Trash & Recycling in Middleton, WI (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for Middleton, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Middleton limits how long residents can leave collection carts at the curb: no more than twelve hours before pickup and no more than twelve hours after, under Municipal Code § 6.04(7)(d). Leaving carts out longer violates the chapter's prohibited-practices list and can draw a forfeiture.
Middleton Trash Cart Curbside Timing
Some RestrictionsCity of Middleton Municipal Code § 6.04(7)(d)
No person shall: ... (d)Place collection carts at the curb more than twelve (12) hours prior to the scheduled collection day. Carts must be removed from the public right-of-way within twelve (12) hours after collection.
Bulk Item Disposal
Middleton residents cannot mix tires, major appliances and other bulk items in with regular curbside trash. Municipal Code § 6.04(4)(b)5 requires households to arrange separate collection through the Public Works Committee's procedures, and violators of the chapter's waste rules face a forfeiture of $25 to $500 per offense.
Middleton Bulk Item Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsCity of Middleton Municipal Code § 6.04(2), (4)(b)5
"Bulk Item" means trash that is too large to fit into designated trash collection containers. Examples include furniture and appliances. ... "Major Appliance" means an air conditioner, clothes dryer, clothes washer, dishwasher, microwave oven, oven, refrigerator, freezer, stove, water heater, furnace, boiler or de-humidifier. ... 5.Arrange for separate collection of tires, bulk items and major-...
Recycling Requirements
Middleton requires every person who generates waste in the city to separate recyclables from trash and use the city's curbside carts or a private hauler under Municipal Code § 6.04. The Common Council adopted the program to conserve county and state landfill capacity, and violators face a forfeiture of $25 to $500 per offense, doubled for hazardous waste.
Middleton, WI Mandatory Recycling Rules
Some RestrictionsCity of Middleton Municipal Code § 6.04(1), (4)(a), (9)(a)
The Common Council finds participation in an integrated waste reduction and mandatory recycling program appropriate in this jurisdiction to conserve available landfill capacity. ... All persons generating waste within the City shall be required to separate recyclable materials from all other solid waste and shall be additionally required to ensure proper collection and disposal of solid waste i...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping waste of any kind on someone else's property in Middleton without the owner's or lessee's permission violates Municipal Code § 6.04(7)(c), and a related nuisance section, § 6.06, separately bans depositing garbage or refuse on any street, sidewalk or waterway. Both carry real forfeitures per offense.
Middleton Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsCity of Middleton Municipal Code § 6.04(7)(c), (9)(a)
No person shall: ... (c)Deposit any waste of any kind whatsoever in or on the property of others without the permission of the owner or lessee of said property. ... Any person who violates any provision of this Section or any regulations promulgated pursuant to this Section shall forfeit upon conviction thereof not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500....
Yard Waste Collection
Homeowners bundling their own brush for city pickup must stack it separately with the cut ends facing the street, but Middleton bars landscapers and tree services from leaving job-site brush or yard waste at the curb at all. Municipal Code § 6.04 defines brush and sets both rules together.
Middleton Yard Waste Curbside Rules
Some RestrictionsCity of Middleton Municipal Code § 6.04(2), (4)(b)6, (7)(l)
"Brush" means tree and shrub trimmings not exceeding six (6) inches in diameter. ... 6.Stack all brush separate from other material placed curbside for collection. Butt ends of brush shall be pointed toward the street or in the direction of vehicular travel. ... No person shall: ... (l)Place or permit to be placed any brush or other yard waste generated by professional landscapers, tree-trimmer...
Dumpster Rules
Multi-family, commercial, institutional and industrial dumpsters in Middleton must sit inside a six-foot enclosure with a solid, building-matched exterior and an opaque gate, and cannot be placed between a building and the public street unless no other location works.
Dumpster Placement Rules in Middleton, WI
Some RestrictionsCity of Middleton Municipal Code § 10.06.21(5)
(5)Exterior Storage of Refuse(a)Refuse or Recycling Enclosures1.For multi-family, institutional, commercial, mixed-use buildings, and industrial uses, all trash storage areas are recommended within the building, but if such use is located on the exterior of the building, trash storage areas shall be located within an enclosure at least six (6) feet in height that completely screens the view of ...
Collection Schedule
Middleton requires every household to use City curbside carts for trash and recycling, mandates separation of recyclables from trash, and sets a hard cutoff of 6:00 AM for putting carts at the curb, under Municipal Code Section 6.04. Carts cannot go out more than twelve hours before collection or stay out more than twelve hours after.
Trash and Recycling Collection Rules in Middleton
Some RestrictionsCity of Middleton Municipal Code § 6.04(3)-(4)
(3)City Collection Service All persons within the City using City-provided curbside collection carts are eligible to receive collection service from the City or the City's contracted collection provider. ... 1.Place all recyclables and other solid waste materials in City-approved containers at curb side, or at other City designated collection points, no later than 6:00 AM on the day of collection.
Looking for Dane County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Middleton city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Dane County →