level of service to customers across the city,” Republic Services told WTTW News in a statement. “Our team is actively working with the city to address any issues.”
“There are many challenges driving a collection vehicle through the City’s streets & alleys, while watching for pedestrians, bicyclists, scooters, along with vehicular traffic, all of which increase after 7 a.m.,” Waste Management told WTTW News in a statement. “WM’s aim is to adhere to the noise ordinance while providing safe and responsible environmental services.”
Lake Shore Waste and Flood Brothers did not respond to requests for comment.
Contact Nick Blumberg: [email protected] | (773) 509-5434 | @ndblumberg
