Clear the boxes after a move, delivery or busy week. Book empty boxes individually, bundles of 10 flattened boxes, or securely bound cardboard bales with loading-dock access.
The new furniture is in place. The deliveries are opened. Choose the cardboard you have and get the space back, without turning a stack of boxes into a guessing game.
Pick the right unit.
A loose box, a ten-box bundle and a compacted bale have separate prices.
Only book what is there.
Add bundles, leftover boxes and other items to one order.
Get confirmation it is cleared.
Follow pickup updates and photos after collection.
Boxes, bundles and bales are three different things.
A bundle is ten flattened boxes. A bale is mechanically compacted cardboard, securely strapped together and staged at an accessible loading dock.
Loose empty boxes.
Count each empty box as one item. Remove contents, plastic packing and foam. This choice is for the cardboard box itself.
Bundles of 10.
Flatten ten empty boxes and tie them into one bundle. Twenty-three boxes? Choose two ten-box bundles and three loose boxes. Count each box once.
Compacted bales.
Choose small for 50–150 lb, medium for 151–300 lb or large for 301–500 lb. Every bale must be securely bound and accessible from a loading dock. Unknown weight, no dock or over 500 lb? Ask our team first.
Cardboard pickup prices in Palatine
First item / additional item
Empty cardboard box$59 / $5
10 flattened cardboard boxes$79 / $20
Small cardboard bale$99 / $30
Medium cardboard bale$129 / $60
Large cardboard bale$175 / $100
The highest first-item price applies once. Every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Applicable sales tax is shown before payment.
Remove the contents and packing material. Set aside filled household boxes and add them as separate items if they are also going.
2
Count boxes or confirm bale weight.
Tie each ten-box bundle together. For compacted bales, use the actual weight to choose the correct option.
3
Prepare the right access.
Loose boxes and bundles need an accessible outdoor spot. Bales need a loading dock; keep them securely bound and tell us about dock access before pickup.
You’re in the loop. Until it’s gone.
Confirmation when you book. A heads-up before arrival. Photos when it’s done.
Recycling goes in the green or yellow-lidded cart, and the operator lists cardboard, newspaper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and glass containers as the curbside materials.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Recycling collection is part of the residential refuse service that the Village bills, with no separate published charge.
When & how
Weekly on the address's collection day, in the recycling cart.
Get it ready
Keep recyclables in the green or yellow-lidded cart rather than the refuse cart, and note that the operator lists cardboard, newspaper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and glass containers as the materials it recycles. The Village's own recycling guidelines page carries its special drop-off programs for material that should not go in the cart, and its recycling center at the Public Works facility takes holiday lights and plastic bags.
Cardboard is on the operator's curbside recycling list, so it goes in the recycling cart rather than the refuse cart.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Cardboard is part of the residential recycling collection that the Village bills with the refuse service, with no separate published charge.
When & how
Weekly with the recycling cart on the address's collection day.
Get it ready
Put cardboard and paper in the green or yellow-lidded recycling cart, because the operator lists cardboard among the materials its residential recycling program takes, and keep it out of the refuse cart. Break boxes down so they fit in the cart, and note that the Village recycling center at the Public Works facility also takes plastic bags and holiday lights if a household has those to drop off.
Set the black-lidded refuse cart and the green or yellow-lidded recycling cart at the curb on the address's collection day, with space between the two carts and clearance from trees, mailboxes and utility poles so the truck can reach them. Refuse that will not fit may be bagged beside or on top of the refuse cart, and the Village asks residents to keep the carts out of the street and to place material in the correct cart.
Use a permitted, accessible outdoor spot. Arrange the move out of your home, keep shared access clear and follow your confirmation’s readiness instructions. Check with your building about access or staging limits before booking.
Village of Palatine Environmental Health Division with Groot as the contracted refuse and recycling operator
Drop holiday lights and plastic bags at the Village recycling center
A household with holiday lights or plastic bags that should not go in the recycling cart.
Cost & conditions
No charge. The Village states the recycling center drop-off is free.
Arrange it
Drive to the west end of the Public Works facility at 148 W Illinois Avenue. The Village states the center opened in April 2026 and takes holiday lights and plastic bags free of charge in a drive-up lane, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The center takes holiday lights and plastic bags, which is a narrow list, so confirm that a specific item belongs there before making the trip.
