Shred Event on March 28

Sustainable Holiday Cleanup

The City of Des Plaines is committed to helping residents keep our waste to a minimum this holiday season.

Recycle Your Holiday Lights - Wednesdays throughout January and February

The Des Plaines Public Works and Engineering Department is hosting a free holiday light recycling event throughout the months of January and February. Lights that will be accepted include C7 and C9 lights, rope lights, mini-lights (icicle lights), LED lights, and extension cords. Bring items between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Wednesdays, to the Public Works facility at 1111 Joseph J. Schwab (Campground) Rd. Any holiday light strands still connected to wreaths, garland or other material cannot be accepted. The holiday lights will be recycled for the copper and plastic materials. There is no limit to the amount of holiday lights that you may drop off.

Community Paper Shredding Event - Saturday, March 28

Clear out your clutter the eco-friendly way! The City of Des Plaines holds a shred event every spring and fall. Join us for the Spring Shred Event on Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Public Works facility (1111 Joseph J. Schwab Road). Safely dispose of sensitive documents and help reduce landfill waste. Please note the following guidelines:

• This event is available to residents of Des Plaines only. Proof of residency may be required. Business materials are not accepted.
• There is a 2-box maximum per vehicle and only paper products will be accepted. Staples and paper clips are allowed, but binders, binder clips, butterfly clips, rubber bands, and other metal or plastic should be removed before disposal.
• Three ring binders and the like cannot be put into the machine. Paper in binders will need to be removed prior to shredding.
• The shredder can only take paper. Please plan to take back any bags or boxes you bring your paper in.
• Event is first come, first served. Once the shredding truck has reached capacity, the event will conclude.

Shred Event Flyer

Earth Month Clean Up - Saturday, April 11

The City of Des Plaines hosts an annual group trash clean up with Clean Up - Give Back during Earth Month where dozens of volunteers join us at Axehead Lake to help beautify our community. Save the date for Saturday, April 11, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Axehead Lake (use the Chippewa Woods entrance located at 2760 S. River Rd.). Gloves, grabbers, safety vests, and trash bags will be provided. In case of severe weather, a cancellation will be communicated on our Facebook page. This event is FREE and open to the community. You can register in advance and check out other upcoming clean ups at cleanupgiveback.org. Walk-ups are welcome.

DEA Takeback Day - April

DPPD participates in DEA Takeback Day every spring and fall, offering free and anonymous disposal of expired, unused or unneeded medications. Drop-off is at the Des Plaines Police Department located at 1418 Miner St. Go to deatakeback.com to learn more!

Pumpkin Smash

Please don't put it in the trash; bring it to the smash and green your Halloween! In partnership with the Des Plaines Park District, the City hosts the Pumpkin Smash composting event after Halloween every year at the north parking lot of Prairie Lakes Community Center.

Bring your pumpkins, jack-o'-lanterns, and gourds to the Pumpkin Smash composting event where attendees can toss their pumpkins into the designated dumpster and WasteNot Compost will haul it away for composting. Painted pumpkins are fine, but please remove any non-biodegradable materials such as candles, googly eyes, stickers, plastic and yarn.

We also collect plastic and foil candy wrappers for recycling both at the Pumpkin Smash event and in a special drop-off bin in the City Hall lobby throughout November. It's a simple way to give those wrappers a second life and stay out of the landfill.

At the 2025 Pumpkin Smash, our residents composted a total of 392 pumpkins weighing 1,568 pounds. Great job, Des Plaines!

Tips for Going Green

Living sustainably can be as simple as bringing your own reusable cup and/or straw to businesses that allow it. If you buy coffee at a shop 3 times a week, that is saving 156 disposable cups a year! Now imagine if 10 people did the same. Below are a few ideas you can implement in your own life:

• Shut off lights and unplug electronic devices when not in use.
• Switch to energy efficient lightbulbs.
• Request a free home energy assessment from ComEd. Find out more.
• Only run your dishwasher when it is completely full.
• Open your blinds for light and heat, or keep them closed to stay cool depending on the season.
• Request plastic silverware or small condiment packets are not placed in with your to-go food when possible.
• Use reusable bags when shopping.

Local Initiatives

The City of Des Plaines is committed to promoting sustainable practices to become an even greener community. Read on to see what Des Plaines is doing for the environment year-round.