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Like us to find out about declared snow emergencies, snow plowing operations, and sidewalk clearing requirements. Celebrate winter in Madison parks! Like us to find out about winter recreational activities such as sledding, cross-country skiing, and outdoor ice skating.

2026 Fall Leaf & Yard Waste Collection Begins; First Set Out Date for Some Neighborhoods Is 10/4/26 -  Honey locust leav...
10/02/2026

2026 Fall Leaf & Yard Waste Collection Begins; First Set Out Date for Some Neighborhoods Is 10/4/26 - Honey locust leaves are falling; backyard gardens are being harvested. It's time to start the fall leaf and yard waste pickup season! The first set out date for some - not all - neighborhoods is Sunday, October 4, 2026. Dates when you should set out your leaves and yard waste for pickup are different around Madison. Get the exact date when you should set out your leaves for your home from the Streets Division website. Every neighborhood has three scheduled leaf and yard waste set out opportunities. Collection of leaves and yard waste should occur during the work week following the set-out date provided. Leaves and yard waste are banned from Wisconsin landfills. Do not put leaves and yard waste in the trash cart. Do not put them in the recycling cart. Leaves and yard waste have been banned from all Wisconsin landfills since 1993. Your options for yard waste disposal: Use the curbside collection provided by the Streets Division, Use the drop-off sites, Compost the yard waste yourself and use other methods to conquer your leaves to help our lakes and pollinators , or Hire a private lawn care service. When do I put out my leaves and yard waste for City of Madison collection? Go our yard waste website. Enter your address into the form. You will see the next available date when you should set out leaves and yard waste for collection. The set out dates are different around the city. Every neighborhood has three scheduled set-out date opportunities for the fall. What will leaf and yard waste crews collect? Crews collect leaves, weeds, pumpkins, black walnuts, vines, and other plant debris you have raked or pulled from your lawn or garden. Yard waste crews do not collect dirt, rocks, or similar material. Yard waste and leaves are not the same as brush. Keep the piles separated. Brush is defined as sticks, branches, and tree limbs. (Learn more about brush collection on the brush website.) If you have stacks of brush out for pickup, keep it separated from your piles of leaves and yard waste. Piles of mixed leaves and yard waste will not be picked up. How should I put out my leaves yard waste for collection? Place the leaves and yard waste at the street edge or on the terrace on the date shown for your home. Do not place yard waste into the street. Placing leaves into the street is an ordinance violation. Keep the material at least five feet from obstructions. Street signs, fire hydrants, utility poles, mailboxes, trees, stumps, and parked cars get in the way of crews. Bagging your leaves and yard waste? Great! Use compostable paper leaf and lawn bags. Keep your bags open so crews can see what is inside. Other bags are acceptable if they are kept open, too. Crews may need to rip or slice open plastic bags to empty them. Crews will leave the split bags behind at the curb. You can take leaves and yard waste to Streets Division drop-off sites Drop-off sites are for City of Madison, Wisconsin residents and taxpayers. Check the drop-off site website for locations, restrictions, and hours before loading your vehicle. How does the City of Madison collect leaves and yard waste? Every available person the Streets Division can spare is assigned to leaf pickup. Keep in mind, the Streets Division performs other duties such as collecting trash, recycling, and large items and personnel and equipment are needed for those jobs, too. Leaf and yard waste crews work in the teams to push or pull material from the right of way space along public roadways, and then a vehicle gathers it forward into a collection truck. Later, a street sweeper arrives to clean up leaf litter remaining in the road. The leaves and yard waste are delivered to a local composter for processing. Will there be more than three pickup chances? We don't know today in October if the weather in December will let us do an extra pickup round. Our priority is providing each neighborhood with their three scheduled collections first. The scheduled collections do not conclude for every neighborhood until the week after Thanksgiving. If the weather lets us do more after each neighborhood receives their three pickup chances, we will do more. And we will announce it. We strongly encourage you to sign up for email updates on our website to stay updated for any changes and updates to our operations. Additional Information More information about yard waste collection can be found on the Streets Division's website, or contact our offices.

