On August 14th and 15th leases for most downtown area apartments end. That means thousands of residents will be moving all at the same time.

Every year, the August move out generates over 1 million pounds of material into the landfill.

Follow the rules below so Streets Division crews can collect all that waste material as quickly and safely as possible.

Also, 1 million pounds into the landfill !?! We can do better. Before you landfill it, donate it, or sell it online, or best yet, move it with you.

 

Donate & ReSell Your Usable Goods

After you have gathered all you you need for your new apartment, let's find a home for the stuff you don't need instead of adding it to the landfill.

Check out our "Reuse It!" website for a list of just some of the many, many options available locally that acceptable usable items.

 

There are many online person-to-person exchanges as well, including the various social media networks that connect residents to their neighborhoods.

 

Apartment Building Sites

Goodwill has partnered with select large apartment towers during move out times to reclaim items for another use.

Confirmed locations that are working with Goodwill are as follows. This list will be updated as the list grows:

• The Regent Apartments

If you are unsure if your building will be doing this, or if you would like your building to participate, contact your property manager to see if Goodwill or another resale organization could set up a donation station for residents.

 

Fill 'Em Up & Roll 'Em Out - DAILY cart COLLECTION

For 2022, the Streets Division will empty refuse and recycling carts in the downtown moving area every work day between Monday, August 1 through Monday, August 15.

During this window, fill up your carts with the appropriate material according to the guidelines below and roll them to the curb by 6:30 a.m.

We will empty your carts so you can fill them up again. And we'll empty them again the next day.

Use the carts as much as possible.

It keeps your neighborhood clean, and makes our collection much faster so we can stay out of your way while you move.

The moving areas will be monitored daily starting the last week of July. Crews collecting large items and emptying carts will be assigned to the student move areas as needed.

 

the large item work order system and student move out

 

Disposal of Items that Are Free (Furniture, Mattresses, Etc.)

If you live in the student move out area, you will not be required to complete a work order for large items that do not require a fee from August 8, 2022 until around 12:00pm on Friday, August 19, 2022.  Large item collection crews will be roving the student areas during that time.

In other words, during that above window of time, you will not be required to submit a work order to have couches, chairs, box springs, mattresses, bookshelves, tables, and other free large items picked up from the curb.

A list of items that require a fee can be found on the Large Item page. If your large item is not listed, and it is also not an electronics item that must be recycled by state law, then it can be collected at the curb without a work order in the student move area during the window of time noted above.

After August 19, you will once again need to make work orders to have these items collected from the curb.

 

Disposal of Items that Require a Fee (Microwaves, Air Conditioners, Etc.)

If you are disposing of an item that has a special recycling fee charge, for example a microwave or air conditioner, you will need to use the work order form to pay those fees.  There are no exceptions to this.

If you are choosing curbside pickup, set the item out for pickup on the set-out date available for you. After you complete the work order for curbside pickup, you will not receive a fee sticker in the mail. Just set the item out on the date you selected.

If you are choosing to take the item to a drop-off site, or if you are required to take it to a drop-off site, then you will receive a fee sticker in the mail.

• List of large items and appliances requiring a fee
• Schedule your large item work order

 

the rules & guidelines

The Basics

• Use the right cart for the right material
• Please keep your refuse and recycling carts separated from each other.
• Make sure your carts remain accessible for our trucks and do not pile bagged trash, bagged recyclables, or large items around them.
• Do not take the collection carts with you. Appropriate carts or dumpsters will be at your next apartment.

 

Guidelines for Trash

• Put all refuse at the curb in your tan refuse cart or trash bags. Do not pile your trash loose at the curb.
• Do not put recycling in your tan refuse cart - all material in the tan cart goes to the landfill
• Do NOT put trash in cardboard boxes. Boxes are recyclable. Stuffing them with trash means they get sent to the landfill
• Place trash that will not fit into the cart in bags.

 

Guidelines for Green Recycling Carts

• Only put recyclables in your green recycling cart.
• If the recyclables are in the cart they should be loose. Do not bag them.
• Have too much cardboard? Here are your options.
• Use clear plastic bags for recycling that does not fit into the cart. Do not pile it loose at the curb or stuffed into another container
• Do not stuff extra recycling into a cardboard box, either.

 

Guidelines for Furniture, Appliances, and Other Large Items

• Do not pile bagged trash or recyclables on top of large items furniture or appliances set out for collection

• Keep larger metal items separate from other material so that it can be recycled.

• Most appliances, including microwaves, require a fee for collection.

• You will need to use the new work order system to pay for these items and scheduled your pickup or get the stickers you need for drop-off.

 

 

Guidelines for Televisions, Computers, Laptops, and Other Electronics

• Do not place televisions at the curb. They must be brought to a drop off site for recycling. There is a recycling fee for each television.
• Do not place computers or laptops at the curb. They must be brought to a drop off site for recycling. There is a recycling fee for each computer or laptop.
• Many other electronics are banned from the landfill, like cell phones and DVD players, and they must be recycled. They, too, must be taken to a drop-off site.
• Other electronics can be recycled as well, like Christmas tree lights, or vacuums, or basically anything with a plug.

 

a bad example - do not be like this

Follow the rules and make a plan to avoid messy piles like below.

See the non-recyclable garbage has been stuffed into the recycling carts?

See the garbage has been stuffed into cardboard boxes? That means the whole box goes into the trash.

See the other small trash scattered around, and the other items piled right under a tree?

We can be better.

 

Questions?

Check the Recyclopedia.

Or call:
(608)246-4532 if you live east of S. Park Street (and that includes the isthmus) or
(608)266-4681 if you live west of S. Park (and that includes the area around Camp Randall).

And you can email us.

A note for property owners & managers

In 2022, individuals that own non-owner occupied property in the student move area will receive a letter providing notification about how the Streets Division will handle certain items set to the curb that should not be. (Click here for a blank version of the 2022 letter that was mailed)

In the mailing, you also received a print out of the student move map, which is available below. You will also receive a flyer explaining the drop-off site hours and locations for this year.

Be sure your tenants know their responsibilities on how to safely handle these items.  Provide them with the full Recyclopedia or the condensed version.

Also, if items are dumped illegally on your property, it is a crime and should be reported to the Madison Police Department. After obtaining the case number from MPD, contact the Streets Division to learn the next steps.