Downers Grove residents can keep composting through the winter, but they need to sign up by Sunday, Nov. 1.

The Village of Downers Grove is accepting registrations for its off-season organics collection program, which provides biweekly curbside pickup of food scraps and yard waste from December through March. There is no additional charge for the service.

To enroll, residents must already have an organics cart from Republic Services and call the hauler at 630-964-3232 before the deadline, according to the Village's waste and recycling page.

What goes in the cart

The program accepts food scraps and yard waste in the same cart. Accepted food scraps include fruits, vegetables, eggs and shells, coffee grounds, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, meat, bones, shellfish and seafood. Yard waste includes leaves, brush trimmings, grass clippings, flowers and houseplants.

Residents can use a Republic organics cart in 35-, 65- or 95-gallon sizes, brown paper yard waste bags, or a can with two handles no larger than 33 gallons labeled "YARD WASTE."

How it fits the new contract

The off-season option is part of a broader waste program that launched April 1 under a six-year contract between the village and Republic Services. The Village Council approved that contract on a 5-2 vote on Nov. 4, 2025, as first reported by Perspective DG. Year-round curbside organics composting was one of the contract's key improvements, according to the village's 2025 annual report.

Mayor Bob Barnett said at the Nov. 4, 2025, council meeting that the contract path the village chose should include additional sustainability efforts tied to the community's Environmental Sustainability Plan.

During the regular season, which runs from April 1 through the second week of December, organics are collected weekly at no extra cost. No stickers are required.

Standard monthly rates for trash service range from $19 for a 35-gallon cart to $32 for a 95-gallon cart, with senior discounts dropping the price as low as $10 per month. Recycling and organics collection are included.

How to sign up

Residents with a Republic organics cart can call 630-964-3232 before the deadline. The village's waste and recycling page lists the full off-season collection calendar.