Honey locust leaves are falling; backyard gardens are being harvested. It's time to start the fall leaf and yard waste pickup season!The first set out date for some - not all - neighborhoods is Sunday, October 4, 2026.Dates when you should set out your leaves and yard waste for pickup are different....

Brush Collection Extended into Fall for 2026 -  The Streets Division's will collect small brush piles this fall along wi...
09/24/2026

Brush Collection Extended into Fall for 2026 - The Streets Division's will collect small brush piles this fall along with separated piles of leaves and yard waste. The brush piles must be kept separate from your leaves and yard waste. You must also follow all other brush collection guidelines. Brush collection set out dates have been updated on the Streets Division's website. The fall brush set out dates will be the same as the fall leaf & yard waste set out dates for your neighborhood. Keep Brush Piles Separated from Your Yard Waste & Leaves - Mixed Piles Will Not Be Collected Do not mix your brush piles and leaf piles together. Use a section of your terrace for leaves & yard waste when you set out that material for pickup. Then in a separate area of the terrace, stack your sticks and other brush. Mixed piles will not be collected. Brush hidden or jumbled within leaves and yard waste piles damages our equipment that's designed for pushing or pulling leaves from the terrace. Crews will collect the leaves & yard waste and then they will separately grab the brush. When do I put out brush for pickup in the fall? Get the set out dates for pickup from our website. Set out dates vary by neighborhood. Enter your address into the form on the page to see the dates for where you live. The fall brush set out dates will be the same as your fall leaf and yard waste set out dates. Small Brush Piles Will be Picked Up by Leaf & Yard Waste Crews; Large Stacks & Logs Will See Collection Delays Leaf and yard waste crews will be collecting sticks and other small batches of woody trimmings from your trees, shrubs, and bushes. They will collect your yard waste and then they will collect your sticks separately. Tree limbs, large piles, firewood, and other thicker logs will not be collected by yard waste crews. The yard waste crews cannot handle these. A truck-mounted crane will be around later to collect larger piles and thicker pieces of brush that yard waste crews cannot pickup. What changed this year? The fall of 2026 is a trial year for collecting more brush alongside yard waste in the fall. It is not guaranteed to continue in the years ahead. For years, fall yard waste crews collected relatively small amounts of brush set alongside leaves as a courtesy. In conversations with our composting partner, we believe we can deliver more brush to them along with the leaves and other yard waste, and it should not disrupt their operations. We are also aware of how frustrating the end of brush pickup season has been for residents each year, particularly people with oak trees and other species where you need to wait until later in the year to trim them safely. By extending brush pickup into the fall, hopefully it will alleviate this concern. At the end of this collection season, we will review how it went with our operations, our equipment used in collecting and hauling material, and our composter to determine if we can continue doing this in future autumns. Additional Information More information about brush collection and yard waste collection can be found on the Streets Division's website or by contacting our offices.

The Streets Division's will collect small brush piles this fall along with separated piles of leaves and yard waste. The brush piles must be kept separate from your leaves and yard waste. You must also follow all other brush collection guidelines.

No Trash, Recycling, or Other Collections on Labor Day (9/7/26); Drop-off Sites Also Closed -   The Streets Division wil...
08/31/2026

No Trash, Recycling, or Other Collections on Labor Day (9/7/26); Drop-off Sites Also Closed - The Streets Division will not perform trash, recycling, brush, or large item collection on Monday, September 7, 2026, in observance of the Labor Day holiday. The drop-off sites and offices will also be closed. Monday Collection Day? Put the Cart(s) Out by 6:30am Tuesday (9/8/26) If your trash and recycling are collected on Mondays by the Streets Division, place the scheduled cart(s) out for emptying by 6:30am, Tuesday, September 8, 2026. If you have a Tuesday collection of trash and recycling by the Streets Division, you should also have the scheduled cart(s) out for pickup by 6:30am on September 8. If you set your carts out after 6:30am for their scheduled pickup, you may miss your collection opportunity. If you don't know if the holiday will cause your collection to be delayed, check your collection schedule. Download a copy from our website, or contact our offices to have one mailed to you. Large Item Collection Due to the holiday, large item collection will begin on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, for residents who submitted work orders to set out items on Sunday, September 6, 2026. Remember, you need to schedule your large item pickup. And then you put your large items out on the date you picked. Large item collection occurs sometime during the work week following the set-out Sunday you chose when filing out the work order. Crews do not collect items on Sundays. They do not collect items on city-observed holidays. Schedule your large item pickup on our website or by contacting our offices. Drop-off Sites The City of Madison drop-off sites will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2026, in observance of Labor Day. The sites will reopen for their normal operating hours on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Check the Streets Division's website to verify locations and hours before loading up a vehicle to bring material to a site. Streets Division Offices Streets Division offices will be closed for the holiday on Monday, September 7, 2026. The offices will reopen on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Sign Up for Collection Schedule Update Emails You can sign up for email update reminders about trash and recycling collection delays on the Streets Division website. Additional Information Additional information about all of the Streets Division services can be found on our website.

