Trash & Recycling in Burlington, WI (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Burlington, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Burlington's refuse ordinance sets the container, timing and placement rules for weekly trash pickup: garbage must go in 30-gallon cans or plastic bags weighing no more than 60 pounds, set at the curb or alley within 12 hours of collection and within five feet of the road by 7:00 a.m., per City Code § 265-3.
Burlington, WI Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code § 265-3A(1)(a), (3)
Only plastic bags and standard garbage cans with a maximum volume of 30 gallons may be used for refuse. The maximum weight of any full refuse container shall be 60 pounds. ... No containers shall be placed at curbside or, if picked up in the alley, at the alley's edge prior to 12 hours of collection day, and containers shall be removed within 12 hours after collection. The collection of solid w...
Bin Placement Rules
Burlington limits refuse to plastic bags or standard garbage cans of 30 gallons or less, capped at 60 pounds full, kept in an accessible spot clear of snow and obstacles. Carts cannot reach the curb or alley more than 12 hours before pickup and must come back in within 12 hours after, positioned within five feet of the road by 7:00 a.m.
Burlington Garbage Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code §§ 265-3A(1), (3) and 315-51C(1)(c)
Only plastic bags and standard garbage cans with a maximum volume of 30 gallons may be used for refuse. The maximum weight of any full refuse container shall be 60 pounds. ... All containers are to be kept in areas of easy accessibility, with a path to the containers to be kept clear of snow, cars and other obstacles. ... Collection times. No containers shall be placed at curbside or, if picked...
Bulk Item Disposal
Burlington collects major appliances, tires and bulky furniture or building materials at the curb under City Code § 265-3A(4), but each category has its own rule: appliances need advance arrangement, tires are picked up for a fee, and building materials must fit in a 60-pound can or be cut to size.
Burlington, WI Bulk Item Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code § 265-3A(4)(a)-(c)
(a) Major appliances. Major appliances, including appliances containing Freon, reasonably generated at the residence will be collected on a reasonable basis. Such pickup requires special handling by the collection contractor, and prior arrangements for collection must be made by the resident through the office of the collection contractor. ... (b) Tires. Tires will be collected curbside pursuan...
Recycling Requirements
City Code Chapter 265, Article III requires every occupant of a single-family home, two- to four-unit residence, multi-family building, or business in Burlington to pull fifteen categories of recyclable material out of the regular trash, from lead acid batteries and major appliances to glass, newspaper, and rigid plastic containers, before it reaches curbside collection or a City compost site.
Burlington, WI Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code § 265-11
Occupants of single-family and two- to four-unit residences, multiple-family dwellings and nonresidential facilities and properties shall separate the following materials from postconsumer waste: A. Lead acid batteries. B. Major appliances. C. Waste oil. D. Yard waste. E. Aluminum containers. F. Bimetal containers. G. Corrugated paper or other container board. H. Foam polystyrene packaging. I. ...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
When one of six recognized holidays falls in a collection week, Burlington delays that week's trash and recycling pickup by one day under City Code § 265-3A(2), so a Monday holiday pushes Monday's route to Tuesday, and every later route in that week slides a day too.
Burlington, WI Holiday Trash Delay Rule
Light RestrictionsBurlington City Code § 265-3A(2)
Collection dates. Dates for collection will be assigned to each residence or established by the Common Council and will be on a regular schedule except in weeks with a holiday. The observed holidays are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. The rule for holidays is that collection normally occurring on the above holidays will be delayed ...
Illegal Dumping
Burlington bans dumping litter, trash, debris or garbage on any public or private property outside a lawful container under City Code § 200-2. The Department of Public Works enforces the rule, and violators face the citywide forfeiture schedule in § 1-4 for every day the dumped material remains.
Burlington, WI Illegal Dumping Rules
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code § 200-2A, § 200-9
No person shall throw, discard, place or deposit litter in any manner or amount on any public or private property within the corporate limits of the City except in containers or areas lawfully provided therefor. ... Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as provided in Chapter 1, § 1-4 of this Munici...
Yard Waste Collection
City Code § 265-4 bars mixing leaves, grass or brush into regular curbside garbage and instead routes yard waste to the City's compost sites, a fall leaf collection, or curbside brush set out no earlier than three days before its scheduled pickup.
Burlington, WI Yard Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code § 265-4B(1), (3), C(1), (3)
Prohibited yard waste disposal. No person shall: (1) Mix or permit the mixing of yard waste with solid waste for City curbside garbage collection or place or permit the placing of yard waste out for City curbside garbage collection. ... (3) Deposit grass clippings, garden debris, stumps, roots or shrubs with intact root balls in or upon any public street or waterway in the City of Burlington. ....
Dumpster Rules
Placing a dumpster, roll-off container, or construction vehicle in a Burlington street or right-of-way requires a Department of Public Works permit under City Code § 274-15. Seasonal placement is barred outright from November 15 through March 15, and limited to three continuous weeks the rest of the year.
Burlington, WI Dumpster & Roll-Off Right-of-Way Permit
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code § 274-15C
No person may place a dumpster, container or similar removable storage container, or any construction vehicle, on or in the public right-of-way without a permit from the Department of Public Works (DPW); or allow a dumpster, container or similar removable storage container, or a construction vehicle, to remain on or in the public right-of-way between November 15 and March 15. No person may allo...
Collection Schedule
Burlington City Code requires weekly curbside refuse collection for every residential dwelling of four units or fewer. Containers must be set out by 7:00 a.m. on collection day and pulled back within 12 hours after pickup, with service running 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Burlington, WI Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code § 265-3A
All refuse shall be collected from every residential dwelling of four units or fewer at least once per week. ... Only plastic bags and standard garbage cans with a maximum volume of 30 gallons may be used for refuse. The maximum weight of any full refuse container shall be 60 pounds. ... Dates for collection will be assigned to each residence or established by the Common Council and will be on ...
Recycling Rules
Beyond simply separating recyclables, Burlington's ordinance tells residents exactly how to prep each material for pickup, rinsed and sorted under City Code § 265-15, and bans putting anything already separated for recycling back into the trash or a burn facility under § 265-18.
Burlington, WI Recycling Preparation Rules
Some RestrictionsBurlington City Code §§ 265-15A, E, 265-18A
Except as otherwise directed by the City of Burlington, occupants of single-family and two- to four-unit residences shall do the following for the preparation and collection of the separated materials specified in § 265-11E through O: A. Aluminum containers shall be rinsed free of product residue and placed in the designated recycling bin for curbside or alley collection. ... E. Glass container...
Looking for Racine County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Burlington city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Racine County →