Refuse and recycling carts at the curb
Streets & Urban Forestry

Large items and appliances

You must schedule your large item collection if you want items picked up from the curb. You can also take your items to a drop-off site.

You may need to pay a recycling fee for certain items.  The fee for certain items applies for curbside collection and for dropping these special items. 

If you are searching for what to do with an item, use the online Recyclopedia. 

On this page, you will find:

  1. Schedule Collection with a Large Item Work Order

    Fill out the form to tell us what items need to be picked up, and you will choose the Sunday when you will set them out for us. 

    If any items have a recycling fee, you will pay the fee in the work order system. 

    Schedule your large item collection

    You must complete the work order before setting the items out for pickup. 

  2. Put items out on the date you picked

    Put your items out for collection on the set-out Sunday you chose in the work order.

    Do not set items out early. Crews will not arrive before your set out date.

    Do not set items out late. If you wait, you may miss the pickup you scheduled.

    (You will not receive a sticker for scheduled items. Just set them out on the date you picked.)

    Set Out Guidelines

    • Items must be less than 8 feet long.
    • Keep large items separated from collection carts.
    • Keep large items away from brush piles and yard waste piles.
    • Keep large items 4 feet from trees, cars, utility poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, and other obstructions.
    • Avoid placing your items under low hanging wires or low branches.
    • Separate metal items and appliances from non-metal items like furniture. Different crews collect items separately. Metals and appliances are recycled. Other items are landfilled.

  3. Wait for collection

    We will collect your items sometime during the work week after your set-out Sunday.

    Delays

    Holidays, fall leaf collection, winter storms, and severe weather may delay large item collection. 

Recycling Fees

There are recycling fees for some large items and appliances. 

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 by the Resource Recovery Special Charge.

If the City does not collect your recycling, you need to pay recycling fees. If you use large metal dumpsters or if the carts at your home do not say “City of Madison”, the City does not collect your recycling.

If the fee applies to you, you can see the list of items that have a charge for disposal.

For curbside collection, you will pay the fee when scheduling large item collection.

For drop-off sites, you will need to buy a fee sticker online or in person at our offices before taking items to a site.  You cannot pay the attendants at the drop-off sites. 

How to Tell Who Collects Your Recycling

The City of Madison collects recycling from green carts that has City of Madison written on the side of them that you roll to the public street.  

If you put your recycling in a big metal dumpster, or down a chute at your building, then you don't have City recycling service.  If you put your recycling in a cart that does not have the Madison logo on it, and it has a private waste company instead, then you don't have City recycling service either.

 

Drop-off Sites

You can take large items to a drop-off site.

Recycling Fees for Drop-off Items

If your item has a recycling fee and Streets does not collect your recycling, you need to pay the fee for the items that require one before you come to the drop-off site.  In other words, if you live in a complex that has metal dumpsters, or if you have a private collection service at your home, then you have to pay fees for items at the drop-off site.

If the City of Madison collects your recycling from green City carts at your home, then that means you pay the monthly Resource Recovery Special Charge on your Municipal Services Bill.  This also means you do not need to pay a fee to drop-off items at our sites.

How to Pay the Recycling Fees for the Drop-off Sites if It Applies to You

To pay recycling fees for drop-off items,  use the work order system to buy the correct recycling fee sticker online. We will mail you the sticker after purchase. 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. Drop-off site attendants do not take payments.

Electronics (Televisions, Computers, Etc.) 

You must take televisions, computers, and other electronics to a drop-off site. These items are banned from curbside collection. Do not place them on the curb for pickup.

Learn more about how to dispose of electronics.

Large Item Change for 2025

Starting on January 1, 2025, the Streets Division will no longer provide large item collection for multi-family properties with more than 8 units.  Check out our page about this change of services for more details.

Recyclopedia

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