Waukesha County, WI Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Waukesha County Code § 14-264(c)-(e)
- Hauler reporting frequency
- At least 2 times per year
- Recipient of reports
- Municipality and Waukesha County
- Drop-off requirement
- County-approved site only (Sec. 14-264(e))
- First violation forfeiture
- $50 minimum, up to $500 repeat
Summary
Waukesha County Code Sec. 14-264(c)-(e) sets the mechanics behind pickup once collection is mandated: haulers must report tonnage twice a year, private haulers serving unincorporated towns must still pick up the county's designated recyclables, and everything collected must go to a county-approved drop-off site.
(c) Member municipalities shall require that haulers provide reports of solid waste and recyclables collected, at a minimum of two (2) times each year, to the member municipality and to Waukesha County. (d) Haulers providing private solid waste collection service directly to residents, multiple- family dwellings and non-residential facilities and properties shall provide for the collection of materials listed under section 14-260(5) through (15), unless otherwise directed in writing by Waukesha County or granted a variance by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (e) Unless otherwise directed in writing by Waukesha County, recyclable materials collected in member municipalities under Subsections (a), (b) and (d) above shall be delivered to a drop off site approved by Waukesha County.
Full Breakdown
These pickup mechanics sit in the same recycling article as the collection mandate (Sec. 14-264), Article IV, Division 1 of Chapter 14, but govern how the material moves rather than who must offer service. Sec. 14-264(c) requires member municipalities to make haulers report solid waste and recyclables collected "at a minimum of two (2) times each year" to both the municipality and Waukesha County, giving the county the tonnage data it uses to track the program under Wis. Stat. 11. Sec. 14-264(d) extends the pickup duty past municipal contracts: any hauler running private solid waste collection directly to residents, multiple-family dwellings or non-residential properties must also pick up the Sec.
14-260(5) through (15) recyclables, unless the county has directed otherwise in writing or the DNR has granted a variance. Sec. 14-264(e) then fixes the destination: everything collected under subsections (a), (b) and (d) "shall be delivered to a drop off site approved by Waukesha County," so a hauler cannot simply co-mingle recyclables with landfill-bound trash after pickup. Sec. 14-262 adds a handling rule that runs alongside pickup: separated materials must stay "clean and kept free of contaminants such as food or product residue, oil or grease" and be shielded from wind and rain until they are actually set out.
Violations & Fines
A hauler or municipality that skips the semi-annual reporting, fails to service private accounts, or routes recyclables to an unapproved facility violates Article IV, Division 1 the same as any other breach: Sec. 14-269(d) sets a forfeiture of at least $50 for a first offense, at least $100 for a second, and up to $500 for each later one, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, on top of Waukesha County's inspection and citation authority under Sec. 14-269(a)-(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must haulers tell the county how much they collected?
Does a private trash hauler I hire myself have to take recyclables too?
Where does the picked-up material actually have to go?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukesha County
Compare Waukesha County to another location·View the Wisconsin trash & recycling overview
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