How to get rid of stuff in Madison
Madison gives residents three free drop-off sites and a booked collection for large items, but bring proof you live here, because both are for Madison residents and taxpayers only. This guide covers the options in the order worth trying them.
- Options
- 5
- Free
- 3
- Last checked
- Written by
- The JunkSpots editors
In short
If you only read one thing on this page.
Costs nothing
The Salvation Army donation pickup
Free collection of furniture and household goods from your home, scheduled by ZIP code, funding The Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Centers.
Free
If you can't move it
Madison drop-off sites and large item collection
Booked kerbside collection for large items, plus three drop-off sites open to Madison residents, with a significant exception for larger apartment buildings.
They collect
Without booking
The statewide scheme for computers, televisions, printers and consoles, manufacturer-funded, landfill-banned, and, despite all that, usually not free when you turn up.
No appointment
Back into use
Hyperlocal gift groups where neighbours give things to each other for nothing. More than fourteen million members across fifty-plus countries, organised street by street.
Reused, not processed
From the editor
The most important thing about Madison is a rule that took effect on 1 January 2025 and that nobody tells you until it is too late: the Streets Division no longer provides large item collection for multi-family properties with more than eight units. That is the city's own wording. If you live in a building of that size, the kerbside route is simply not available to you, and the three drop-off sites are your route instead, or a private hauler. Everyone else books a work order first. The city is blunt that you must complete it before setting the items out, and unbooked items are not collected. Bring proof that you live here, because both the collection and the sites are for Madison residents and taxpayers. Electronics are the strongest reason to drive to a site rather than leave anything at the kerb. The city charges nothing for electronics recycling at its drop-off sites, and it may remove a computer or television left at the kerb and bill you thirty dollars for it. That gap between free and thirty dollars is entirely about which side of the kerb you put it on. One correction worth making, because the phrase misleads. E-Cycle Wisconsin is described as manufacturer-funded and these items are banned from landfill, which together sound like the recycling is free. The DNR says plainly that it usually is not: expect to pay at the counter. Manufacturer funding covers part of the system, not your particular television.
What residents need to know
Two municipal routes do most of the work. The Streets Division collects large items from the kerb once you have booked a work order, and three drop-off sites take most things free. The catch that catches people: since January 2025 the city no longer collects large items from buildings with more than eight units, so many apartment residents have to use the drop-off sites or arrange their own removal.
Where things go in Madison
Every option in this guide, arranged by the thing you are getting rid of. A missing name is not a refusal. It means nobody has told us either way, which is worth asking about before you make the trip.
| Item | Option | Run by | How you use it | Cost | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electronics | Buy Nothing Project | Private | Pickup | Free | By appointment |
| The Salvation Army donation pickup | Nonprofit | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| Madison drop-off sites and large item collection | Municipal | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| E-Cycle Wisconsin | Government | Drop-off | Paid | Not needed | |
| EZ 360 Junk Removal | Private | Pickup | Paid | By appointment | |
| appliances | Buy Nothing Project | Private | Pickup | Free | By appointment |
| The Salvation Army donation pickup | Nonprofit | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| Madison drop-off sites and large item collection | Municipal | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| EZ 360 Junk Removal | Private | Pickup | Paid | By appointment | |
| furniture | Buy Nothing Project | Private | Pickup | Free | By appointment |
| The Salvation Army donation pickup | Nonprofit | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| Madison drop-off sites and large item collection | Municipal | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| EZ 360 Junk Removal | Private | Pickup | Paid | By appointment | |
| bicycles | Buy Nothing Project | Private | Pickup | Free | By appointment |
| The Salvation Army donation pickup | Nonprofit | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| books | Buy Nothing Project | Private | Pickup | Free | By appointment |
| The Salvation Army donation pickup | Nonprofit | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| clothes | Buy Nothing Project | Private | Pickup | Free | By appointment |
| The Salvation Army donation pickup | Nonprofit | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| mattresses | Madison drop-off sites and large item collection | Municipal | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment |
| EZ 360 Junk Removal | Private | Pickup | Paid | By appointment | |
| toys | Buy Nothing Project | Private | