Willow Springs has a new garbage and yard waste hauler.
Willow Springs trustees have hired Flood Brothers as the village’s waste hauler, replacing Lakeshore Recycling, and approved collection rates that stay flat for residents through 2029.
The four-year contract that runs through 2030 is scheduled to start Dec. 1, Village Administrator Ryan Grace said.
Grace said the village sought bids for a new waste hauler to work with and “Flood Brothers was our best option.”
“All the references are good. Some other towns around us have them and nobody had any issues. Service quality is good,” Grace said.
Nearby La Grange has used Flood Brothers for several years without problems.
Garbage and recycling rates will stay flat in 2027, 2028 and 2029 under the new rate schedule. In 2030, the monthly rate rises $1 for non-seniors and 50 cents for seniors.
Yard waste stickers will cost $3.50. That’s up $1 from the $2.50 Lakeshore Recycling now charges.
Optional yard waste carts will also cost more than they do now. Residents can still buy stickers instead and put them on the paper yard waste bags sold at grocery and hardware stores.
“It’s an option. I have a yard waste cart at my house. The bags sit out there, get wet, break on you. It’s hit or miss. Some people like them. Some people don’t,” Grace said.
The senior rate for a yard waste cart is $20 a month, he said. A non-senior yard waste cart rents for up to $22 a month, according to the Flood Brothers website.
Staff said the cart fees pass straight through from the hauler, with no village administrative charge added. Yard waste season runs April through December.
Each resident may put out one bulk item a week at no extra charge. Appliances will be picked up on a schedule set with Flood Brothers.
Residents should receive a letter and flyer from Flood Brothers explaining the switch.