Milwaukee, Wisconsin resident guide
Milwaukee trash, recycling & bulk pickup
Find regular trash and recycling information alongside bulky-item schedules, set-out rules, accepted items, and holiday changes.
Official source links checked on August 27, 2026.
Regular household service
Trash and recycling service
Start here for the recurring household collections residents use most often.
Milwaukee garbage follows the address collection schedule and may vary seasonally.
Use Milwaukee's collection-day lookup for curbside recycling dates and cart rules.
Need it gone before the city service?
Compare independent pickup when the local date is too far away or an item is excluded.
Start here
How Milwaukee service works
A pile of one cubic yard or less can go at the regular collection point on the normal day. For more than one cubic yard, request a special pickup online or call 414-286-CITY.
City rules at a glance
Local limits before set-out
Milwaukee Sanitation collects up to one cubic yard of eligible bulky material with regular service and charges for larger special pickups.
A pile of one cubic yard or less can go at the regular collection point on the normal day. For more than one cubic yard, request a special pickup online or call 414-286-CITY.
One cubic yard is included; current special-pickup charges are $75 for 1–4 cubic yards and $225 for 4–6 cubic yards.
Use the normal collection point and schedule larger piles before set-out. Follow the city's cart and winter-access guidance.
Local detail that matters
What makes Milwaukee service different
Milwaukee's free amount is measured by pile volume, not item count. One recliner-sized pile may be included, while a room cleanout can trigger a special-pickup fee.
Item guidance
What may go in the bulky-item pile
Accepted examples
Broken furniture, mattresses, large toys, and other qualifying household bulky items.
Not accepted
Electronics, televisions, appliances, tires, yard waste, and construction debris; use a city drop-off center or separate paid program.
Holiday collectionMilwaukee publishes no-collection city holidaysPublished 2026 dates confirmed
Milwaukee does not collect garbage or recycling on the listed city holidays. The address schedule shows the adjusted date after each closure, and winter operations can cause additional delays.
No city collection
The address-specific schedule provides the adjusted collection date.
- New Year’s Day — Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Monday, January 19
- Good Friday — Friday, April 3
- Memorial Day — Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth — Friday, June 19
- Independence Day observed — Friday, July 3
- Labor Day — Monday, September 7
- Thanksgiving — Thursday and Friday, November 26–27
- Christmas — Thursday and Friday, December 24–25
Common questions
Milwaukee collection FAQ
Do I need to schedule one small Milwaukee bulky item?
Not when the total is one cubic yard or less and otherwise eligible; it can go at the regular collection point on the normal day.
Will Milwaukee collect a television curbside?
No. Electronics and televisions must go to an appropriate city drop-off or recycling option.
Sources used for this guide
Official supporting information
TrashDayFinder used these public sources to prepare the resident guidance above. They were checked on August 27, 2026 and are provided here as evidence.
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