Trash & Recycling in Ashwaubenon, WI

If you live in Ashwaubenon or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Ashwaubenon has 9 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Illegal Dumping

Ashwaubenon bans throwing, depositing or dumping glass, refuse, tires, grass clippings, construction waste or any other litter on streets, alleys, parks, private property or waterways within the Village. It also bars using someone else's dumpster without permission and putting nonrecyclables into a recycling center.

Key details: Governing section: Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 9-1-10. Materials named: glass, tires, yard waste, cement-truck waste. Locations covered: streets, parks, private property, waterways. Dumpster rule: no using another's dumpster without permission. General penalty range: $1 to $5,000 forfeiture, first offense.

Section 9-1-10 does not set its own fine amount, so a violation is penalized under the Municipal Code's general penalty, Section 1-1-13: a forfeiture of not less than $1 nor more than $5,000 for a first offense plus costs of prosecution, with jail time in default of payment capped at 90 days, and increased exposure for a second offense of the same ordinance within one year. Each day a dumped condition continues can be charged as a separate offense.

Dumpster Rules

Any Village-permitted construction job in Ashwaubenon must keep a dumpster or other suitable container on site at all times to contain debris. Letting litter or building debris create a nuisance is a separate violation, and the building inspector can revoke the permit until the contractor complies.

Key details: Governing section: Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 5-1-372(A). Requirement: Dumpster or suitable method on site. First-offense forfeiture: $50.00 plus costs. Second-offense forfeiture: $100.00 plus costs. Repeat-violation consequence: 6-month permit hold after 3 violations.

Sec. 5-1-374 sets escalating consequences specific to this article: a contractor, permit holder or owner convicted of a violation faces a forfeiture of not less than $50.00 plus costs for a first offense and not less than $100.00 plus costs for a second offense, and the building inspector may withhold building permits for six months from anyone convicted of three or more violations within a six-month period. The Village may also clean the site itself and charge the cost back, withholding the occupancy permit until the bill is paid, and the general contractor, permit holder and owner are jointly and severally liable, prosecuted in that order.

Yard Waste Collection

The Village of Ashwaubenon bans curbside pickup of grass clippings and vegetable vines from April through September; only leaves and grass are collected in October and November. Residents may instead drop off brush, grass clippings, leaves and garden waste at the village garage on Collaer Court, and raking yard waste into the street or gutter is illegal year-round.

Key details: Curbside pickup: Suspended April-September for clippings and vines. Dropoff site: Rear of village garage, Collaer Court. Items allowed: Brush, grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, unbagged. Landscapers: Barred from using the residential dropoff site. First-offense penalty: $1 to $5,000 forfeiture under § 1-1-13.

Ashwaubenon enforces yard-waste violations, like raking clippings into the street or a landscaper using the residential dropoff site, under the Municipal Code's general penalty, § 1-1-13: a first offense carries a forfeiture of $1 to $5,000 plus court costs, with up to 90 days in the county jail if unpaid. A repeat violation of the same section within one year raises the default jail exposure to six months. Citations are issued under Wis. Stat. § 66.0113.

Collection Schedule

The Village of Ashwaubenon's Department of Public Works collects residential and commercial solid waste once a week at no charge, using a standard 65- or 95-gallon rollout container the village provides. Service runs under Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 18-2-25 for every residential property that keeps waste properly stored and set out under the operations superintendent's published rules.

Key details: Frequency: Once per week, no charge. Container size: 65- or 95-gallon rollout, village-issued. Enforcing office: Operations superintendent, Dept. of Public Works. Excluded materials: Hazardous waste, tires, electronics, batteries. Recycling cycle: Separate, once every two weeks.

Failing to keep waste properly handled, contained or stored for pickup under § 18-2-25 exposes an owner or occupant to the Municipal Code's general penalty, § 1-1-13: a forfeiture of $1 to $5,000 plus prosecution costs for a first offense, with jail exposure on nonpayment rising from 90 days to six months for a repeat violation within a year. Citations follow Wis. Stat. § 66.0113.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Ashwaubenon requires solid waste to be set out at the curbline, not in the alley or on private property, and rear-yard pickup is allowed only with prior approval from the village street operations supervisor for a documented physical disability. Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 18-2-36 spells out exactly where residents may place waste for collection.

