Milwaukee Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling & Bulk 2026

⏰ Set-Out Rules — All Milwaukee Addresses

• Place carts at the collection point by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day. Your collection point is either the curb line or the alley line — determined by your address. Confirm yours in the schedule lookup or call 414-286-CITY.
• Do not set carts out before 6:00 p.m. the evening before your collection day.
• Return both carts to proper storage by 10:00 p.m. on your collection day. Leaving carts at the collection point overnight is a City ordinance violation.
• Leave at least 3 feet of clearance between carts, and between carts and any mailboxes, cars, trees, utility poles, or other obstacles.
• Keep a clear path to carts — free from snow, ice, and any other obstruction. Inaccessible carts will be skipped. This is especially important November through March.
• ASL (Automated Side Loader) trucks serve some Milwaukee addresses. If your cart is collected by an ASL truck: the lid must open toward the street or alley, and the handle must be closest to your home. Check your schedule lookup to see if ASL service applies to your address.

✅ Tier 1: Up to 1 Cubic Yard — No Appointment, No Fee

On every regular garbage collection day, Milwaukee residents may place up to 1 cubic yard of bulk items at the collection point alongside their brown garbage cart — no appointment needed and no fee. One cubic yard is roughly the size of a standard washing machine or a small armchair. Items must be placed at the curb or alley line (same as your regular carts) by 7:00 a.m.

📦 Tier 2: Over 1 Cubic Yard or Special Items — Prepaid Stickers Required

For bulk items that exceed 1 cubic yard, or for the specific item types listed below, a prepaid disposal sticker is required. Stickers can be purchased at Milwaukee City Hall and other authorized locations. The fee varies by item type. Call 414-286-CITY (2489) for current sticker prices and locations.

• Mattresses and box springs — prepaid sticker required per item. Must be tagged before placement at the collection point.
• Large appliances (washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, AC units) — prepaid sticker required. Refrigerators and freezers must have doors removed or secured open.
• Electronics (TVs, computers, monitors) — prepaid sticker required for curbside, OR take to a Drop-Off Center (fee applies for TVs).
• Items over 1 cubic yard — contact DPW at 414-286-2489 to schedule and pay for special pickup.

📅 2026 Project Clean & Green — Key Dates & Rules

• First zone starts: April 21, 2026. The program runs zone-by-zone each week through late spring.
• Your specific zone date will be available in mid-March 2026 in the official schedule lookup at city.milwaukee.gov/sanitation/schedules. Look up your address and scroll down to see your Clean & Green date.
• Service is on your regular garbage collection day of the week for your zone. Residents should have items at their regular collection point (curb or alley line) by 7:00 a.m. of their assigned Project Clean & Green day.
• In most cases, everything will be picked up on garbage collection day. Allow through the following business day for all items to be collected — crews may need extra time for large volumes.
• Maximum: 6 cubic yards per dwelling unit (roughly the size of a large moving van load).
• For any yard waste included in Clean & Green: must be in brown paper yard waste bags (available at area hardware and garden stores). This is the only City-sponsored curbside collection of yard waste bags all year.
• Items must be placed along the area between the sidewalk and curb (not in the street), on the lawn edge if there is no sidewalk, or at the end of the driveway. For alley collection: place at the alley line.
• Available for 1–4 dwelling unit residences serviced by the City of Milwaukee only.

🌿 Brush Collection Rules

• Submit a brush collection request online at city.milwaukee.gov/sanitation or call 414-286-2489. Crews will schedule pickup within a reasonable time after your request.
• Place brush at the curb or alley line between the sidewalk and curb (not in the street).
• Maximum 2 cubic yards per request (approximately the size of a couch or small sofa).
• Branches must be no longer than 4 feet and no larger than 6 inches in diameter. Larger stumps or logs are not accepted.
• Brush collection is only available April through November. During winter months, woody debris must wait for the following spring or be dropped off at a Drop-Off Center (free with basic recyclables).

🍂 Yard Waste Bags — Project Clean & Green Only

Curbside collection of yard waste bags (grass clippings, leaves, garden trimmings in paper bags) is provided only during your assigned Project Clean & Green week. This is the only City-sponsored opportunity for bag yard waste pickup at the curb during the year. Outside of Clean & Green week, yard waste in bags must be taken to a Drop-Off Center.

Always use brown paper yard waste bags (available at area hardware and garden stores). Plastic bags, even biodegradable ones, are not accepted for yard waste.

🔌 What’s Accepted & Pricing

• Normal recyclables and scrap metal: FREE regardless of volume (cardboard, paper, glass, cans, rigid plastics, metals)
• Yard waste, brush, and wood: fees apply by load size (determined by staff at entry)
• Bulk furniture and household items: fees apply by load size
• Televisions: fee charged per unit regardless of cubic yard size — TVs have a separate per-item fee
• Tires: currently FREE (fee waived as of most recent update, limit 5 tires per visit)
• Wood chips from City Forestry pruning operations: available at no cost at each location (availability not guaranteed)

The payment booth accepts cash, debit, and all major credit cards. Load sizes are approximated by staff and are non-negotiable. Staff may deny access based on load type, vehicle type, or conduct.

📍 MMSD Home Hazmat — How to Find Sites & Events

All sites and events are available to Milwaukee County residents. Visit mmsd.com/home-hazmat-collection for:

• Current permanent site addresses and hours
• Full 2026 1-day event schedule (events throughout spring and fall)
• Complete accepted materials list
• Drive-thru format: stay in your vehicle; place items in trunk or near hatchback

🏠 New to Milwaukee or Just Moved In?

Use the official schedule lookup at city.milwaukee.gov/sanitation/schedules to find your garbage day, recycling week (A or B), and whether your collection point is the curb or alley. Sign up for Sanitation Notifications (through a city.milwaukee.gov account) to receive an automatic alert the day before each collection. Both carts should already be at your address — call 414-286-2489 if missing. Note: Project Clean & Green zone dates are not released until mid-March each year.

⛄️ Milwaukee Winter — Snow, Ice & Collection

• Milwaukee averages over 45 inches of snow per year. Collection was suspended citywide on March 16, 2026 due to snow and ice control operations.
• Keep a shoveled path from your home to your collection point. Carts blocked by snow or ice will be skipped — this is not considered a missed pickup by the City.
• Remove snow and ice from the top and around your carts on collection days. Carts frozen to the ground may be skipped.
• During winter, recycling collection may be temporarily suspended or delayed. Always check the schedule lookup for your updated next recycling date.

🚫 5 Mistakes Milwaukee Residents Make

• Setting carts out before 6:00 p.m. the prior evening — City ordinance violation; carts must not appear before the permitted time
• Leaving carts at the collection point after 10:00 p.m. on collection day — another ordinance violation
• Placing a mattress or appliance curbside without a prepaid disposal sticker — item will be left and may result in a violation notice
• Putting recyclables in bags inside the blue cart — bags jam equipment; loose only
• Not checking their Project Clean & Green date in mid-March — zone dates are only available then, and missing your week means waiting until next year