Madison Trash Pickup & Garbage Schedule 2026

Madison’s Streets & Urban Forestry system is built around a few separate services. Trash goes in the tan cart every week. Recycling goes in the green cart every other week. Large items require a work order before set-out. Yard waste and brush are not weekly curbside cart collections and instead use separate neighborhood-based Sunday set-out dates during active collection periods.

How to Find Your Madison Trash Pickup Day (Fast Lookup)

Madison’s official schedule tool is the easiest way to verify your next trash day, your recycling week, and your full annual calendar. The city’s schedule is address-based, so it is better to check your own calendar instead of copying neighbors.

1. Open the Streets Division schedule page. Go to Trash & Recycling.
2. Enter your house number and street name. The page will show your next collection dates.
3. Check the next two dates. This helps confirm whether the current week is your recycling week.
4. Open the full collection schedule. Use the “Full collection schedule” link to get the yearly calendar for your home.
5. Look up brush and yard waste separately. These seasonal services use separate Sunday set-out dates and are not shown the same way as weekly trash.

Madison Trash Pickup Schedule: What Runs When

Madison’s collection system is accurate once you separate each material stream. Weekly trash and alternating recycling are simple. Seasonal yard waste, brush, and large items follow different rules and should not be mixed together.

Madison also makes clear that brush and yard waste are separate collections. Mixed piles will not be collected, and yard waste should never go in the trash or recycling carts.

Madison Tan Cart, Green Cart, Large Item, and Yard Waste System

Madison uses different collection rules for each waste type. Following those rules helps keep pickups on schedule and avoids the most common curbside mistakes.

Only the correct recyclables should go in the green cart, and they should be placed loose rather than bagged. Yard waste is banned from the trash in Wisconsin and should not be put in the tan cart.

Madison Set-Out Rules

Madison’s official cart guidance is simple and practical. Most missed collections happen because carts are out too late, too close together, or blocked by nearby objects.

• Put carts out by 6:30 a.m. on your collection day.
• Place carts at the end of your driveway, on the terrace, or on the curb edge. If your collection is in an alley, place carts at the alley edge.
• Keep carts 4 feet away from obstructions. Leave space from cars, poles, trees, mailboxes, fire hydrants, and other carts.
• Do not place small items or trash bags outside the cart.
• Do not put large items out without scheduling first.

Madison Large Item Pickup

Madison residents can get bulky household items picked up curbside, but only after completing the official large item work order. This is required before anything is placed out for collection.

Common large items include:

• Furniture
• Mattresses
• Appliances
• Other oversized household items too big for the trash cart

1. Start with the work order. Use the official large item page to begin the request.
2. Choose your set-out Sunday. During the work order process, you pick the Sunday when you will place the items out.
3. Do not set items out early or late. The city says crews will not arrive before your selected set-out date, and you may miss pickup if you wait too long.
4. Follow size and spacing rules. Items must be less than 8 feet long and kept separate from carts, brush piles, and yard waste piles.
5. Know the building limit. Properties with more than 8 units are not eligible for city large item collection and should use private dumpster service or another hauler.

Madison 2026 Holiday Trash Schedule

Madison’s holiday system is a little different from cities that simply delay the entire week every time. The official Streets Division page explains two separate rules: one for single-day holidays and one for the city’s back-to-back holiday breaks.

The easiest way to avoid confusion is to use the official calendar for your exact address, because Madison includes holiday adjustments directly on each home’s collection schedule.

What to Do If Madison Missed Your Pickup

If your carts or scheduled items were out properly and still were not collected, Madison provides contact options through Streets & Urban Forestry and specific report pages for missed collections.

1. Check your full calendar first. This helps rule out recycling week confusion or holiday adjustments.
2. Confirm your timing. Carts should have been out by 6:30 a.m.
3. Check spacing and placement. Madison requires clearance around carts and other items.
4. Make sure the material was set out correctly. Brush, yard waste, large items, trash, and recycling all have different rules.
5. Contact Streets if needed. Use streets@cityofmadison.com, East 608-246-4532, or West 608-266-4681.

Madison Drop-Off Sites and Disposal Options

Madison residents and property taxpayers can use the city’s drop-off sites for excess trash, excess recycling, brush, yard waste, large items, electronics, batteries, cooking oil, and more. Proof of residency or taxpayer status is required.

Madison also notes that all drop-off sites are closed on city holidays, and winter hours begin on December 4, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions About Madison Trash Pickup

Official Madison Trash Collection Resources

Reminder: Madison’s system is easiest when you use your own address-based calendar and do not assume brush, yard waste, large items, trash, and recycling all follow the same pickup rule.