The Streets Division will not perform trash, recycling, brush, or large item collection on Monday, September 7, 2026, in observance of the Labor Day holiday. The drop-off sites and offices will also be closed.Monday Collection Day? Put the Cart(s) Out by 6:30am Tuesday (9/8/26)If your trash and recy...

Extra Collections for the Downtown August Moving Days Are Complete for 2026 -  The Streets Division's extra collections ...
08/21/2026

Extra Collections for the Downtown August Moving Days Are Complete for 2026 - The Streets Division's extra collections for the annual downtown August moving days are now over. The final day of the moving days operations was today, Friday, August 21, 2026. In response to the annual event where thousands of Madison residents change homes on or around August 15 along the isthmus in the defined moving days area, the Streets Division provides extra collections to try to keep up with the amount of large items, trash, and recyclables pushed to curb. This year the Streets Division provided extra collections for the move out area starting on Monday, August 3, and the extra pickups end today, Friday, August 21, 2026. Our personnel picked up and sent over one million pounds of extra material to the landfill during this year's out period. What to do with unwanted large items, like furniture, now that the August move out is over? If you need a large item collected from the Streets Division, you need to schedule a large item work order. If your home is ineligible to receive large item collection from the Streets Division, work with your property management to learn your collection options through the private waste hauler at your complex or building. Every dumpster service provider also has large or bulky item pickup services. All Madison residents can also take large items to a Streets Division drop-off site. If your furniture or other items are reusable, there are many donation opportunities around Madison, including many places that will come to your home and collect the items for free. What do I do with extra cardboard that won't fit into the recycling collection cart? This is a common problem that happens across the city during move ins, move outs, and the holidays. We have a webpage that spells out the rules to follow so you can get the cardboard picked up from the curb on your recycling day. You can also take the extra cardboard to a drop-off site. Please visit the extra cardboard website to learn what you need to do. What do I do if I have more trash than the cart can hold? We have specific guidelines and limits on how to place extra bags of trash so it will be collected on your normal curbside pickup day. Visit our household cleanup page for these specific details. Additional Information For more information about Streets Division operations, visit our website or contact our offices.

The Streets Division's extra collections for the annual downtown August moving days are now over.The final day of the moving days operations was today, Friday, August 21, 2026.

The 2026 Brush Collection Season is Ending Soon -  All Madison residents have at least one remaining set-out date for br...
08/14/2026

