Refuse & Recycling

Village Refuse Collection & Recycling

The Village of Willowbrook currently contracts with Groot Industries for its refuse, recycling, and yard collection needs. Groot operates a cart collection system. Under this system, Groot will provide curbside refuse collection service for each residential customer. The Groot customer service department can be reached (888) 485-0900.

Groot will be implementing rate increases on August 1, 2021. Please review the Groot chart with rate increases (PDF).

For further information on the refuse disposal service please review the Groot program information (PDF).

Willowbrook Groot customers looking for information on the brush collection fee on their bill should review this summary(PDF).

Where can I buy yard waste stickers?

Yard waste stickers are only available at the Village Hall, 835 Midway Drive, Willowbrook. Only cash or check is acceptable for payment.

Electronics Recycling

Effective January 1, 2012 electronic items such as televisions, computers, monitors, printers, and many computer and cable peripherals are banned from landfill disposal. These items must be recycled. If you are unsure whether an item must be recycled at an electronics recycling drop-off facility, please refer to the List of Acceptable Electronic Items (PDF). The Village of Willowbrook does not operate an electronics recycling drop-off facility. Residents who are looking to dispose of electronic items should contact Burr Ridge Public Works Department at (630) 407-6700. Items can be dropped off Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. See the attached flyer (PDF) for more information.

Household Hazardous Waste
Materials such as oil-based paint, pesticides, poisons, cleaning solvents, gasoline, motor oil and other automotive fluids are considered Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). Liquids, flammable, toxic, corrosive or reactive products cannot be included with regular refuse for disposal. For information on options for disposal of these items, please contact the DuPage HHW Hotline at (630) 407-6760 or visit the DuPage County Waste, Recycling, and Energy Page.

Please download the DuPage County's Recycling Guide (PDF)for a comprehensive list of where and how to dispose of specific items.

Missed Collection

If the driver misses your collection, it will be picked up the next working day. Please call Groot Industries at (888) 485-0900 to report the missed pick-up.

Days / Locations

Mondays: Homes west of Clarendon Hills Road (including the homes north of 59th Street)
Tuesdays: Homes east of Madison Street
Wednesdays: Homes between Clarendon Hills Road and Madison Street

Observed Holidays

There will be no collection on the following holidays:

If one of these holidays falls on your scheduled pick-up day, then your refuse will be picked up the following business day. For example, if your regular collection day is Monday, then your garbage will be picked up on Tuesday and Tuesday's customers' garbage will be picked up on Wednesday.

Be sure to check out (PDF) the detailed explanation of the services offered by Groot. Check out the Groot Industries Quotation Sheet (PDF) for a listing of services and related costs. Please note, the prices found in the price quotation sheet do not include a surcharge for brush collection. Attached is a copy of the Groot Refuse Groot Refuse Contract 8-1-2020.

Mattress Disposal

The Mattress Recycling Council estimates that Americans dispose of roughly 15 to 20 million mattresses every year. The average mattress takes up 40 cubic feet, which means that one year's worth of discarded mattresses will occupy more than 132,000 square miles of landfill space. To cut down on waste and preserve landfill space, mattress owners in the U.S. are encouraged to get rid of their old mattresses using alternative means. The Tuck Sleep Foundation has developed a guide featuring some helpful tips for donating, recycling, reselling and reusing old or used mattresses. Check out the Tuck Sleep Foundation's website for more information on alternative methods of mattress disposal.

Medication Drop-Off/Disposal

The closest prescription medication drop-off facility is located at the Darien Police Department (1710 Plainfield Road). Residents can properly and safely dispose of unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications at the RxBox located in the Darien Department lobby. Once an item has been placed in the RxBox it cannot be removed except by authorized personnel. All medications collected will be incinerated by a contractor provided by the IEPA. Medications will not be reused. Please see the disposal tips below and call the Darien Police Department's non-emergency phone number (630) 971-3999 for more information and consult the list of acceptable and unacceptable items below. You can also look up other RxBox locations by visiting the DuPage County Health Department website.

Disposal recommendations:

For spill free disposal, place the pills or liquid medication bottles in a zipper top plastic bag.
Medications may be disposed of in their original containers but be sure to protect your personal information first.

Protect your personal information:

Remove labels containing personal information and destroy them prior to disposing of medications in the RxBox OR
Blackout personal information with a black permanent marker.

Acceptable Items:

Prescription medications
Over-the-counter medications
Medicated ointments
Medicated shampoos
Liquids containing medications
Prescription inhalers
Over-the-counter inhalers
Glass thermometers containing mercury

Unacceptable Items:

Sharps/Needles
Bio-Hazardous materials including wound dressings
Radioactive medicines
Other household wastes