Curbside Yardwaste and Brush Collection Begins April 1

News from the Streets Division on Yardwaste and Brush Collection starting on Monday:

On Monday, April 1, 2019 the Streets Division will begin curbside yard waste pickup for the spring.  There are two curbside collection opportunities during the spring pickup window.  After both collection opportunities occur, curbside yard waste collection will end until the autumn leaf collection season.

Residents who want to know when to place material to the curb for pickup are encouraged to visit the Streets Division’s yard waste website, www.cityofmadison.com/yardwaste, and click on Pickup Schedule. If your neighborhood is shaded green for “Pickup Pending,” you should get the yard waste to the curb for collection.

Once on the Pickup Schedule webpage, residents can enter their address in the “Find an Address” field in the top left corner of the site. This will zoom the map to their neighborhood and show their current collection status.

The Pickup Schedule is updated daily when curbside collection is active. Residents wishing to know the most current information regarding the whereabouts of crews and the collection status of their neighborhood should check the Pickup Schedule website regularly.

Residents can also call the brush and yard waste collection hotline at 608-267-2088 for estimates on collection. The hotline recording is updated weekly.

What is Yard Waste?

Yard waste is plant material.  Examples include pulled weeds, fallen leaves, and other plant debris.  Yard waste also includes pumpkins, crabapples, black walnuts, pine cones, vines, and even twigs that are less than 18 inches long.

Woody material trimmed from trees, shrubs, and bushes is brush.  Brush and yard waste are separate collection services.

How Yard Waste Should Be Prepared for Collection

When setting out yard waste, residents can pile the material loose on the terrace or curbside.  Residents can also place yard waste into compostable paper bags.  If bags are used, they must be open at the top.  Yard waste can also be placed under a tarp to prevent it from blowing into the street.

Do not place yard waste in the street or gutter.  Yard waste in the street creates a nutrient-rich runoff that leads to algae blooms and weed growth in the lakes. Yard waste piles in the street can also clog storm drains, which may lead to street ponding during rainstorms.

Yard waste piles should be placed away from obstructions such a trees, utilities poles, mailboxes, and fire hydrants.

And, do not mix brush with yard waste. Brush is a separate collection process than yard waste. Piles of brush and yard waste folded together will not be collected.

More information about preparing yard waste for pickup can be found on the Streets Division website, or by watching the “How to Prepare Yard Waste for Pick-Up” video on the City of Madison YouTube channel.

Drop-off Sites

Residents and taxpayers can also use the City of Madison drop-off facilities.  Yard waste can be delivered to 1501 W. Badger Rd. or 4602 Sycamore Ave.  And a yard waste only drop-off site  that will be open for the season beginning on March 30 is located at 402 South Point Rd.

All three drop-off sites will be open seven days a week starting March 30, 2019.  On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays the sites will be open 8:30am to 4:30pm.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the sites will be open 8:30am to 8:00pm.  These hours will remain in place until December 8, 2019.

Residents and taxpayers are restricted to one load a day.  The maximum load accepted is the equivalent of one pickup truck, or an 8 foot by 4 foot trailer.   Residents and taxpayers attempting to bring in more than this during one trip will be denied access.

All users of the drop-off site are expected to show proof of residency or taxpayer status to use the site.

Contractors may not use these drop-off sites to dispose of material.

For more information regarding the drop-off facilities, curbside collection, and other Streets Division services, please visit www.cityofmadison.com/streets.

On Monday, April 1, 2019, the Streets Division will begin curbside brush collection.  Curbside collection should last from April through the end September. Residents will have multiple opportunities for curbside brush pickup during collection season. The official final round of brush collection is weather dependent and will be announced when that date is known.

Residents who wish to utilize the curbside brush collection service are encouraged to use the Pickup Schedule map on the Streets Division’s brush website, www.cityofmadison.com/brushcollection.  Using the map will help guide residents on when to place material to the curb to ensure timely collection.