Self haul in Palatine is mostly the regional special material routes, because the curbside service already takes the bulky and yard material. The Village recycling center at the west end of the Public Works facility on 148 West Illinois Avenue takes holiday lights and plastic bags free of charge in a drive-up lane, and the Village describes it as open around the clock every day of the year. Household chemicals, batteries, compact fluorescent bulbs, electronics, holiday lights, mercury thermometers and medication and sharps go through the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County's community drop-off programs and document destruction events on 847-724-9205, and the Village says to check the agency site for locations and details. A large domestic appliance is not self hauled in the ordinary sense either: it is booked with the collection operator as a Wednesday white goods collection at a prepaid per item charge, and the operator number for that arrangement is (800) 244-1977. Village curbside service page with the carts, the yard waste season and the service contactsVillage page on the regional agency drop off programs for special materialVillage refuse and recycling page with the white goods and electronics charges and the refuse cart rules
Village drop-off for holiday lights and plastic bags
Village of Palatine Recycling Center at Public Works
148 W Illinois Avenue, Palatine, IL 60067
Holiday lights and plastic bags, which the Village says are accepted free of charge in a drive-up lane.
The published list is limited to holiday lights and plastic bags, so other material has to use the curbside carts or a regional agency program instead.
The Village states the center is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and that it opened in April 2026 at the west end of the Public Works facility. Village Environmental Health is on (847) 359-9042.
No charge. The Village states the drop-off is free.
Selected customer reviews. Counts checked September 2026.
Before you book
A few things worth knowing.
Cardboard pickup, from choosing your item to pickup day in Palatine.
How much does cardboard pickup cost?+
One empty box is $59 first and $5 additional. A bundle of 10 flattened boxes is $79 first and $20 additional. Small, medium and large compacted bales have separate weight-based choices shown above.
What are the cardboard bale weight limits?+
Small is 50–150 lb, medium is 151–300 lb and large is 301–500 lb. Each bale must stay securely bound and be ready at an accessible loading dock. Contact our team about unknown weights, larger bales or a location without dock access.
Can the boxes still have things inside?+
Empty-cardboard pricing covers the cardboard itself. Use Filled household box for boxed household contents. Remove plastic, foam and other packing materials from empty boxes before collection.
Can I put cardboard in my regular recycling instead?+
Check your local provider’s cardboard rules, including flattening, container limits and collection days. EPA recommends keeping paper products clean and dry. Dropcurb provides a separately booked pickup; a specific recycling facility or recycling outcome is not guaranteed by this booking.
Can I arrange same-day pickup?+
Book by 2pm in the pickup address’s local time for same-day pickup. Checkout shows the available dates for your address. Your booking is for a pickup day, rather than an exact arrival window. We send updates and photos after collection.
Where should I put my items?+
Use an accessible outdoor spot you are allowed to use, and follow the instructions in your confirmation. Keep sidewalks, entrances and vehicle access clear. You arrange any indoor carrying. For a loading dock or a short building access window, confirm the setup with our team before booking.
What can go in the Palatine recycling cart?+
The operator lists cardboard, newspaper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and glass containers for its residential recycling program, which is the collection Palatine uses. Material that should not go in the cart, such as batteries, bulbs, electronics and chemicals, goes through the regional agency drop-off programs the Village publishes instead.Official guidance
How does Palatine handle cardboard?+
Cardboard goes in the recycling cart, because the operator that collects for the Village lists cardboard among the materials its residential recycling program recycles, along with newspaper, plastic bottles, aluminum cans and glass containers. Break the boxes down so the lid can close, and keep cardboard out of the refuse cart.Official guidance
Who collects trash in Palatine?+
Groot collects all residential refuse and recycling for the Village of Palatine under contract, and the Village says residents must use the carts Groot provides. The Village Environmental Health Division answers program questions on (847) 359-9042, while cart size changes and the white goods and electronics arrangements go directly to Groot on (800) 244-1977.Official guidance
One less thing on your list
Make room for the rest of your day.
Choose the right items and quantities, review your exact total and book your pickup. We keep you updated and send photos afterward.
