Garbage collection fee goes up in Wheaton

Wheaton households can expect a price increase for garbage and recycling collection starting Oct. 1.

Prices will increase 2% per pickup, which equates to between 4 cents to 11 cents more per pickup, depending upon the type of service and size of the cart residents place at the curb.

The city in 2021 approved a three-year contract extension with trash hauler LRS, formerly Lakeshore Recycling Services, to provide garbage, recycling and yard waste removal services for residents.

The city's contract extension with LRS allows residents to continue to pay only for how much they use the service. Trucks scan garbage and recycling carts when they are emptied using radio frequency identification technology - similar to the Illinois Tollway System's IPASS. Officials say the "pay-as-you-throw" model gives households more control over their service costs than a flat monthly fee.