Burlington, WI Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Materials to separate
- 15 categories, including glass, paper, appliances, batteries, tires
- Multi-family minimum
- 20 gallons of recycling space per unit per week
- Tenant notice
- In writing at move-in and at least semiannually
- State authority
- Wis. Stat. § 287.09(3)(b)
- First-offense forfeiture
- $5 to $500 plus costs of prosecution
Summary
City Code Chapter 265, Article III requires every occupant of a single-family home, two- to four-unit residence, multi-family building, or business in Burlington to pull fifteen categories of recyclable material out of the regular trash, from lead acid batteries and major appliances to glass, newspaper, and rigid plastic containers, before it reaches curbside collection or a City compost site.
Occupants of single-family and two- to four-unit residences, multiple-family dwellings and nonresidential facilities and properties shall separate the following materials from postconsumer waste: A. Lead acid batteries. B. Major appliances. C. Waste oil. D. Yard waste. E. Aluminum containers. F. Bimetal containers. G. Corrugated paper or other container board. H. Foam polystyrene packaging. I. Glass containers. J. Magazines. K. Newspaper. L. Office paper. M. Rigid plastic containers made of PETE, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, and other resins or multiple resins. N. Steel containers. O. Waste tires.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4997580; v29 updated 2026-07-07; through 07-07-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 265-11 lists exactly what must be separated from postconsumer waste: lead acid batteries, major appliances, waste oil, yard waste, aluminum containers, bimetal containers, corrugated paper or other container board, foam polystyrene packaging, glass containers, magazines, newspaper, office paper, rigid plastic containers made of PETE, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS or other resins, steel containers, and waste tires. The article is adopted under Wis. 09(3)(b) and administered by the Common Council under § 265-10, applying to every person within the City under § 265-9. Section 265-13 requires separated materials to stay clean and free of contaminants such as food or product residue, oil, grease, household hazardous waste, medical waste, and agricultural chemical containers, and to be stored protected from wind and rain.
Owners or agents of multiple-family dwellings must, under § 265-16, provide recycling containers whose volume equals or exceeds their trash containers, hitting at least a 20-gallon-per-unit-per-week minimum or a 2:1 trash-to-recycling ratio, and must notify tenants of the program in writing at move-in and at least semiannually. Nonresidential facilities carry the identical semiannual notice and adequate-container duty under § 265-17. 11(2m), Wis. 14, Wis. Admin. Code.
Violations & Fines
City inspectors and authorized representatives may inspect recycling bins, waste intended for disposal, and collection vehicles under § 265-19, and no one may refuse access or obstruct an inspection. Anyone who disposes of a separated recyclable in the trash or burns it violates § 265-18 and, like any other violation of this article, faces the Chapter 1, § 1-4 penalty schedule: a forfeiture of $5 to $500 for a first offense and $10 to $1,000 for a repeat offense within a year, plus costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What materials must I recycle in Burlington?
Do apartment buildings have extra recycling duties?
Is there an exception if my waste is already sorted elsewhere?
What happens if I throw recyclables in the garbage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Burlington
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