Wausau, WI Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

The City of Wausau Public Works page for fall leaf pick up says citywide leaf collection is scheduled to begin Monday, October 12, 2026, and points residents to the leaf collection map for their neighborhood's pickup date. West City Limits to S 48th Av and Sylvan St to Brown St are Oct 12 - Oct 16. E Wausau Av to Hamilton St and Northwest City Limits to Randolph St/Merrill Av are Oct 19 - Oct 23. McIntosh St to Townline Rd and Bridge St to Strowbridge St are Oct 26 - Oct 30. W Thomas St to Lake Wausau and Weston Av to Townline Rd are Nov 2 - Nov 6. The last week on the map is Nov 2 - Nov 6, and the city page prints no separate end date for curbside collection.

Two timing rules come straight from the Public Works page: do not rake leaves into the gutter until the weekend before your scheduled pickup, and do not rake leaves into the street after your scheduled pickup has occurred. The page gives the reason as helping crews collect leaves efficiently and prevent clogged streets. Collection dates can change depending on weather conditions, and if collection progresses faster than the schedule, crews return during your scheduled week. The leaf page prints no bag or container rule, no leaf blower rule and no fee for the curbside leaf collection.

Section 6.44.080(a) bars anyone from raking, depositing, throwing, placing or leaving yard waste on a street or other public way, and 6.44.080(d) carves out materials properly set out for City authorized annual collections, naming fall leaf pickup. The yard waste page says the same thing: except for fall leaf pickup, do not rake grass or other yard waste into the street, because it causes problems with the City's storm sewer system. Leaves are yard waste under 6.44.010, which defines it as solely vegetative matter such as leaves, grass clippings, yard and garden debris and brush, with clean woody material no greater than six inches in diameter.

Separately from the leaf program, 6.44.030(d) requires every occupant of a residential unit to separate yard waste from the carts of recyclables and residential solid waste. Paid curbside yard waste is a service requested from the collector under 6.44.060(d); the city page names Harter's Fox Valley Disposal, 1-888-804-8556, April through October, in a 95 gallon cart with no plastic bags.