Once on the Pickup Schedule map webpage, residents can enter their address in the “Find an Address” field in the top left corner of the site. This will zoom the map to their neighborhood and show their current collection status. Neighborhoods shaded green for “Pickup Pending” should place brush to the curb for pickup because crews will be through the area soon.

The Pickup Schedule is updated daily when brush collection is active. Residents wishing to know the most current information regarding the whereabouts of crews and the collection status of their neighborhood should check the Pickup Schedule website regularly.

When setting out brush for collection, be sure to follow the guidelines found later in this release. Brush guidelines can also be seen by watching the City of Madison “How to Prepare Brush Waste for Pick-up” YouTube video.  Following the guidelines allows for fast and safe collection.

Residents can also call the brush and yard waste collection hotline at 608-267-2088 for estimates on collection. The hotline recording is updated weekly.

What is Brush?

Brush is woody material trimmed from trees, shrubs, and bushes that measure over 18 inches in length. 

Leaves, weeds, grass clippings and similar plant debris is yard waste. Yard waste is a separate collection service.

How is Brush Collected?

A two-person crew collects brush. Material is picked from the terrace by hand then fed into a wood chipper.  With this in mind, there are collection guidelines to follow to ensure the safety and efficiency of the workers.

Brush Guidelines

In order for brush to be collected at the curb, it must not be longer than 8 feet in length, and must not be thicker than 8 inches in diameter.

Brush should be piled on an open area of the terrace away from trees, utility poles, and other obstructions.

Be sure to pile brush with cut ends facing the same direction, and separate brush from any foreign objects like loose dirt, metal, wire, rocks, and items set out for large item pickup.

Do not put brush into bags, boxes, or any receptacle. Brush placed into a container will not be collected.  Smaller brush piles may be bundled with string or twine. Bundles must be shorter than 4 feet in length and must not weigh more than 40 pounds.  Oversized bundles, and brush bundled with wire, will not be collected.

Do not pile brush in the street, or obstruct the sidewalk.

Also, do not mix brush with yard waste.  Brush is a separate collection than yard waste, so the piles must be kept separate.  Piles with material mixed together will not be collected.

Finally, the Streets Division will not collect brush that has been cut by a contractor.  Contractors who trim trees, shrubs, and bushes must haul the material their work created to an appropriate processing facility.

Special Note: Large Brush Piles

Piles that will take chipper crews longer than 10 minutes to process will be assigned to a one-man crane vehicle to collect. The crane vehicle, also called a “clam,” will typically arrive within three business days of the chipper crew.

Drop-off Sites

Residents and taxpayers can also use the City of Madison drop-off facilities.  Brush can be delivered to 1501 W. Badger Rd. or 4602 Sycamore Ave. 

Both drop-off sites will be open seven days a week starting March 30, 2019.  On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays the sites will be open 8:30am to 4:30pm.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the sites will be open 8:30am to 8:00pm.  These hours will remain in place until December 8, 2019.

Residents and taxpayers are restricted to one load a day.  The maximum load accepted is the equivalent of one pickup truck, or an 8 foot by 4 foot trailer.   Residents and taxpayers attempting to bring in more than this during one trip will be denied access.

All users of the drop-off site are expected to show proof of residency or taxpayer status to use the site.

Contractors may not use these drop-off sites to dispose of material.

For more information regarding the drop-off facilities, please visit www.cityofmadison.com/streets.

Mulch & the Brush Processing Center

Contractors who cut brush from parcels within the City of Madison can deliver brush to the processing center at 121 E. Olin Ave. to be chipped for a per ton fee.  Madison residents who cut brush from a city parcel can also elect to deliver brush to the processing center. 

Mulch is also available at this location.  More information regarding fees for mulch can be found on the Brush Processing Center’s page of the Streets Division’s website.

More Information

For more information regarding the drop-off facilities, curbside collection, and other Streets Division services, please visit www.cityofmadison.com/streets.

As always, if there is anything I can do to help, feel free to reach out: district19@cityofmadison.com

-Keith F