Middleton, WI Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 6.04(4)(a) mandatory separation
- City carts issued
- 1 recycling + 1 trash cart per household
- Set-out deadline
- 6:00 a.m. on collection day
- Landlord duty
- Notify tenants at move-in and annually
- Penalty
- $25-$500 forfeiture, doubled for hazardous waste
- Fee
- Billed on real estate tax bill, § 3.12
Summary
Middleton requires every person who generates waste in the city to separate recyclables from trash and use the city's curbside carts or a private hauler under Municipal Code § 6.04. The Common Council adopted the program to conserve county and state landfill capacity, and violators face a forfeiture of $25 to $500 per offense, doubled for hazardous waste.
The Common Council finds participation in an integrated waste reduction and mandatory recycling program appropriate in this jurisdiction to conserve available landfill capacity. ... All persons generating waste within the City shall be required to separate recyclable materials from all other solid waste and shall be additionally required to ensure proper collection and disposal of solid waste in accordance with this Section and any other applicable state, federal or county law by use of City collection services or private collection service. ... Any person who violates any provision of this Section or any regulations promulgated pursuant to this Section shall forfeit upon conviction thereof not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each separate offense.
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
04(1) to conserve landfill capacity and participate in Dane County and Wisconsin state recycling efforts. 04(3). 04(4)(a), every waste generator in the city must separate recyclable material from other solid waste and arrange for proper collection, whether through the city's contracted hauler or a private service. 04(4)(b)1-4. 04(6)(a): they must notify every tenant of the city, county and state recycling requirements at move-in and again every year, and owners of commercial and industrial buildings owe the same notice to employees and customers. 04(10). The Common Council last amended the whole waste chapter by Ordinance No. O1666 on November 18, 2025.
Violations & Fines
Mixing recyclables into trash containers or trash into recycling containers, or otherwise failing to separate waste, is punishable under § 6.04(9)(a) by a forfeiture of not less than $25 nor more than $500 for each separate offense. Every forfeiture doubles if the violation involves hazardous waste, and each day a violation continues counts as a new, separate offense, so a landlord who never sends the annual recycling notice keeps accruing exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory for Middleton residents?
What happens if I put recyclables in the trash cart?
Do landlords have to tell tenants about recycling?
Is there a separate fee for recycling collection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middleton
Compare Middleton to another location·View the Wisconsin trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle recycling requirements.