Time to Clean Out the Basement!

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On August 14th and 15th leases for most downtown area apartments end. That means that thousands of residents will be moving out of their old apartments and into new ones.

In 2018, Madison’s student moving days put over 1 million pounds of material into the landfill. That’s so much stuff. It is crucial to follow the rules and regulations 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 than that. Before you landfill it, donate it, or sell it, or best yet, move it with you.

See below for the resources to help reduce the amount of your stuff going to the landfill during these moving days.

FIRST – DONATE YOUR USABLE GOODS

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

Usable items like clean clothing, functional household items, small furniture, unopened nonperishable food, and kitchen items are all very easily donated.

There are many, many thrift stores in the Madison area that accept items. A list of several of them are later on this website.

(And don’t forget – you can probably sell your items through the Madison Stuff Exchange or several other person-to-person exchanges)

Apartment Building Sites

Goodwill donation stations have been set up at the following apartment buildings during move out times. The use of these apartment building donation stations are limited to residents of the respective buildings. For dates and other information, residents of these buildings should check with their property manager.

• • Equinox
  • 420 Gorham
  • 625 Langdon
  • Vantage Point
  • Grand Central
  • X01
  • Lucky
  • Regent
  • Henry Street Apartments
  • Highland
  • Embassy
  • La Ville
  • Park Regent
  • Varsity Quarters
  • The Hub

Other Donation Opportunities

If you do not live in one of the apartments listed above, and still have useable goods you would like to donate, and also maybe help out a good cause in the process, use these resources listed below. Be sure to contact the organization you would like to donate these items to before showing up just to be sure they accept what you have.
Agrace Thrift Store

• Madison East phone: 608-327-7200
• Madison West phone: 608-833-4556

Boomerangs Resale Store

• Phone: 608-268-0793

Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin

• Phone: 608-246-4730

Dane County Humane Society Thrift Store

• Phone: 608- 827-8997

Goodwill

• Madison East: 608-246-1990
• Madison West: 608-271-0048

Habitat for Humanity

• Madison East: 608-661-2813
• Madison West: 608-442-9919

Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM)

• Phone: 608-836-7338

Porchlight

• Phone: 608-257-2534, extension 20

Salvation Army

• Schedule a home collection: 1-800-728-7825

St. Vincent de Paul

• • Madison East: 608-257-0673
  • Madison West: 608-278-6370
  • Schedule a free home collection: 608-278-2920, extension 1

• St. Vincent de Paul’s Student Move Out Special Information

YWCA

• Phone: 608-257-1436, option 2

SECOND – FILL ‘EM UP & ROLL ‘EM OUT – DAILY COLLECTION

For 2019, the Streets Division will empty refuse and recycling carts in the downtown moving areaevery day between August 5 through August 15th.

During this window, fill up your carts with the appropriate material according to the guidelines below and roll them to the curb by 7:00 a.m.

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

Using your carts for refuse and recycling is easier than hauling bags or piling loose material to the curb. Plus, 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 July 29. Crews collecting large items and emptying carts will be assigned to the student move areas as needed.

GUIDELINES FOR CARTS

• Please keep your refuse and recycling separated from each other.
• Do NOT put trash in cardboard boxes. Boxes are recyclable. Stuffing them with trash means they get sent to the landfill. Flatten and bundle all of the boxes that cannot fit into the recycling cart or take the excess cardboard to a drop-off site.
• Only put recyclables in your green recycling cart.
• Do not put recycling in your tan refuse cart – all material in the tan cart goes to the landfill
• Put all recyclables at the curb in the green recycling cart or, if necessary, in clear plastic bags outside the filled cart. No loose piles of recycling, or stuffed into other containers.
• Put all refuse at the curb in your tan refuse cart or trash bags. Do not pile your trash loose at the curb.
• Make sure your carts remain accessible for our trucks and do not pile bagged trash, bagged recyclables, or large items around them.
• LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT’S CARTS THERE. Do not take them with you. The carts belong to the City and must remain behind when you move for the new tenants.

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 purchase a fee sticker prior to placing that item out for collection.

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.

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 LANDLORDS

In 2019, individuals that own non-owner occupied property in the student move area will have received a copy of this letter providing notification about how the Streets Division will handle certain items set to the curb that should not be.

Be sure your tenants know their responsibilities on how to safely handle these items.  Provide them with the Recyclopedia. You can also elect share with them the fact sheets we have for recycling, refuse, large item collection, and cart use.

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.

Sell or Give Away Usable Items or Find Bargains for Your New Apartment on the Madison Stuff Exchange.

Because so many people are moving into new apartments, the demand for used furniture and other household items will be very high. That makes this a great time to list items you no longer use on the Madison Stuff Exchange.

Residents of Madison and Dane County can register to use the site at no charge. Items can be given away or offered for sale. There is a maximum sale price of $99 for any item and businesses may not use the site to sell their products or services. Residents looking for items can also register and post their wanted list on line.

The address of the Madison Stuff Exchange is www.madisonstuffexchange.com.