New Berlin, WI Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Recycling center dumping
- Residents only, § 220-8 C
- Vehicle limit
- 3/4-ton truck or trailer max
- Tree limit
- Over 12-inch diameter not accepted
- Scavenging ban
- Curbside recyclables, § 220-7
- Penalty basis
- Chapter 1 § 1-18 forfeiture
Summary
New Berlin bars anyone from dumping unauthorized waste at a City-operated recycling center and limits it to City residents using vehicles no larger than three-quarter-ton capacity, under City Code § 220-8. A separate provision, § 220-7, bans scavenging recyclables that residents have already set out for collection.
Sec. 220-7. - Scavenging prohibited. Recyclables placed at the curb in recycling containers for collection shall remain the property of the householder until such time as the garbage contractor or its authorized agent shall take possession of the recyclables. No person unauthorized by the householder or recycling collector shall collect or cause to be collected any such items. ... Sec. 220-8. - Unauthorized dumping at City-operated recycling center. A.No person shall dump or permit to be dumped any unauthorized waste materials, at any time, at a City-operated recycling center. Only authorized persons shall be permitted to dump yard waste or recyclable materials at a City-operated recycling center as provided for in this article. Authorized yard waste and recyclable materials may only be dumped at a City-operated recycling center during the hours the recycling center is in operation and only in such locations as the materials are permitted to be placed.B.No person driving a truck larger than three-quarters ton or pulling a trailer larger than three-quarters ton capacity shall dump yard waste or limbs of trees at a City-operated recycling center. In addition, no trees greater than 12 inches in diameter or tree stumps will be accepted at the recycling center.C.Only City residents shall be authorized to dump authorized waste materials, yard waste or recyclables at a City-operated recycling center. Evidence of residency acceptable to the City shall be provided upon request.
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
Section 220-8 A prohibits dumping or permitting the dumping of any unauthorized waste materials at any time at a City-operated recycling center, limiting authorized use to yard waste or recyclable materials dumped only during the center's operating hours and only in the locations where such material is permitted to be placed. Section 220-8 B adds vehicle and material limits: no one driving a truck larger than three-quarters of a ton, or pulling a trailer of that size, may dump yard waste or tree limbs there, and trees over 12 inches in diameter or tree stumps are not accepted at all.
Section 220-8 C restricts use of the center to City residents, who must provide acceptable evidence of residency on request, closing it off to dumping by non-residents or commercial haulers. Section 220-7 addresses a related but separate problem: recyclables placed at the curb in recycling containers remain the householder's property until the garbage contractor or its authorized agent takes possession, and no person other than the householder or the recycling collector may collect or cause to be collected those items, which bars scavengers from picking through curbside recycling before pickup.
Violations & Fines
Unauthorized dumping at the City-operated recycling center under § 220-8, oversized vehicles or non-resident use there, and scavenging curbside recyclables under § 220-7 are all violations of Chapter 220. Section 220-23 subjects any violation of the chapter to the penalty set by the Chapter 1, § 1-18 forfeiture schedule, with each instance treated as its own offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can anyone use New Berlin's recycling center?
What size vehicle can I use to drop off yard waste?
Can someone take recyclables I put out at the curb?
What is the penalty for illegal dumping in New Berlin?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Berlin
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Waukesha County handle illegal dumping.