Madison, WI Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Curbside placement window
- no more than 12 hours before pickup day
- Cart removal deadline
- 24 hrs after collection; 12 hrs if hauler collects weekly+
- Who's served
- small residential & some small commercial properties only
- Not served by City
- must contract with a private waste hauler
- Enforcing office
- Streets Division Manager, City of Madison
- First-offense forfeiture
- $50–$200, rising to $250–$500 by third offense
Summary
Madison's Streets Division runs curbside trash and recycling collection under MGO § 10.18(3) for eligible small residential and some small commercial properties; everyone else must hire a private hauler. Carts may go out no more than 12 hours before the scheduled pickup day and must come off the terrace within 24 hours after collection, or 12 hours if a private hauler collects more than weekly.
(3)Trash and Recycling Collection.(a)Collections.1.The Streets Division provides curbside trash and recycling collection services for certain City properties pursuant to adopted City policies, primarily serving small residential properties as well as some small commercial properties.2.Properties not served by the City must arrange for trash and recycling collections with private waste haulers.(c)Curbside Placement. Except when authorized by the Streets Division Manager or other City policy, trash and recycling shall not be deposited upon the terrace of any street more than twelve (12) hours before either the date designated by the Streets Division Manager for trash and recycling collection in the district in which said premises are located for City collections or the date designated by private haulers for private collections.(d)Cart Removal. No owner or operator shall allow a trash or recycling cart to remain on the terrace of the street in front of their premises for more than twenty-four (24) hours after the date designated by the Streets Division Manager for collection.
Full Breakdown
18(3), the Streets Division provides curbside trash and recycling pickup for certain City properties under adopted City policies: primarily small residential parcels and some small commercial properties. Properties the City doesn't serve must arrange collection with a private waste hauler, which sets its own schedule; the City's own collection day is set by the Streets Division Manager and kept as uniform as possible within each district. Placement is time-limited: trash and recycling carts cannot be set on the street terrace more than 12 hours before the designated collection date, and an owner or operator cannot let a cart sit on the terrace for more than 24 hours after that date.
If a private hauler collects more often than weekly, the cart limit tightens to 12 consecutive hours. 05(2)(cc). Solid waste may not be dumped in a gutter (unless a culvert keeps water flowing) or left on a sidewalk, crosswalk or roadway except briefly for pickup, and anyone who deposits waste in the street is liable for resulting damage. 18(5).
Violations & Fines
Violating any requirement of § 10.18, including the curbside placement and cart-removal timing in Subsection (3), carries a forfeiture of $50–$200 for a first offense within 12 months, $100–$300 for a second, and $250–$500 for the third and any later offense in that period; each day of violation is a separate offense. Dumping in a gutter or blocking a sidewalk with carts can trigger these forfeitures plus liability for resulting street damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before pickup can I put my recycling cart at the curb in Madison?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle recycling requirements.