Refuse and recycling carts at the curb
Streets & Urban Forestry

Drop-off sites

Madison residents and taxpayers can take trash, recycling, brush, yard waste, electronics, large items, styrofoam for recycling, and cooking oil to the drop-off sites.

Proof of residency or taxpayer status is required to use the site.

On this page you will find:

Locations

 

East Drop-off Site

West Drop-off Site

Central Drop-off Site

Hours

Download 2025 drop-off site hours chart

All sites are closed on City holidays.

 

Expanded Hours (Current)

Hours may adjust during the year. Be sure to double-check this site to stay current. 

East and West Drop-off Sites

Hours in effect from 4/12/25 to 12/4/25

Monday7:30am – 2:30pm
Tuesday7:30am – 7:00pm
WednesdayClosed
Thursday7:30am – 7:00pm
Friday7:30am – 2:30pm
Saturday9:00am – 4:00pm
SundayClosed

Central Drop-off Site

Hours in effect from 4/12/25 to 11/30/25

Monday3:00pm - 7:00pm
Tuesday3:00pm - 7:00pm
WednesdayClosed
Thursday3:00pm - 7:00pm
FridayClosed
Saturday9:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday9:00am - 4:00pm

Winter Hours

Winter weather events may cause temporary closures.

East and West Drop-off Sites

In effect December 5, 2025 to Spring 2026.

Monday7:30am – 2:30pm
Tuesday7:30am – 2:30pm
WednesdayClosed
Thursday7:30am – 2:30pm
Friday7:30am – 2:30pm
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

Central Drop-off Site

Closed December 1, 2025 – Spring 2026.

 

 

Recycling Fees

Some residents need to pay a recycling fees for some large items, appliances, and electronics. If this applies to you, then you will need to pay these fees before you drop off your items.

If the City of Madison collects your recycling, you do not need to pay recycling fees. The fees are covered on your Municipal Services (water) bill, under Resource Recovery Special Charge.

If the City of Madison does not collect your recycling, then you will need to pay. The reason why is that you do not pay the monthly Resource Recovery Special Charge, so fees for your items are not covered. 

You can find a list of the fee items on the large item section of our website.

Paying recycling fees

If your item has a recycling fee and Streets does not collect your recycling, you need to buy a fee sticker before you come to the drop-off site.

Buy a fee sticker online

We will mail you a recycling fee sticker. Put the sticker on your item before bringing it to the drop-off site.

You can also buy fee stickers at the Streets East or Streets West offices during office hours. (Office hours are different than drop-off site hours.)

Free Mulch for Madison Residents

Starting on July 14, 2025, free mulch will be available at the South Point and Sycamore drop-off sites.

How much can you take?

You are limited to 30 gallons. This means you can take up to 6 five-gallon buckets.

Free mulch supply will be limited 

Mulch is not guaranteed to be available when you arrive. Free mulch will be restocked as staffing allows.

At Olin Avenue, the large piles of mulch are not available for free and is reserved for other purposes, like for sale to farmers or use in playgrounds.  

We work to keep the free mulch stocked as much as we possibly can. 

Where is the free mulch?

Sycamore Mulch Pile Location:

Free mulch is located in southwest corner of the Sycamore Dog Park parking lot.  

South Point Mulch Pile Location:

Free mulch is located within the drop-off site area. It will only be available during drop-off site hours. Ask the attendant if you cannot find the pile.

What the Drop-off Sites Accept

You must follow the drop-off site rules for us to accept your items.  Read them so you know what they are.

Anything the Streets Division collects at the curb can also be taken to a drop-off site.  This includes extra cardboard or other overflow recyclables.  Appliances, large items, and many other things can all come to the drop-off sites.

Some items can only be taken to the drop-off sites for recycling, like Styrofoam, electronics, batteries, and cooking oil. 

If you don't know if you can bring what you have to the drop-off site, look it up in the Recyclopedia below.

If you can't find the answer, contact us.

Recyclopedia

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Trash & Recycling