Madison, WI Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must comply
- all residential, multi-family, commercial and industrial generators
- Multi-family container rule
- recycling volume ≥ trash volume or 20 gal/unit/week
- Tenant notice
- written notice at move-in and at least semi-annually
- No mixing
- recyclables can't be placed in trash containers
- First-offense forfeiture
- $50–$200, rising to $250–$500 by third offense
Summary
Madison General Ordinances § 10.18(5) requires everyone who disposes of recyclable materials in the city, single-family owners, multi-family landlords, and commercial, retail, governmental and industrial operators alike, to separate items like aluminum and steel containers, glass, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, office paper and plastic containers from trash before they hit the curb or a drop-off site.
(c)Recyclable Materials. Every person disposing of recyclable materials in the City shall separate such items from all other solid waste materials, shall recycle such separated items as provided in this Subsection and pursuant to State law, and shall not place such separated items in containers for disposal with trash.1.City Customers. For persons served by regular City solid waste collection, except for waste oil, lead acid batteries, appliances, electronic waste, and barrels and drum containers, recyclable materials shall be separated and placed at the curb or brought to a City drop-off site in accordance with the rules, procedures and schedules specified by the Streets Division Manager, or such recyclable items may be disposed of by such persons in any other lawful manner. No person shall mix or permit the mixing of said recyclable materials with other solid waste in violation of such City rules, procedures or schedules.
Full Breakdown
18(5)(a) applies the separation mandate to every person, business and government operation disposing of solid waste in the City, and the City enforces it under Wis. Admin. 06(2)(e) through inspections, education programs and citations. Owners or agents of multi-family dwellings must supply separate recycling containers whose volume equals or exceeds their trash-container volume, meeting at least a 20-gallon-per-unit-per-week standard, a 2:1 trash-to-recycling ratio, or an equivalent method that avoids overflow, and must notify tenants in writing at move-in and again at least semi-annually about what materials are collected and how to prepare them.
Non-residential facilities and properties face the same separate-container and semi-annual notice duties toward tenants, employees, customers and guests. 18(5)(c), every person disposing of recyclables in Madison must separate them from trash, recycle them as the subsection and state law direct, and never mix them back into a trash container; City-served customers place separated recyclables at the curb or a drop-off site on the Streets Division Manager's schedule, while everyone else must arrange separation and recycling through a hauler or other lawful method. Recyclable materials are defined by cross-reference to Wis.
07(1m)-(4) and include lead-acid batteries, major appliances, waste oil, yard waste, waste tires, aluminum and steel containers, corrugated paper, foam polystyrene packaging, glass containers, newsprint and magazines, office paper, and plastic containers.
Violations & Fines
Violating the separation rules carries the same § 10.18(7) forfeiture ladder as the rest of the section, $50–$200 for a first offense in 12 months, $100–$300 for a second, and $250–$500 for a third or later offense, with each day counted separately. Anyone who violates the separation, yard-waste, large-item or electronic-waste provisions in Subsections (5)(c) through (5)(i) is also liable for the City's cost of removing, testing or separating the improperly discarded material.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Madison require landlords to provide recycling bins for tenants?
Can I put recyclables in with my regular trash in Madison?
What materials count as 'recyclable materials' under Madison's ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison
Compare Madison to another location·View the Wisconsin trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Recycling Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle recycling rules.