Middleton, WI Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 6.04(4)(b)5 separate bulk collection
- Covers
- Tires, bulk items, major appliances
- Scheduling
- Arranged via Public Works Committee procedures
- Banned at curb
- Stumps, logs, tree roots, § 6.04(7)(k)
- Penalty
- $25-$500 forfeiture per offense
Summary
Middleton residents cannot mix tires, major appliances and other bulk items in with regular curbside trash. Municipal Code § 6.04(4)(b)5 requires households to arrange separate collection through the Public Works Committee's procedures, and violators of the chapter's waste rules face a forfeiture of $25 to $500 per offense.
"Bulk Item" means trash that is too large to fit into designated trash collection containers. Examples include furniture and appliances. ... "Major Appliance" means an air conditioner, clothes dryer, clothes washer, dishwasher, microwave oven, oven, refrigerator, freezer, stove, water heater, furnace, boiler or de-humidifier. ... 5.Arrange for separate collection of tires, bulk items and major-appliances according to procedures established by the Public Works Committee. Tires and major appliances will not be collected with other regularly collected solid waste.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
04(2), a 'Bulk Item' is defined as trash too large for the standard collection containers, such as furniture, while a 'Major Appliance' covers air conditioners, clothes dryers and washers, dishwashers, microwave ovens, ovens, refrigerators, freezers, stoves, water heaters, furnaces, boilers and dehumidifiers. 04(4)(b)5 requires anyone using the city's curbside program to arrange separate collection of tires, bulk items and major appliances according to procedures the Public Works Committee establishes, and it specifically bars mixing tires or major appliances into the regular weekly solid waste pickup.
Residents typically schedule this separate pickup through the Public Works Department rather than simply setting the item at the curb with the regular cart. 04(7)(k) adds a related curbside prohibition: no person may place or permit stumps, logs or tree roots at the curb for collection, since those items fall outside the standard bulk pickup as well. 04(8)(d), in addition to the chapter's ordinary forfeitures.
Violations & Fines
Placing tires, major appliances, stumps, logs or tree roots at the curb with regular trash or recyclables, instead of arranging the separate collection this section requires, is a violation of § 6.04 punishable under § 6.04(9)(a) by a forfeiture of $25 to $500 for each offense, doubled if hazardous materials such as refrigerant or lead-acid batteries are involved, with every continuing day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put an old refrigerator out with my regular trash cart in Middleton?
What counts as a bulk item under the city's waste code?
Can I leave a tree stump at the curb for pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middleton
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Bulk Item Disposal in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle bulk item disposal.