Kenosha, WI Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Free pickups
- 4 Special Pickups per year, per address
- Advance notice
- Prearranged at least 24 hours before pickup
- Appliance requirement
- Special Collection Sticker required for Major Appliances
- Placement
- Street right-of-way between sidewalk and curb
- Penalty
- $50-$500 forfeiture per violation plus costs
Summary
Large items that do not fit inside a Kenosha waste cart, like mattresses, appliances or furniture, go out only through a prearranged Special Pickup under Sec. 5.06(J). Each residential address gets four free Special Pickups a year, major appliances need a Special Collection Sticker, and everything must wait at curbside until pickup is scheduled.
Bulky Solid Waste means Waste and Recyclable Material that cannot be contained entirely within an Automated Cart, including, but not limited to, antennae, beds, bicycles, box springs, cabinets, chairs, couches, doors, dressers, fencing, grills, gutters, lawn mowers, Major Appliances, mattresses, pools, rugs, screens, sinks, stereos, swing sets, television components, tables, toilets, large toy sets, vacuum cleaners and windows. ... J.Bulky Solid Waste, Recyclable Material and Major Appliance Collection and Removal.1.Special Pickup. Bulky Solid Waste from residential buildings of four (4) or less units will be collected upon the party desiring the pickup prearranging with the Public Works Department for a Special Pickup.2.Number and Charge. There will be a limit of four (4) Special Pickups per year without charge. ... 3.Major Appliances. Effective March 1, 2004, Major Appliances must have a Special Collection Sticker attached prior to scheduling a Special Pickup.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11 Update 1 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
06 defines Bulky Solid Waste as any waste or recyclable material too large for an Automated Cart, listing examples like antennae, beds, bicycles, box springs, cabinets, chairs, couches, dressers, fencing, grills, lawn mowers, Major Appliances, mattresses, pools, sinks, stereos, swing sets, televisions, toilets and windows. Subsection J requires that Bulky Solid Waste from residential buildings of four units or fewer be collected only after the resident prearranges a Special Pickup with the Public Works Department. Each address gets four free Special Pickups per year; a fifth or later pickup in the same year carries an additional charge set by the Board of Public Works.
Major Appliances need a Special Collection Sticker before a Special Pickup can be scheduled, with the sticker fee also set by the Board of Public Works. Bulky items must be deposited in the same right-of-way area used for cart pickup, between the sidewalk and the curb, and it is unlawful to leave Bulky Solid Waste out for collection unless a Special Pickup was prearranged at least twenty-four hours in advance. Household Hazardous Waste and Biological Waste cannot go out with Bulky Solid Waste at all; those must go to the Kenosha Household Hazardous Waste Facility or another approved disposal site instead.
Recyclable Materials placed at the curb become City property, and it is a separate violation for anyone but the City or its agent to collect them.
Violations & Fines
Setting Bulky Solid Waste at the curb without a prearranged Special Pickup, or leaving it out more than 24 hours before the scheduled date, violates Section 5.06(J) and can draw a citation under Section 5.06(H), with a forfeiture of $50 to $500 per violation plus prosecution costs under Section 5.06(N). Scavenging Recyclable Materials from the curb before City collection is a separate offense, and each container taken counts as a distinct violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of an old couch in Kenosha?
Do I need a sticker to dispose of a refrigerator in Kenosha?
Can I just leave a mattress at the curb whenever I want in Kenosha?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kenosha
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