Madison, WI Waste Collection Schedule

Complete waste management schedule including trash pickup, recycling, bulk waste, and special collections for Madison.

Population: 269,840
94.3 sq mi
Updated: January 19, 2025

Collection Zones & Pickup Days

Find your neighborhood to see your collection schedule

View Interactive Zone Map

Zone 1 - Monday Collection

Trash:Monday
Recycling:Monday
Yard Waste:Sunday

Neighborhoods:

  • Far West Madison
  • West Beltline Corridor
  • Midvale Heights
  • Junction Ridge
  • Blackhawk
  • Cherokee Heights
  • Regent
  • West Campus Area
  • Sunset Village
  • Hoyt Park

Zone 2 - Tuesday Collection

Trash:Tuesday
Recycling:Tuesday
Yard Waste:Sunday

Neighborhoods:

  • Dudgeon-Monroe
  • Vilas
  • University Heights
  • Greenbush
  • Bayview
  • Triangle
  • Wingra Park
  • Edgewood
  • Hill Farms
  • Nakoma

Zone 3 - Wednesday Collection

Trash:Wednesday
Recycling:Wednesday
Yard Waste:Sunday

Neighborhoods:

  • Marquette
  • Schenk-Atwood
  • Emerson East
  • Tenney-Lapham
  • Eken Park
  • Eastmorland
  • Lakewood
  • Burke Heights
  • Worthington Park
  • Elvehjem

Zone 4 - Thursday Collection

Trash:Thursday
Recycling:Thursday
Yard Waste:Sunday

Neighborhoods:

  • Downtown
  • Capitol Square
  • Bassett
  • Mansion Hill
  • James Madison Park
  • First Settlement
  • Mifflin-Langdon
  • Doty Island
  • Isthmus
  • University Campus Area

Zone 5 - Friday Collection (North & East)

Trash:Friday
Recycling:Friday
Yard Waste:Sunday

Neighborhoods:

  • Maple Bluff Area
  • Northport
  • Cherokee Marsh
  • Sherman Area
  • Packers Area
  • Warner Park
  • Mendota-Truax
  • Spring Harbor
  • North Commercial Area
  • Airport Area

Zone 6 - Friday Collection (Southwest)

Trash:Friday
Recycling:Friday
Yard Waste:Sunday

Neighborhoods:

  • Fitchburg Area
  • Allied-Dunn's Marsh
  • Meadowood
  • Leopold
  • Haywood
  • South Madison
  • Bram's Addition
  • Monona Bay
  • Parkwood Hills
  • West High Area

Service Provider

municipal

City of Madison Streets Division

Bulk Waste Pickup

Frequency
Monthly
Registration
Required

Accepted Items

  • Furniture (wood furniture, sofas, chairs, tables, dressers)
  • Mattresses and box springs
  • Bed frames
  • Home appliances (washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers)
  • Water heaters
  • Furnaces
  • Air conditioners and dehumidifiers ($35 fee)
  • Refrigerators and freezers ($35 fee)
  • Pianos and organs
  • Large household items
  • Gas grills ($15 fee)
  • Lawn mowers ($15 fee)

Not Accepted

  • Concrete, bricks, cement blocks
  • Shingles and roofing materials
  • Chemical containers
  • Items longer than 8 feet
  • Electronics (TVs, computers - must go to drop-off sites)
  • Hazardous waste
  • Tires (must go to drop-off sites with fee)
  • Construction debris
  • Yard waste and brush (separate collection)

Schedule online or call to arrange pickup. The city will collect items during the work week after your set-out Sunday. Pickup happens once a month, with dates varying by neighborhood. Separate metal items (appliances) from non-metal items (furniture) as different crews collect them. Fees apply to certain appliances - $35 for refrigerators, freezers, AC units, dehumidifiers; $15 for gas grills, lawn mowers, microwaves.

Recycling Program

Type
single-stream
Frequency
Bi-weekly (every other week)
Cart Color
Green

Accepted Materials

  • Paper: Newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, office paper, phone books, paperback books, greeting cards
  • Cardboard: Corrugated cardboard (flattened), cereal boxes, shoe boxes, paperboard, paper towel rolls
  • Plastics #1-7: Plastic bottles and containers (water bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, food containers)
  • Glass: Bottles and jars (all colors - clear, green, brown), rinsed clean
  • Metal: Aluminum cans, tin cans, steel cans, aluminum foil, pie tins, empty aerosol cans
  • Cartons: Milk cartons, juice boxes, soy milk cartons, broth cartons, wine boxes (keep plastic caps on)
  • Mixed paper: Wrapping paper (non-foil), file folders
  • Paper bags

Not Accepted

  • Plastic bags and film (return to grocery stores)
  • Styrofoam and foam packaging (take to drop-off sites)
  • Some plastic cups
  • Batteries (take to drop-off sites or Clean Sweep)
  • Ropes and hoses
  • Textiles (clothing, bedding, towels)
  • Wood and lumber
  • Light bulbs (take to Clean Sweep)
  • Electronics (take to drop-off sites)
  • Trash and food waste
  • Yard waste and brush
  • Drinking glasses and Pyrex
  • Ceramics and china
  • Window glass and mirrors
  • Wax-coated or foil-lined paper
  • Tissue paper
  • Pizza boxes (if heavily greasy)
  • Paper towels and napkins
  • Shredded paper (must be in clear bag if included)

All recyclables go together in the green cart - no sorting required. Do NOT bag recyclables; place items loose in the cart (exception: shredded paper must be in a clear bag). Rinse containers to remove food residue. Flatten cardboard boxes. Keep cart lid closed. Place cart at curb by 6:00 AM on collection day (collection starts at 6:00 AM). Recycling is mandatory in Madison. Recyclables are processed at Pellitteri Waste Systems Kipp Street Station, a fully automated Material Recovery Facility. Items smaller than 3"x3" may fall through sorting equipment - please do not recycle items smaller than a sticky note.

Holiday Schedule

Madison observes the following holidays with NO trash or recycling collection: New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. If the holiday falls on your collection day, collection will occur the next work day. For back-to-back holidays (Thanksgiving/Friday, Christmas Eve/Christmas, New Year's Eve/New Year's): If your pickup falls on the FIRST holiday (Thursday Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve), put carts out the day BEFORE (Wednesday before Thanksgiving). If your pickup falls on the SECOND holiday (Friday after Thanksgiving or Christmas Day), put carts out the following Monday. Download your trash and recycling calendar at cityofmadison.com/CollectionSchedule or sign up for email alerts when schedules change.

Important Information

The City of Madison Streets Division provides waste and recycling collection to residential properties within city limits. The city is divided into East and West service areas, separated by South Park Street. East residents call (608) 246-4532; West residents call (608) 266-4681. Trash is collected weekly in tan carts; recycling is collected bi-weekly in green carts. Collection starts at 6:00 AM - have carts at curb by 6:00 AM on your collection day. To find your specific collection day, use the address lookup tool at cityofmadison.com/CollectionSchedule. Recycling is mandatory in Madison per city ordinance. The city contracts with Pellitteri Waste Systems for recycling processing at their state-of-the-art Kipp Street Station Material Recovery Facility. Three drop-off sites serve Madison residents: East (Sycamore), West (South Point), and Central (Olin Ave). Drop-off sites accept recyclables, yard waste, electronics, large items (with fees), and more. Hours expand April-December. Free mulch available at East and West sites starting mid-July (30 gallon limit). Properties with more than 8 units must arrange private collection services.