Trash & Recycling in Portage County, WI (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Portage County, Wisconsin.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Unincorporated Portage County has no curbside trash pickup: residents and haulers bring solid waste to the county transfer facility instead. Portage County Code § 4.7.14 limits drop-off to posted operating hours set by the Solid Waste Director, and § 4.7.16 requires every vehicle hauling waste to the facility to carry a secure load and obey posted traffic signs.
Transfer Facility Hours & Vehicle Rules
Some RestrictionsPortage County Code §§ 4.7.14, 4.7.16
No person shall deposit solid waste material at the county transfer facility except during the hours established and posted or as adjusted from time to time by the Solid Waste Director to accommodate emergencies, holidays, or other unusual circumstances. ... Any person operating a motor vehicle at the transfer facility shall obey all traffic signs posted at the transfer facility. All vehicles a...
Recycling Requirements
Portage County Code § 4.8.2 requires everyone in the unincorporated county, from single-family homes to nonresidential properties, to separate materials like newspaper, glass, aluminum, rigid plastics, tires, major appliances, electronics and yard waste from their trash under Wis. Admin. Code NR 544.06(2)(a).
Mandatory Recycling Separation Rules
Some RestrictionsPortage County Code § 4.8.2
(1)Pursuant to Wis. Admin. ... Code NR 544.06(2)(a), all persons in Portage County, including those listed below, are subject to the separation of recyclable materials from postconsumer waste. ... (2)All persons identified above shall separate the following materials from postconsumer waste keep them clean and free from contaminants; stored in a manner which protects them from wind, rain, and o...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid waste anywhere in unincorporated Portage County besides a DNR-licensed disposal site is unlawful under Portage County Code § 4.7.19, and § 4.7.20 separately bans dumping garbage or refuse on any road, right-of-way, or public or private land in the county.
Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsPortage County Code §§ 4.7.19, 4.7.20
It is unlawful for any person to dump or otherwise dispose of any solid waste upon any street, valley, highway, land, stream or waters within the County except at sites operated in compliance with Wisconsin DNR regulations. ... It shall be a violation of this section for any person, firm or corporation to dispose of, dump, or bury garbage, yard waste or refuse, upon any road, right-of-way, or u...
Yard Waste Collection
Portage County Code § 4.7.7(27) defines yard waste as leaves, grass clippings, and woody debris no more than six inches thick, bans it from the county transfer facility under § 4.7.10 absent an exemption, and lists it as a required recyclable material under § 4.8.2.
Yard Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsPortage County Code §§ 4.7.7(27), 4.7.21
(27)Yard waste means material specified in Wis. Stats. § 287.01(17) as may be amended from time to time including leaves, grass clippings, yard and garden debris and brush, including clean woody vegetative material no greater than six inches in diameter. This term does not include invasive plant species, stumps, roots or shrubs with intact root balls. ... Dumping, burying, or disposal of un-bag...
Recycling Rules
Portage County Code § 4.8.7 makes it 'prohibited for anyone to scavenge or steal any recyclable materials' set out for collection in the county, and once those materials are delivered to the county recycling facility they become county property, backed by the § 4.8.9 forfeiture schedule.
Recycling Program Public Rules
Some RestrictionsPortage County Code §§ 4.8.7, 4.8.5(1)(d)
It is prohibited for anyone to scavenge or steal any recyclable materials from another person. Prior to collection, the recyclable materials shall be the property of the owner or occupant of the property where the recyclable materials are deposited. Recyclable materials deposited for collection within a responsible unit of Portage County shall be the property of the Portage County upon delivery...
All Portage County ordinances
See every category we cover for Portage County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Portage County Ordinance Hub →