As announced, on July 14, 2025, the Tuscola City Council accepted the low bid from GFL Environmental for the City’s residential and commercial solid waste disposal company.  The new contract will take effect November 1, 2025, after the expiration of the current contract with Waste Management expires.  The service levels will remain very much the same as they have been with the current company.    As we get information to share, it will be posted at tuscola.org/residents/garbage-pickup.  There will be a transition period while the waste receptacles are changed out to the new company, and your patience with that process will be appreciated!

Some FAQ about the change:

• How does this affect those outside the city limits?  NOT AT ALL!  Those outside the city limits (North Prairie Acres, Hillcrest, rural Tuscola areas) are still, and have always been, free to choose their own provider.  The City of Tuscola has no authority to contract services for non-residents.
• Alley pick up was NOT offered by any of the 3 companies who proposed to handle our services, so alley pickup will not be offered by GFL.
• Residents must continue to use the totes provided by the garbage company.  Those totes are designed to work with the truck for automatic dumping.  This  is an industry standard that will continue with GFL.
• Every other week recycling will still be offered, with designated totes, at the request of the resident.

Beginning November 3, 2025,  GFL will pick up garbage in Tuscola over three days each week, based on geographic location.  (Please note the days have changed since the first communication)

If your collection day falls on, or during the week after a holiday, then collection will be delayed one day. 

GFL observed holidays include:  New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.  

Residents are required to use a garbage tote provided by the garbage company.

After November 1, 2025, Residents can call GFL at 217-893-3675 to request a tote. There is no fee for the tote.   One additional garbage tote or recycling tote may be requested at no additional fee.  

New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day,

If your collection day falls on a holiday, or in the week after a holiday, garbage collection will be delayed one day.  

The garbage collection fee is included on your monthly water bill.  

Contracted monthly collection fees are as follows: 

$18.50 per month- November 2025 - October 2026

$19.15 per month- November 2026 - October 2027

$19.82 per month- November 2027 - October 2028

$20.51 per month- November 2028 - October 2029

$21.22 per month- November 2029 - October 2030

After November 1, 2025, GFL can be contacted 8 am - 4 pm on business days at 217-893-3675

After November 1, 2025

For disposal of large garbage items such as household appliances, please contact GFL at 217-893-3675

There is a fee of $20 per item, payable by the resident at the time of scheduling pickup.

GFL offers every-other-week curbside recycling to residents located in the City limits of Tuscola.  A resident may have a total of 2 carts per address, either 2 waste carts or 1 waste and 1 recycling cart.  Call GFL at 217-893-3675 for more information and to request a recycle tote. There is no fee for the recycling program or the recycling tote.

Yard waste may be taken to the landscape waste facility located on the first road south of the railroad track going east off of Prairie Street.   No limbs over 4 inches in diameter and no plastic bags are allowed.  Commercial contractors are NOT allowed to use the landscape waste facility.

The landscape waste pile is managed by the City of Tuscola and in NO CIRCUMSTANCES should anyone, not employed by the City, burn or otherwise attempt to manage the debris.

GFL, by contract, will provide 2 landscape waste collection days per year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall.  For this pick up, landscape waste materials must be placed in biodegradable paper yard waste bags or bundled in less than 50 pound increments.  Dates for GFL's curbside pickup of landscape waste materials will be posted when known.

Monday - Friday: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM to Noon

No, the City does not pick up yard waste unless it is storm debris.  Storm debris must by placed out by the street shortly following the storm.

No, city codes and state laws do not allow burning of any material within the city or the city’s zoning jurisdiction (within 1 1/2 miles surrounding the City corporate limits).

Exceptions:  Recreational fires (usually for cooking), approved fireplaces and wood burning stoves,  closed furnace incinerators approved by the fire chief,  or environmental burns approved by the fire chief.   

Contact information for the fire chief is available on our Fire Department page.

GFL offers an optional curbside recycling pick up service.  To learn more about the service, call  GFL at 217-893-3675.  

2025-2026 Recycling pick up schedule (print version)

GFL will collect and recycle the following materials:

• Paper, including newspapers, junk mail, magazines, telephone books, computer paper, writing paper, paperboard boxes and flattened corrugated boxes
• #1 through #7 plastics
• Aluminum cans and foil trays
• Steel cans, including empty aerosols

Recyclable Material does NOT include glass!

The City of Tuscola contract with GFL also covers regular commercial roll-off services.  Businesses are invoiced directly from GFL and deal directly with GFL for any issues, only the rates are governed by the contract with the City.

The rates are as follows:

Bryant's Recycling is located west of town and accepts metal and other items for recycling.  For information, please contact Bryant's directly at 217-253-2477