Waukesha, WI Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 13.055(7)(b) is explicit: only Solid Waste and Recyclables may be placed in their respective Carts and Containers, and it separately prohibits placement of Solid Waste in Recyclables Carts or Containers, or Recyclables in Solid Waste Carts or Containers. In practice, that means a resident cannot use an overflow Recyclables Cart for household trash, or vice versa, even temporarily.

What counts as a Recyclable is not left to guesswork: Section 13.055(1)(g) defines Recyclables as household waste accepted by the Waukesha County recycling program and listed in the current Waukesha County recycling guidelines, so the county's published list, not a resident's own judgment, controls what belongs in the Recyclables Cart. Solid Waste is defined by exclusion in subsection (1)(i): household waste that is not recyclable, not yard waste, and not barred from Wisconsin landfills.

The Department of Public Works enforces the collection system, and subsection (7)(a) reinforces the same boundary from the other direction, providing that materials not placed in the appropriate Cart or Container simply will not be collected at all, leaving contaminated or misdirected material at the curb.