Key details: Placement: Curbline only, never in the alley. Private property: No collection made on private property. Rear pickup: Requires supervisor approval, disability hardship only. Variance: None without operations superintendent's approval. Commercial enclosures: Required since June 30, 2005.

Waste placed in an alley, on private property, or at a back door without supervisor approval is a code violation enforced under Ashwaubenon's general penalty, § 1-1-13. A first offense carries a forfeiture of $1 to $5,000 plus prosecution costs, and a repeat placement violation within a year raises the default jail term from 90 days to six months if the forfeiture goes unpaid.

Bin Placement Rules

Ashwaubenon issues every household a village-owned 65- or 95-gallon rollout cart under Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 18-2-34, and § 18-2-36 fixes when it can sit at the curb and where it must go the rest of the week: out by 7 a.m. on pickup day, and never stored in the front yard between collections.

Key details: Cart size: 65- or 95-gallon village-owned rollout. Cost: One-time charge billed to property owner. Set-out window: 7 a.m., max 12 hours before/after. Front-yard storage: Prohibited between collection days. Commercial enclosures: Required since June 30, 2005.

A defective cart left unreplaced, or waste set out earlier than 12 hours before pickup or stored in the front yard between collections, is enforced as a general Municipal Code violation under § 1-1-13: forfeiture of $1 to $5,000 plus costs on a first offense, with jail exposure on nonpayment rising from 90 days to six months for a repeat violation within a year.

Bulk Item Disposal

Ashwaubenon collects up to one cubic yard of bulky waste, furniture, mattresses and building debris free during the third full week of every month; anything larger, or bulk items set out outside that week, is billed under a fee schedule that starts at $100. Brush must be cut under eight feet before it goes to the curb.

Key details: Free bulk week: Third full week of every month. Free allowance: Up to one cubic yard. Overage fee: $100 minimum, up to $200 for 9-16 cy. Brush length: Must be cut under eight feet. Unpaid charges: Become a property tax lien after 30 days.

Bulk waste billing isn't optional: § 18-2-37 gives the village 30 days from the billing date to collect a bulk, brush or additional-pickup charge before it becomes a lien on the property under Wis. Stat. § 66.0627, added to that year's taxes with interest. Placing prohibited bulky material at the curb outside the designated week can also draw a citation under the Code's general penalty, § 1-1-13.

Recycling Requirements

Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 18-2-27 makes curbside recycling mandatory for every residential property of up to four dwelling units once it's served by a recycling route. The Department of Public Works collects one village-issued 65- or 95-gallon cart every two weeks, at no charge, as long as recyclables are properly separated and set three feet from the trash cart.

Key details: Participation: Mandatory once a route serves the property. Frequency: Once every two weeks, no charge. Container: 65- or 95-gallon, village-issued. Placement: Three feet from trash containers. Coverage: Residential properties up to four units.

Because curbside recycling is mandatory once a route serves a property, failing to separate or set out recyclables under § 18-2-27 is enforced under the Municipal Code's general penalty, § 1-1-13: forfeiture of $1 to $5,000 plus prosecution costs for a first offense, and up to six months' default jail time, up from 90 days, for a repeat violation within a year.

Recycling Rules

Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 18-3-11 requires every occupant, single-family, multi-family and commercial alike, to pull fifteen categories of material out of the trash: batteries, appliances, waste oil, yard waste, glass, metal cans, cardboard, foam packaging, magazines, newspaper, office paper and rigid plastics. Section 18-3-12 exempts only a few narrow cases, like waste sent to a licensed recovery facility.

Key details: Adopted: Ordinance O4-4-26, April 28, 2026. Categories: 15 materials, batteries to waste tires. Applies to: All residential and non-residential occupants. Main exemption: Waste sent to DNR-licensed recovery facility. Handling standard: Kept clean, dry, free of contaminants.

Mixing a listed recyclable, batteries, appliances, waste oil, yard waste, glass, cans, paper or rigid plastics, into the regular trash instead of separating it under § 18-3-11 is enforced under the Code's general penalty, § 1-1-13: a forfeiture of $1 to $5,000 plus costs for a first offense, with a repeat violation within a year raising default jail exposure from 90 days to six months.

The Bottom Line

Ashwaubenon's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Ashwaubenon is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Ashwaubenon's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.