Wausau, WI Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard trash cart
- 65 gallons, provided free
- Standard recycling cart
- 95 gallons, provided free
- Damaged cart replacement fee
- $75.00 per cart
- Size-exchange fee
- $25.00, one per year after 90 days
- Cart ownership
- Remains collector's property
Summary
Every Wausau residential unit gets one 65-gallon trash cart and one 95-gallon recycling cart from the City's collector at no charge, but a damaged or lost cart costs $75 to replace, and swapping sizes carries its own fees and waiting periods.
(b)Residential units. Carts for the collection of residential solid waste and recyclables shall be provided to each residential unit by the City or collector. Each residential unit shall be provided one, 65 gallon (or the nearest equivalent depending upon the manufacturer) residential solid waste cart and one, 95 gallon (or the nearest equivalent depending upon the manufacturer) recyclables cart. Each owner and occupant of a residential unit shall properly use and safeguard carts and maintain and keep the carts in good condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted. The owner or occupant of a residential unit shall be charged $75.00 per cart for the replacement of any cart if replacement is required as a result of abuse, misuse, damage, fire or theft. All carts are the property of the collector and shall not be removed from the residential unit served by such carts.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
040(b) sets the baseline recycling and trash cart allotment: 'Carts for the collection of residential solid waste and recyclables shall be provided to each residential unit by the City or collector,' specifically one 65-gallon residential solid waste cart and one 95-gallon recyclables cart, or the nearest equivalent size depending on manufacturer. 00 per cart. All carts remain the collector's property and cannot be removed from the residential unit they were issued to serve. 00 annual fee. 040(d), with collection and cost for the extra cart billed directly by the collector at its posted rate schedule, available from the collector or the City Clerk. These cart-allotment rules were set by Ord. No. 61-6011, § 1, adopted March 24, 2026.
Violations & Fines
Section 6.44.040 sits outside the enhanced-penalty list in § 6.44.140(c)(1), so noncompliance, such as removing a cart from the unit it was issued to or refusing to pay a required replacement or exchange fee, falls under the chapter's general forfeiture in § 6.44.140(c)(2): not less than $10.00 nor more than $1,000.00 per violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the recycling cart Wausau provides?
What if I break or lose my Wausau trash cart?
Can I trade my cart for a different size right after moving in?
Do I own my trash and recycling carts in Wausau?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wausau
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Marathon County handle recycling requirements.