The 2026 Brush Collection Season is Ending Soon - All Madison residents have at least one remaining set-out date for brush collection in 2026. Once your final collection opportunity for the year passes, scheduled brush pickup for your neighborhood will be over until the start of the brush pickup season in 2027. City of Madison residents can also take brush to a drop-off site. How do you get brush picked up? When you should set out sticks, branches, and tree limbs for pickup depends on where you live. Get the date when you should set out from the brush collection website. Enter your address into the form, and you will see the date you need. Put your tree limbs and other brush out for pickup according to the rules on the set out date shown. Pickup occurs during the work week that follows the set out date. Brush Collection Rules Think of brush as branches and sticks. It's the woody material you cut from trees, shrubs, and bushes. We take your brush and make wood mulch out of it. Brush must measure between 18 inches and 8 feet so crews can collect it safely. Pile brush on the terrace, or the grass at the edge of the street. Stack brush with the cut ends facing the same direction. Keep brush at least 5 feet away from trees, cars, utility poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, and other obstructions. Do not put brush in the street or on the sidewalk. Do not mix brush and yard waste together. Brush mixed with weeds, grass clippings, and other yard waste will not be picked up. Yard waste collection is a separate service with a different schedule. Do not put brush in bags, boxes, or other containers. What do I do with brush after the Streets Division ends curbside collection for 2026 in my neighborhood? Take brush you create to a Streets Division drop-off sites. All three city drop-off sites are open year-round and they accept brush. Make sure you know the hours, locations, and site restrictions before loading your vehicle. Drop-off site information is available on our website. Why does brush collection end so early? It takes multiple weeks for every neighborhood in Madison to have their final turn for brush pickup. By the time every neighborhood receives their last turn, it will be the start of the fall leaf and yard waste season. Crews collecting brush today are the same people that will be collecting leaves & yard waste when that service begins. Brush pickup service needs to end so the people are available to collect leaves and yard waste. Will the Streets Division do more brush pickup after leaf collection is done? We cannot make any promises of extra collections. Once your final set out date has passed for your neighborhood, do not set out brush for pickup again until the next scheduled set out dates in 2027. Brush pickup will return in the spring of 2027. The set out dates will be published to the brush website sometime in February or March 2027. You can take brush to a drop-off site. Sign up for brush schedule email alerts. If we get an opportunity to do an extra collection round later this year, we will send out a notification to that email group.















Why can't the Streets Division promise an extra collection?


We need to finish the leaf and yard waste pickup before we can consider any extra brush pickup work. Fall leaf and yard waste pickup starts in October. The last scheduled fall leaf and yard waste set-out date isn't until the week after Thanksgiving. This means fall leaf pickup doesn't end up until early December. Typically, at the end of leaf and yard waste season, there are many calls for additional leaf and yard waste pickup at the conclusion of that collection season, too. The same people who collect your leaves & yard waste (and brush) are also the same people who drive the snowplows. We need the weather to cooperate deep into December to give us an opportunity to perform extra pickup rounds of leaves & yard waste and possibly brush. As of the publication of this release in August, we just don't know what the weather will be like in mid-to-late December to make any promises now about extra brush collection.












Additional Information For more information about brush collection, visit the brush collection website.









All Madison residents have at least one remaining set-out date for brush collection in 2026. Once your final collection opportunity for the year passes, scheduled brush pickup for your neighborhood will be over until the start of the brush pickup season in 2027. City of Madison residents can also take brush to a drop-off site. How do you get brush picked up? When you should set out sticks, branches, and tree limbs for pickup depends on where you live. Get the date when you should set out from the brush collection website. Enter your address into the form, and you will see the date you need. Put your tree limbs and other brush out for pickup according to the rules on the set out date shown. Pickup occurs during the work week that follows the set out date. Brush Collection Rules Think of brush as branches and sticks. It's the woody material you cut from trees, shrubs, and bushes. We take your brush and make wood mulch out of it. Brush must measure between 18 inches and 8 feet so crews can collect it safely. Pile brush on the terrace, or the grass at the edge of the street. Stack brush with the cut ends facing the same direction. Keep brush at least 5 feet away from trees, cars, utility poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, and other obstructions. Do not put brush in the street or on the sidewalk. Do not mix brush and yard waste together. Brush mixed with weeds, grass clippings, and other yard waste will not be picked up. Yard waste collection is a separate service with a different schedule. Do not put brush in bags, boxes, or other containers. What do I do with brush after the Streets Division ends curbside collection for 2026 in my neighborhood? Take brush you create to a Streets Division drop-off sites. All three city drop-off sites are open year-round and they accept brush. Make sure you know the hours, locations, and site restrictions before loading your vehicle. Drop-off site information is available on our website. Why does brush collection end so early? It takes multiple weeks for every neighborhood in Madison to have their final turn for brush pickup. By the time every neighborhood receives their last turn, it will be the start of the fall leaf and yard waste season. Crews collecting brush today are the same people that will be collecting leaves & yard waste when that service begins. Brush pickup service needs to end so the people are available to collect leaves and yard waste. Will the Streets Division do more brush pickup after leaf collection is done? We cannot make any promises of extra collections. Once your final set out date has passed for your neighborhood, do not set out brush for pickup again until the next scheduled set out dates in 2027. Brush pickup will return in the spring of 2027. The set out dates will be published to the brush website sometime in February or March 2027. You can take brush to a drop-off site. Sign up for brush schedule email alerts. If we get an opportunity to do an extra collection round later this year, we will send out a notification to that email group.









