Milwaukee, WI Waste Collection Schedule

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

Population: 561,385
96.1 sq mi
Updated: January 18, 2025

Collection Zones & Pickup Days

Find your neighborhood to see your collection schedule

View Interactive Zone Map

Zone 1 - Far North Side

Trash:Monday
Recycling:Monday
Yard Waste:Monday

Neighborhoods:

  • Granville
  • Garden Homes
  • Hampton Heights
  • Mill Road Corridor
  • Grasslyn Manor
  • Havenwoods
  • Park West
  • Uptown
  • Green Tree
  • Brown Deer Road Corridor

Zone 2 - Northwest Side

Trash:Tuesday
Recycling:Tuesday
Yard Waste:Tuesday

Neighborhoods:

  • Washington Heights
  • Enderis Park
  • Sherman Park
  • Midtown
  • Thurston Woods
  • Parkway Highlands
  • Story Hill
  • Washington Park
  • Pigsville
  • Kops Park

Zone 3 - West & Central

Trash:Wednesday
Recycling:Wednesday
Yard Waste:Wednesday

Neighborhoods:

  • Avondale
  • Metcalfe Park
  • Halyard Park
  • Harambee
  • Lindsay Heights
  • Brewers Hill
  • Concordia
  • Clarke Square
  • Mitchell Park
  • Walker Square

Zone 4 - East Side & Downtown

Trash:Thursday
Recycling:Thursday
Yard Waste:Thursday

Neighborhoods:

  • Downtown
  • East Side
  • Lower East Side
  • Riverwest
  • Brewers Hill
  • Juneau Town
  • Yankee Hill
  • Brady Street
  • Murray Hill
  • Upper East Side
  • North Point
  • Cambridge Woods

Zone 5 - South Side

Trash:Friday
Recycling:Friday
Yard Waste:Friday

Neighborhoods:

  • Bay View
  • Walker's Point
  • Historic Third Ward
  • Menomonee River Valley
  • Silver City
  • Lincoln Village
  • Jackson Park
  • Layton Park
  • Tippecanoe
  • Forest Home

Zone 6 - Southwest & Far South

Trash:Monday
Recycling:Monday
Yard Waste:Monday

Neighborhoods:

  • Burnham Park
  • Southgate
  • Airport
  • Muskego Way
  • Alverno
  • Wedgewood
  • Kinnickinnic River Parkway
  • Polonia
  • Pulaski Heights
  • St. Martins

Service Provider

municipal

City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works - Sanitation Division

Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Bulk Waste Pickup

Frequency
On-call
Registration
Required

Scheduling Method:

Both

(414) 286-2489

Accepted Items

  • Furniture (couches, chairs, tables, dressers)
  • Mattresses and box springs
  • Appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, dishwashers)
  • Large household items
  • Electronics (TVs, computers, monitors)
  • Carpeting (rolled and bundled)
  • Large toys and play equipment
  • Water heaters
  • Dehumidifiers

Not Accepted

  • Construction debris
  • Bricks, concrete, cement blocks
  • Dirt, rocks, gravel, sod
  • Hazardous materials (paint, chemicals, oil)
  • Automotive parts
  • Business/commercial waste
  • Yard waste during non-seasonal periods

Call (414) 286-CITY (2489) or use the MKE Mobile Action app to schedule bulk pickup. Place items at curb or alley collection point. For items under 1 cubic yard, service is free. Residents can also drop off bulky items at Drop Off Centers for no charge.

Recycling Program

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

Accepted Materials

  • Paper: Newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, office paper, file folders, paperback books, phone books
  • Cardboard: Corrugated cardboard (flattened), cereal boxes, shoe boxes, paper towel rolls, tissue boxes
  • Plastics: Bottles and containers with recycling symbols #1 and #2 (water bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles, shampoo bottles)
  • Glass: Bottles and jars (all colors - clear, green, brown), rinsed clean
  • Metal: Aluminum cans, foil, pie tins, tin cans, steel cans, empty aerosol cans
  • Beverage cartons: Milk cartons, juice boxes, soy milk cartons, broth cartons
  • Mixed paper: Greeting cards, wrapping paper (non-foil)
  • Paper bags

Not Accepted

  • Plastic bags and film (return to retail stores)
  • Styrofoam and foam packaging (all types)
  • Plastics #3, #4, #6, #7
  • Plastic containers without recycling numbers
  • Wax-coated or foil-lined paper
  • Tissue paper
  • Drinking glasses and Pyrex
  • Ceramics and china
  • Window glass and mirrors
  • Light bulbs
  • Clothes and textiles
  • Diapers and feminine hygiene products
  • Food waste
  • Pizza boxes (greasy)
  • Paper towels and napkins
  • Shredded paper
  • Plastic hangers
  • Garden hoses
  • Christmas lights
  • Electronics

All recyclables go together in the blue cart - no sorting required. Do NOT bag recyclables; they must be loose in the cart. Rinse containers to remove food residue. Flatten cardboard boxes. Cart should be placed at curb or alley by 7:00 AM on collection day (collection between 7 AM - 6 PM). Keep lids on containers. Recycling is collected by City of Milwaukee crews. Recycling and garbage may not be collected on the same day of the week due to independent routing.

Holiday Schedule

Milwaukee observes 6 major holidays with NO garbage or recycling collection: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Collection is DELAYED by one day for the remainder of the week when a holiday falls on your regular collection day. For example, if your regular collection day is Tuesday and Monday is a holiday, your collection moves to Wednesday that week. Drop Off Centers are also closed on: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday (Saturday open), Juneteenth, Thanksgiving Friday, Christmas Eve. Check city.milwaukee.gov/sanitation for holiday schedule updates.

Important Information

Milwaukee DPW Sanitation Division serves approximately 190,000 households with 1-4 dwelling units in the City of Milwaukee. Collection is Monday-Friday. To find your specific collection day, use the address lookup tool at city.milwaukee.gov/sanitation/GarbageRecyclingSchedules or call (414) 286-CITY (2489). The MKE Mobile Action app allows residents to report issues, schedule bulk pickups, and get collection information. Garbage carts (green) and recycling carts (blue) are provided by the city. Place carts at collection point (curb or alley) by 7:00 AM on collection day. Collection can occur anytime between 7 AM and 6 PM. Buildings with more than 4 units must arrange private collection. Solid waste fees are collected through the Municipal Services Bill and fund approximately 70% of collection costs, with the remainder covered by property taxes.