De Pere, WI Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Section 82-4(a)(1) sets the mechanics of putting garbage and recyclable polycarts out for city pickup. Each polycart must be placed within three feet of the curb with its directional arrow pointing toward the street where curb access is available; on parcels served by an alley, or in designated downtown areas, collection instead happens at the alley line or beside the sidewalk with the street superintendent's consent. Polycarts must sit at least four feet from each other and from any other object, and residents cannot place them in front of parked cars.

Winter brings a separate rule: polycarts must go in the driveway apron or on ground next to the curb that has been shoveled clear of snow, and they cannot be set on top of a snowbank. If the street superintendent decides collection would work better by letting owners use other accessible spots, that placement requirement can be waived by the city on a case-by-case basis. Subsection (f) adds that once solid waste is placed for collection, it is deemed abandoned and becomes city property.

These placement rules sit alongside the storage rules in section 82-3, which require polycarts to be screened from view along the front of a residence between the side property lines when no garage or enclosure is available, using bushes, fences or another visually blocking device kept in good repair. Section 82-10(b) enforces the whole chapter, including placement violations, through municipal citation with the forfeiture set by common council resolution and each 24-hour period of noncompliance treated as its own offense.