Trash & Recycling

2025 Recycling Calendar

Did you know that in addition to helping the environment, your recycling efforts offset your property taxes by providing revenue to the Town in the form of recycling grant funding from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources? Please follow the guidelines below to ensure that we continue to benefit from this program!

Waste Management is under contract to pick up trash and recyclables in the Town of Cottage Grove using an automated system and carts that they provide. We are serviced by their Madison location, which you can reach by calling 1-888-960-0008.

Trash pickup is on a weekly basis, spread over a two day period. Both sides of County Road N and all residences to the east are picked up on MONDAYS, residences west of County Road N are picked up on TUESDAYS.

Collection of recyclables is on an every other week schedule. See the calendar highlighting recycling weeks and list of items that can and cannot be recycled and other important information linked above. All recyclables must be placed loose in the recycling cart. DO NOT put recyclables in plastic bags, the bags are likely to be discarded as trash in the sorting process. Paper products may be placed in a paper bag.

Please have your carts out by 6:00 AM on your collection day. Place one cart on each side of the driveway, or allow at least 3 feet clearance on either side of each cart, with wheels toward the house so the lid opens toward the truck. Make sure they are not out into the road where they will interfere with snow removal.

Pickup of large items is available for a fee, billed to you directly from Waste Management. Items included are:

Appliances
Furniture
Mattresses/box springs
Sink, toilet, bathtub
Grills, outdoor furniture, lawn mowers, bicycles
Carpet, padding, linoleum

See complete list and schedule your large item pickup at Bulk Trash Pickup Link
(DO NOT PUT THESE ITEMS IN YOUR TRASH OR RECYCLING BINS!)

Holiday Schedule
There will be NO pickup on the following days:

New Years Day
Memorial Day
July 4th
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

Collection will be one day later when your normal pickup would be after a holiday that falls during the week.

Disposing of Yard Waste

The Yard Waste Site is now OPEN.

The Town operates a seasonal yard waste drop-off site that is located just north of the Town Garage at 4062 County Road N. Town residents may drop off yard waste including un-bagged grass clippings, leaves and non-woody vegetative material no greater than 4 inches in diameter. All persons entering the drop off site and/or depositing any material therin shall comply with all regulations thereof. No person shall place any garbage, refuse, demolition material, tree branches, brush, roots, stumps or sod, or any other material not designated for acceptance within the Town yard waste drop off site. No person who is not a resident of the Town of Cottage Grove shall deposit any material within the yard waste drop off site unless previously approved by the Town Clerk or Highway Superintendent. Violations of any provisions of the TCG Ordinance Chapter 17 shall be subject to penalties as a Class D forfeiture as set forth in s. TCG 25.04.

Noxious weeds and brush are not accepted at the yard waste drop-off site, but you can take them to the Dane County Landfill at 7102 US Hwy 12. You can also burn your brush if you have obtained an annual burning permit.

Disposing of Computers, TVs and other Electronics

The Town’s annual drop-off event for discarded electronics will be from Saturday, May 3rd through Thursday, May 8th. This event is for Town of Cottage Grove residents only. Village residents have their own event, see 🔗 LINK

Deposit your items in the totes that will be set up in the parking lot in front of the Town Garage at 4062 County Road N.

Acceptable items include:

Computers, tablets, printers, telephones, fax machines, scanners, copiers, TVs, computer monitors, keyboards, mice, hard drives, speakers, flash drives, external modems and other computer peripherals, video players, cell phones and microwaves.

NO AIR CONDITIONERS, DE-HUMIDIFIERS OR ITEMS CONTAINING REFRIGERANTS.

Wisconsin's electronics recycling law establishes the E-Cycle Wisconsin program to collect and recycle certain electronic devices. It is based on a product stewardship approach, which assigns primary responsibility for collection and recycling to the manufacturer. The law also bans certain electronics from Wisconsin landfills and incinerators. For more information, including a list of facilities that accept discarded electronics, go to http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Ecycle/.

Other Disposal/Recycling Options

The Dane County Landfill at 7102 Hwy. 12 & 18 (Across from Yahara hills Golf Course) accepts waste from Dane County residents for a fee. Brush, logs, branches and wood chips are accepted, however yard waste is NOT accepted.

Dane County Clean Sweep, also at 7102 US Hwy. 12 & 18, is a place to bring hazardous household materials such as Oil-Based Paints and Paint-Related Products, Pesticides & Poisons, Household Products Containing Organic Solvents, Ignitables, and Aerosols, and Rechargeable Batteries. Follow the link or call (608) 838-3212 for more information about hours and fees.

Other Recycling Options in Dane County