Why can't the Streets Division promise an extra collection?


We need to finish the leaf and yard waste pickup before we can consider any extra brush pickup work. Fall leaf and yard waste pickup starts in October. The last scheduled fall leaf and yard waste set-out date isn't until the week after Thanksgiving. This means fall leaf pickup doesn't end up until early December. Typically, at the end of leaf and yard waste season, there are many calls for additional leaf and yard waste pickup at the conclusion of that collection season, too. The same people who collect your leaves & yard waste (and brush) are also the same people who drive the snowplows. We need the weather to cooperate deep into December to give us an opportunity to perform extra pickup rounds of leaves & yard waste and possibly brush. As of the publication of this release in August, we just don't know what the weather will be like in mid-to-late December to make any promises now about extra brush collection.




All Madison residents have at least one remaining set-out date for brush collection in 2026. Once your final collection opportunity for the year passes, scheduled brush pickup for your neighborhood will be over until the start of the brush pickup season in 2027. City of Madison residents can also take brush to a drop-off site. How do you get brush picked up? When you should set out sticks, branches, and tree limbs for pickup depends on where you live. Get the date when you should set out from the brush collection website. Enter your address into the form, and you will see the date you need. Put your tree limbs and other brush out for pickup according to the rules on the set out date shown. Pickup occurs during the work week that follows the set out date. Brush Collection Rules Think of brush as branches and sticks. It's the woody material you cut from trees, shrubs, and bushes. We take your brush and make wood mulch out of it. Brush must measure between 18 inches and 8 feet so crews can collect it safely. Pile brush on the terrace, or the grass at the edge of the street. Stack brush with the cut ends facing the same direction. Keep brush at least 5 feet away from trees, cars, utility poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, and other obstructions. Do not put brush in the street or on the sidewalk. Do not mix brush and yard waste together. Brush mixed with weeds, grass clippings, and other yard waste will not be picked up. Yard waste collection is a separate service with a different schedule. Do not put brush in bags, boxes, or other containers. What do I do with brush after the Streets Division ends curbside collection for 2026 in my neighborhood? Take brush you create to a Streets Division drop-off sites. All three city drop-off sites are open year-round and they accept brush. Make sure you know the hours, locations, and site restrictions before loading your vehicle. Drop-off site information is available on our website. Why does brush collection end so early? It takes multiple weeks for every neighborhood in Madison to have their final turn for brush pickup. By the time every neighborhood receives their last turn, it will be the start of the fall leaf and yard waste season. Crews collecting brush today are the same people that will be collecting leaves & yard waste when that service begins. Brush pickup service needs to end so the people are available to collect leaves and yard waste. Will the Streets Division do more brush pickup after leaf collection is done? We cannot make any promises of extra collections. Once your final set out date has passed for your neighborhood, do not set out brush for pickup again until the next scheduled set out dates in 2027. Brush pickup will return in the spring of 2027. The set out dates will be published to the brush website sometime in February or March 2027. You can take brush to a drop-off site. Sign up for brush schedule email alerts. If we get an opportunity to do an extra collection round later this year, we will send out a notification to that email group.








Additional Information For more information about brush collection, visit the brush collection website.

All Madison residents have at least one remaining set-out date for brush collection in 2026.Once your final collection opportunity for the year passes, scheduled brush pickup for your neighborhood will be over until the start of the brush pickup season in 2027. City of Madison residents can also tak...

