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Brush Collection Over for 2023
Guaranteed curbside pickup will resume in 2024
Scheduled brush collection from the curb is over for 2023.
Madison residents should not place brush out along the road for pickup at this time.
Opportunities for curbside pickup will return in the spring of 2024.
What is “brush”?
Brush is woody material you have cut from your trees, shrubs, or bushes that measure at least 18 inches in length.
Do Not Mix Brush Into Leaf Piles
Yard waste and brush are different materials. They are processed at different locations and in a different manner. They cannot be mixed together.
Brush is chipped into wood mulch at the City’s brush processing center.
Yard waste is hauled to a composter.
Piles of yard waste and leaves with brush mixed in will not be collected by yard waste collection crews.
Use Drop-off Sites for Brush
The Streets Division drop-off sites will accept brush cut by Madison residents.
In order to use the sites, you will need to provide proof of residency.
Residents are restricted to one trip daily and the maximum amount of material that can be dropped in the one trip is equivalent to what would fit into the back of standard pickup truck bed or on a 5’ x 8’ trailer.
Oversized loads will be denied use of the drop-off sites. Contractors are also prohibited from using the free drop-off sites.
For site locations, hours, and other restrictions, visit the drop-off sites page at www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites
Why is brush collection ending now?
The same crews that collect brush are the ones who perform the fall yard waste collection.
The brush pick-up service needs to end so personnel is available to perform the curbside yard waste and leaves collection.
Why doesn’t the Streets Division just do more brush collection after the leaf pickup is done?
Fall yard waste and leaf collection starts the week of October 8 and does not end until early December.
In December, there is the threat of snowstorms.
The same crews that collect leaves and brush are the ones who drive snowplowing equipment, too. And, of course, snowstorms will bury brush piles at the curb. We cannot schedule a collection for the middle or late December when there is a fair chance the weather would never let us fulfill that service promise.
The Streets Division understands the disappointment that halting brush collection causes each year, especially for homeowners with oak trees.
Drop-off sites remain available year-round to accept brush, and guaranteed collection opportunities will return in the spring of 2024.
Additional Information
For more information about brush, please visit the brush website at www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection.
For more information about the Streets Division drop-off sites to learn their hours, locations, and restrictions visit www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites
And for more information about all of the Streets Division services, please visit www.cityofmadison.com/Streets.