Wausau, WI Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Drop-off site
- 105 E. Chellis Street
- Curbside pickup
- Fee-based, arranged with collector
- Vehicle sticker
- Free, 2 per residential unit
- Site access
- Posted hours only
- Separation violation
- $50 to $2,000 forfeiture
- Composting
- Allowed on your own property
Summary
Wausau residents must take yard waste to the City's Chellis Street drop-off site or pay the collector for curbside pickup; it cannot go out mixed with regular trash or recycling carts. Municipal Code Sections 6.44.030(d) and 6.44.060(d) set the separation and disposal duty, and a free windshield sticker is required to use the site.
(d)Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in this chapter, every occupant of a residential unit is required to separate yard waste from recyclables and residential solid waste that is placed for collection at curbside by the City or collector. All yard waste so separated shall be deposited at the City's designated yard waste collection site or composted or otherwise disposed of by the owner of the property. No yard waste shall be mixed with any residential solid waste or recyclables which are placed for collection at curbside by the City or its collector. ... (d)Yard waste shall be dropped off at the City's yard waste site located at 105 E. Chellis Street or arrange curbside pickup with the collector for a fee.
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
030(d); mixed carts will not be collected. Separated yard waste goes to the City's designated site at 105 E. Chellis Street, gets composted, or is otherwise disposed of by the property owner. 060(d) lets residents instead arrange curbside yard waste pickup directly with the collector for a fee, since the City's regular cart service does not cover it. Access to the Chellis Street site requires a vehicle sticker, issued free by the City upon proof of residency and limited to two per residential unit, which must be adhered to the upper driver-side corner of the windshield to be accepted at the gate. 010(a). 080(d). 020(c).
Violations & Fines
Violating the separation and disposal duty in Section 6.44.030, including the yard waste rules in subsection (d), carries an escalating forfeiture under Section 6.44.140(c)(1): $50.00 for a first violation, $200.00 for a second, and up to $2,000.00 for a third or subsequent violation. Dumping yard waste on streets, alleys, parks or vacant lots, or depositing it at the Chellis Street site outside posted hours, falls under Section 6.44.080 and draws a forfeiture of not less than $10.00 nor more than $1,000.00 under Section 6.44.140(c)(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put yard waste in my regular trash cart?
Do I need a permit to use the Chellis Street site?
Can I drop off yard waste any time of day?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wausau
Compare Wausau 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.
Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Marathon County handle yard waste collection.