Wauwatosa, WI Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cart spacing
- At least 3 feet from carts and obstacles
- Earliest set-out
- 2:30 p.m. the day before collection
- Cart must be removed by
- 8:00 a.m. the day after collection
- Backyard service pathway
- 36 inches wide, kept clear
- Overfilled carts
- Not collected if lid can't close
Summary
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.
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 collection of refuse shall be kept in the following listed places: At a single location outside of a dwelling or building (and not in a garage) readily accessible and convenient to city forces collecting same, but not on a public roadway, alley, or public sidewalk. Refuse containers shall not be located where they constitute a nuisance or a hazard to health. ... Curbside or Alley Collection. Refuse carts placed out for curbside or alley pickup shall be located in the area between the sidewalk and curb and as near the street curb or edge of alley as practical. ... All refuse carts shall be at least three feet from all other carts and at least three feet from any other object, such as a tree, mailbox, sign post, fence, utility pole or parked vehicle.
Full Breakdown
060 requires that, absent backyard collection service, refuse containers sit at a single location outside a dwelling or building, and not in a garage, that is readily accessible to city collection crews but never on a public roadway, alley or sidewalk; the board of public works can order a container relocated if it becomes a nuisance or health hazard. On collection day, carts placed for curbside or alley pickup must sit between the sidewalk and the curb, as close to the curb or alley edge as practical and preferably near an existing driveway approach, spaced at least three feet from other carts and at least three feet from any tree, mailbox, sign post, fence, utility pole or parked vehicle, with the lid opening facing the street or alley.
Residents who subscribe to backyard collection service instead must keep a clear, unobstructed thirty-six-inch pathway, free of snow, ice and other obstructions such as parked vehicles, from the roadway or alley to the on-premise storage site on every collection day. the following day. Items placed outside the cart, or carts overfilled so the lid cannot close, will not be collected.
Violations & Fines
Access for city crews must be kept clear and free of snow or ice on collection day under all conditions; failing to maintain the required backyard pathway, blocking cart placement, or leaving containers out past the removal deadline are enforced under the general citation authority in § 8.24.120, and carts left where they constitute a nuisance or health hazard can be ordered relocated by the board of public works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I put my refuse cart in Wauwatosa?
How early can I put my cart out for collection in Wauwatosa?
Can I keep my refuse cart in the garage in Wauwatosa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wauwatosa
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