August Moving Days: Daily Cart Emptying in Student Move Area

Starting on Monday August 4, 2025 residents in the downtown moving days area can place trash and recycling collection carts out for daily pickup during the work week.  This will last until August 22, 2025.  This only applies in the student move out area.

If you live in the student move out area, and if you are moving out of your apartment in the days ahead, use this opportunity to fill and re-fill your collection carts again and again.

Using carts, and using them right, will keep our city clean and it will make the move out collection process faster and safer for everyone.

Here's How the Daily Cart Emptying Will Work

The plan is for trash and recycling crews to finish their daily assignments, and they will then perform extra collections in the move out area.

As more carts and items are placed out for pickup, more staff will be reassigned from their normal duties to assist with collection duties in the student move out area.

The goal is to provide daily workday collection opportunities in the student move out area starting on Monday, August 4, 2025 and ending this extra service on Friday, August 22, 2025.

Guidelines for Trash Collection

• Put trash inside the tan refuse cart.
• Place trash that cannot fit in the carts into trash bags.
• Do not pile trash loose on the ground.
• Do not put trash in cardboard boxes.
  • Your cardboard boxes must be recycled. Use bags for your extra trash. 

Guidelines for Recycling Collection

• Place only right recyclables into the green cart.
• Do not place clothes, bedding, electronics, or other problem items  into the green recycling cart.
• Keep the recycling lid closed when out for collection.
• Extra recyclables at the curb should be placed into clear bags.
  • The bags must be clear, otherwise they will be considered trash.
• Do not pile recyclables loose on the ground.
• Flatten and bundle cardboard boxes for recycling – including pizza boxes. 
  • Do not stuff cardboard boxes inside a larger box.
• Keep your recycling separated from the trash. 

Basic Cart Guidelines

• Keep your carts away from obstructions so they can be safely lifted and emptied.
• Keep trash and recycling carts separated from each other.
• Leave the collection carts at the property. Do not take them. The carts belong to the City and must remain for the new tenants.

Drop-off Sites

Residents that have more recycling or trash than can fit into the carts can bring the excess to a Streets Division drop-off site.

Residents can bring one load a day of refuse, recycling, large items, or the other items accepted at the drop-off site.

The single load cannot be larger than what would fit into a standard pick-up truck bed or small single-axle trailer. Loads larger than those guidelines will be denied access.

Learn the locations, hours, and restrictions of the drop-off sites on the drop-off site website.

Additional Information

If there are questions, all residents are encouraged to contact the Streets Division.

Residents who live east of S. Park Street, and that includes the isthmus, should call 608-246-4532.

Residents west of S. Park Street, and that includes the neighborhoods around Camp Randall, should call 608-266-4681.

Additional information can also be found on the Streets Division’s Moving Days website, the Streets Division’s electronics recycling website.