It's Time For Spring Cleaning In Wauwatosa City

Press release from the City of Wauwatosa:

March 23, 2021

Now that spring is here, many Wauwatosa residents are taking advantage of the weather and preparing for summer by sprucing up their yards and clearing out unwanted clutter. The city offers several resources to make this safe, easy, and convenient for everyone in your household.

Cleaning residential streets

Winter leaves plenty of salt and debris on our streets. The City has already completed sweeping of the main roads, and began working on residential streets the week of March 22. You may notice our street sweepers working overnight to get your neighborhood streets cleaned up.

Yard waste collection begins April 12

Beginning April 12, the City will begin yard material collection for the spring and summer seasons. Curbside yard waste pickup is completed every other week, alternating with recycling collection. Simply place your eligible yard materials by the curb in a container marked “Yard Waste,” paper yard material bags, or bundle with twine and we’ll take care of the rest. Learn more about what materials the City can collect and how to dispose of excess or other materials.

Waste Wizard is here to help

If you need to dispose of an item but aren’t sure whether or not it can be recycled, the Waste Wizard can help you decide which bin to put it in. Wauwatosa accepts many common materials for curbside recycling, but it’s important to keep other items out of the recycling cart. Curbside recycling is collected every other week on your regular trash collection day. Additional carts are available to order if you need more capacity.

What about other items?

The Drop Off Center is able to help with disposal of many items that we cannot collect curbside. The center is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, excluding holidays, and is a convenient place for Wauwatosa residents to properly dispose of bulky items, excess yard waste, appliances, electronics, and more. If you’re working on a yard project this spring, it also provides compost and mulch at no cost to Wauwatosa residents.

It’s important to remember that many common household items, including cleaning supplies, chemicals, and medications, can be harmful to people, pets, and the environment. Many items in our homes are more dangerous than most of us realize. Safe disposal is important to protect yourself and those around you! When in doubt, please do not place these items in the curbside carts or pour liquids down the drain. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) offers hazardous waste collection for Milwaukee County residents, as well as tips on how to dispose of other items. The Wauwatosa Police Department, along with many local pharmacies, can safely dispose of unused medications. Needles and other medical sharps can be safely handled by the Wauwatosa Health Department.

If you have any questions about the City’s spring cleanup or collection and disposal services, please contact the Department of Public Works Operations Division at (414) 471-8422 or by e-mail.

This press release was produced by the City of Wauwatosa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.