Trash & Recycling in Waukesha County, WI (2026)
7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Waukesha County Code Sec. 14-264(c)-(e) sets the mechanics behind pickup once collection is mandated: haulers must report tonnage twice a year, private haulers serving unincorporated towns must still pick up the county's designated recyclables, and everything collected must go to a county-approved drop-off site.
Recycling Hauler Reporting Rules in Waukesha County
Some RestrictionsWaukesha County Code § 14-264(c)-(e)
(c) Member municipalities shall require that haulers provide reports of solid waste and recyclables collected, at a minimum of two (2) times each year, to the member municipality and to Waukesha County. (d) Haulers providing private solid waste collection service directly to residents, multiple- family dwellings and non-residential facilities and properties shall provide for the collection of m...
Bin Placement Rules
Waukesha County Code requires multi-family owners to supply enough recycling containers, meeting a 20-gallon-per-week-per-unit standard or a 2:1 trash-to-recycling ratio, and separately bars anyone from taking recyclables off a curb or bin without permission once they are set out for pickup.
Recycling Container and Curb Rules in Waukesha County
Some RestrictionsWaukesha County Code §§ 14-265(a)(1), 14-268(b)
(a) Owners of multiple-family dwellings shall do all of the following to cause the materials specified in Section 14-260(5) through (15) to be recycled: 1. Provide adequate, separate containers for the recycling program established in compliance with the ordinance. The number of recycling containers shall equal or be greater than the number of trash containers and at least one of the following ...
Recycling Requirements
State law, not just county ordinance, bans landfilling, burning or converting into fuel eleven everyday recyclables statewide, including aluminum cans, glass, newspaper, office paper and plastic containers. Wis. Stat. § 287.07(4) has applied in Waukesha County's towns since January 1, 1995, backing up the county's own curbside program.
Curbside Recyclables Landfill Ban in Waukesha County
Some RestrictionsWis. Stat. § 287.07(4)
Beginning on January 1, 1995, no person may dispose of in a solid waste disposal facility, convert into fuel, or burn at a solid waste treatment facility in this state any of the following: (a) An aluminum container. (b) Corrugated paper or other container board. (c) Foam polystyrene packaging. (d) A glass container. (f) A magazine or other material printed on similar paper. (g) A newspaper or ...
Illegal Dumping
Wisconsin's littering statute, Wis. Stat. 287.81, bars dumping solid waste anywhere in Waukesha County's unincorporated towns, on a highway, in any waters of the state, on ice, or on any public or private property, with a forfeiture up to $500, and up to $1,000 for dumping a "large item" such as an appliance, tire or piece of furniture.
Illegal Dumping Penalties in Waukesha County, WI
Significant RestrictionsWis. Stat. § 287.81(2), (2m), (3)
287.81 Littering. (2) Except as provided in sub. (3), a person who does any of the following may be required to forfeit not more than $500: (a) Deposits or discharges any solid waste on or along any highway, in any waters of the state, on the ice of any waters of the state or on any other public or private property. (b) Permits any solid waste to be thrown from a vehicle operated by the person....
Yard Waste Collection
Waukesha County bars landfilling or burning yard waste without energy recovery, matching the statewide ban in Wis. Stat. § 287.07. Section 14-263(4) instead steers leaves, grass clippings, garden debris and brush under six inches in diameter toward compost facilities, municipal drop-off sites, or a resident's own backyard pile.
Yard Waste Disposal Rules in Waukesha County
Some RestrictionsWaukesha County Code § 14-263(4)
Yard waste shall not be landfilled or burned without energy recovery in a solid waste facility, in accordance with section 287.07, Wisconsin Statutes except as authorized by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources at a licensed wood-burning facility. Yard waste may be delivered to a compost facility, municipal collection site, or managed through home composting, or source reduction or oth...
Collection Schedule
Waukesha County Code Sec. 14-264 requires each member municipality, meaning a town for which the county is the state-designated "responsible unit" under Wis. Stat. 287.09(1), to either collect designated recyclables itself or make its licensed hauler collect them from every single-family home and two-to-four-unit residence, separate from any trash pickup.
Recycling Collection Mandate in Waukesha County Towns
Some RestrictionsWaukesha County Code § 14-264(a)-(b)
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), and unless otherwise directed in writing by Waukesha County or unless granted a variance by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, a member municipality shall: 1. Collect materials listed in section 14-260(5) through (15) from single-family residences and two- to four-unit residences, and do so in a manner consistent with this article; or 2. Req...
Recycling Rules
Waukesha County requires occupants of single-family homes, two-to-four unit residences, multifamily buildings and non-residential properties to separate fifteen categories of recyclables, from lead-acid batteries to newspaper, from their trash. Section 14-260 lists the exact materials, and the county administers the program as the state-designated responsible unit.
Mandatory Recycling Separation in Waukesha County
Some RestrictionsWaukesha County Code § 14-260
Separation requirements. Occupants of single-family residences, two (2) to four (4) unit residences, multiple-family dwellings and non-residential facilities and properties shall separate the following materials from postconsumer waste for recycling: 1. Lead acid batteries; 2. Major appliances; 3. Waste oil; 4. Yard waste; 5. Aluminum containers; 6. Bi-metal containers; 7. Corrugated paper or o...
Trash & Recycling by City in Waukesha County
1 cities in Waukesha County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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