Appleton, WI Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Section 15-28(a) requires the City to provide owners of single-family premises with two polycarts, one for solid waste and one designated solely for the collection of recyclables, and makes clear that only City-issued polycarts and specially tagged bags are permitted containers for single-family solid waste, while recyclables shall only be disposed of in the designated polycart. Owners of multi-family premises face the same participation duty under Section 15-28(b), which requires suitable containers with capacity for a normal one-week accumulation of garbage, refuse and recycling for every unit in the building.

Collection frequency is set by Section 15-33(a): residential solid waste is collected once a week and recycling every two weeks, on a schedule the Director of Public Works establishes and publishes, and the section specifies that waste set out for collection must originate at the residence being serviced, so a resident cannot use a pickup slot to dispose of another property's waste. The Director of Public Works is authorized under Section 15-27 to adopt additional rules and regulations for refuse collection and storage as needed, the mechanism the city uses to publish the actual pickup-day map and holiday schedule referenced in Section 15-33(a).