Garbage & Recycling Cart Information

Waste Reduction works! More and more people find they no longer need two or more garbage carts because they're doing an effective job of recycling and generating less garbage. If you have an extra cart, please call (414) 286-CITY (2489) and we'll collect it.

The Sanitation Division repairs broken carts. Call the DPW CallCenter at (414) 286-CITY (2489) to have your cart picked up for repair or replacement.

City of Milwaukee garbage and recycling collectors and their safety committee ask for your help during snowy winter months. They have a hard time picking up garbage and recycling when carts are stuck in snow piles or frozen to the ground.

Consider that Sanitation workers, on a typical day, haul out and empty 500 to 600 garbage carts per two-man truck. That's eight to 12 tons handled by two people in one day. Now add to that trying to wrestle a heavy cart out of a snowbank. So please give the crews a break and consider their safety. Make sure your garbage and recycling carts aren't frozen or buried in snow. And make sure there's a clear path through the snow to the carts.

And while you're at it with the snow shovel, check to see that the fire hydrant near your house is clear of snow. In Milwaukee, the Fire Department depends on citizens to make sure fire hydrants are accessible.