2026 Fall Leaf & Yard Waste Schedule Now Available; Collection Begins in October -  The set out dates for the fall 2026 ...
08/12/2026

2026 Fall Leaf & Yard Waste Schedule Now Available; Collection Begins in October - The set out dates for the fall 2026 leaf and yard waste schedule are now available on the Streets Division website. Each neighborhood has three assigned dates to set out leaves and yard waste. The exact dates when you should set out your leaves will depend on where you live. Collection of leaves and yard waste should occur during the work week following the set-out date provided. Leaves and yard waste are banned from Wisconsin landfills. Do not put leaves and yard waste in the trash cart. Do not put them in the recycling cart. Leaves and yard waste have been banned from all Wisconsin landfills since 1993. Your options for yard waste disposal: Use the curbside collection provided by the Streets Division, Use the drop-off sites, Compost the yard waste yourself and other self-management options on your property (like mulching leaves into your lawn), or Utilize a private lawn care service. How do I know when to put out my yard waste for City of Madison collection? Go our yard waste website. Enter your address into the form. You will see the next available set out date for yard waste collection. Every neighborhood has three scheduled set-out date opportunities for the fall. What will yard waste crews collect? Yard waste crews collect leaves, weeds, pumpkins, and other plant debris you have raked or pulled from your lawn or garden. Yard waste is not the same as brush. Brush is defined as sticks, branches, and tree limbs. (Learn more about brush collection on the brush website.) Stacks of brush mixed together with piles of yard waste will not be picked up. How should I put out my yard waste for collection? Place the leaves and yard waste at the street edge or on the terrace on the date shown for your home. Do not place yard waste into the street. Placing leaves into the street is an ordinance violation. Keep the material at least five feet from obstructions. Street signs, fire hydrants, utility poles, mailboxes, trees, stumps, and parked cars get in the way of crews. Bagging your leaves and yard waste? Use compostable paper leaf and lawn bags. Keep your bags open so crews can see what is inside. Other bags are acceptable if they are kept open, too. Crews may need to rip or slice open plastic bags to empty them. Crews will leave the split bags behind at the curb. How does the City of Madison collect leaves and yard waste? During the height of leaf collection, every available operator and vehicle we can spare is assigned to that task - so over 90 people are assigned to collecting leaves as quickly as we can. The crews work in the teams to push or pull material from the right of way space next to the road, and then gather it forward into a collection truck. Later, a street sweeper comes through to sweep up and leaf litter remaining in the road. The leaves are then delivered to a local composter for processing. You can watch a short video that shows the leaf collection process as well. Can I take yard waste to a drop-off site? Yes. Drop-off sites are for City of Madison, Wisconsin residents or taxpayers. Check the drop-off site website for locations, restrictions, and hours before loading your vehicle. What are my options besides curbside pickup or the drop-off sites? You can compost your yard waste to help your lawns and gardens grow next year. Free guides on how to compost are available at City of Madison libraries and additional composting resources can be found on the Streets Division's website. You can also mulch your leaves in place with your lawnmower. It's an easy way to help manage your leaves, help the lakes, and improve your lawns. Will there be more than three pickup chances? We don't know if the December weather will let us do an extra pickup round at this time. If the weather lets us, and conditions require an extra pickup round, we will announce it before we start. We strongly encourage you to sign up for email updates on our website to stay updated for any changes to our operations. The reason why we can't promise more than three collections takes a little bit of explanation. There are some neighborhoods whose third scheduled pickup is set to occur the week after Thanksgiving. In order to be fair, all neighborhoods need to have their turn for the three scheduled pickups before an extra collection round can be performed. This means an extra pickup round would not happen until sometime in December at the earliest. For you to get more than three pickups, we need the weather to cooperate through the first couple weeks of December so we have an opportunity. Because if it starts snowing, our crews are needed for snowplowing work instead; the same people that pickup leaves are the same people driving the plow trucks. Additional Information More information about yard waste collection can be found on the Streets Division's website.

The set out dates for the fall 2026 leaf and yard waste schedule are now available on the Streets Division website.Each neighborhood has three assigned dates to set out leaves and yard waste.The exact dates when you should set out your leaves will depend on where you live. Collection of leaves and y...

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Madison, WI
53713

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