Trash & Recycling in Wauwatosa, WI (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Wauwatosa's refuse carts must sit between the sidewalk and curb, at least three feet from other carts, trees, mailboxes or parked vehicles, with the lid facing the street or alley, under § 8.24.060. Carts can go out no earlier than 2:30 p.m. the day before pickup and must come back in by 8:00 a.m. the day after, under § 8.24.050.
Wauwatosa Refuse Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code §§ 8.24.050, 8.24.060
The placing out of combined refuse for curbside or alley collection by city forces, shall be by seven a.m. on the scheduled day of collection, but not sooner than two-thirty p.m. on the day prior to collection including Saturdays and Sundays. The refuse containers shall be removed from the curb side or alley prior to eight a.m. on the day following collection service. ... Containers for the col...
Bulk Item Disposal
Large items like furniture, lumber and household equipment need a scheduled special pickup and a per-item fee in Wauwatosa; residents must call the sanitation division before setting them out, and lumber, carpeting and similar bulky items must be cut to four-foot lengths and bundled under fifty pounds under § 8.24.070. Brush and yard waste carry their own weight and bundling limits under § 8.25.130.
Wauwatosa Bulky Item and Brush Collection
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code §§ 8.24.070, 8.25.130
Bulky Items. Large bulky items such as discarded furniture, lumber, household equipment, and so forth, which exceed size and weight limitations, or are not otherwise permitted as a part of the regular weekly domestic waste collection and recycling programs shall be collected and disposed of by the city for a special charge to the resident as provided for in subsection (E) of this section or sec...
Recycling Requirements
Wauwatosa's curbside recycling cart is picked up every other week, year round, by fully automated truck, capped at 200 pounds per cart. Municipal Code Section 8.25.170 sets the collection mechanics; noncompliance with the program draws a $50 fine the first time and $100 after that.
Wauwatosa Curbside Recycling Program Requirements
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code §§ 8.25.170, 8.25.250
Separated recyclables prepared according to Section 8.25.160 above shall be placed in the recycling cart for fully automated curbside collection. Provisions which govern curbside collection of recyclables include the following. Only recyclables in the recycling cart shall be picked up for curbside collection year round, every other week according to schedules published by the city. Recycling ca...
Illegal Dumping
Wauwatosa flatly bans public dumping grounds within the city and declares any such site a nuisance under § 8.24.080. The code separately prohibits depositing malodorous or combustible waste material anywhere in the city (§ 8.24.090) and scattering loose paper or rags that can blow in the wind (§ 8.24.100), both also declared public nuisances.
Wauwatosa Illegal Dumping Prohibition
Heavy RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code §§ 8.24.080, 8.24.090, 8.24.100
Public dumping grounds are prohibited within the limits of the city of Wauwatosa. A "public dumping ground" for the purpose hereof is defined to be a place where refuse, rubbish, ashes or garbage might be deposited or dumped by the public or by any municipal corporation. Such public dumping ground is a nuisance. ... The placing or causing to be placed or deposited or maintained upon any private...
Yard Waste Collection
During curbside season, Wauwatosa collects leaves and brush in marked reusable containers or paper yard waste bags, capped at 200 pounds per city cart or 50 pounds per bag, with bundled branches under four feet and under 50 pounds. Grass clippings are never collected; Section 8.25.130 sets the rules.
Wauwatosa Yard Waste and Brush Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 8.25.130
During curbside collection season (schedule can be found on the City's website and newsletter), leaves and brush (excluding grass clippings, root balls, vegetables, stumps, or branches over six inches in diameter) must be separated from other household garbage, and are collected according to published schedules with the following requirements: Resident-supplied reusable containers must be used ...
Dumpster Rules
Wauwatosa bars trash dumpsters, compactors and loading areas at large-format retail sites, 50,000+ square feet, from sitting within 20 feet of a public street or sidewalk. They must also be screened so they stay out of view from adjacent properties.
Wauwatosa Large Retail Dumpster Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code § 24.09.090
The large-format retail development regulations of this section apply to individual freestanding buildings and group developments with a cumulative gross floor area of 50,000 square feet or more of retail sales area, including all structures and outdoor sales areas within the development and regardless of diverse lotting, use or tenancy. ... No area for outdoor storage, trash collection or comp...
Collection Schedule
Wauwatosa collects domestic solid waste weekly through its public works operations division, but only if it is prepared and stored the way § 8.24.020 requires; commercial and institutional waste is not handled by the city at all and must go through a private licensed hauler. Residents choose curbside/alley cart service or a fee-based backyard pickup option under § 8.24.030.
Wauwatosa Weekly Solid Waste Collection
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code §§ 8.24.020, 8.24.030
Domestic solid waste shall be collected and disposed of on a weekly basis by the public works operations division if prepared and stored in the manner prescribed in Section 8.24.030 or in Chapter 8.25. Commercial/institutional solid waste is not collected or handled by the city and must be managed properly through a service agreement between the commercial/institutional entity and a licensed wa...
Recycling Rules
Every household and business in Wauwatosa must separate fifteen categories of recyclables, from yard materials and scrap tires to aluminum cans and rigid plastics, out of the regular trash. Municipal Code Section 8.25.100 lists them; scavenging recyclables set out at the curb is a separate, penalized offense.
Wauwatosa Mandatory Recyclables Separation Rules
Some RestrictionsWauwatosa Municipal Code §§ 8.25.100, 8.25.180
Occupants of single-family and two- to four-unit residences, multiple-family dwellings and nonresidential facilities and properties shall separate for recycling the following materials from postconsumer waste. ... A. Yard materials; B. Major appliances; C. Waste oil; D. Lead acid and all other vehicle batteries; E. Scrap tires; F. Foam polystyrene packaging; G. Aluminum containers; H. Bi-metal ...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Wauwatosa city rules.
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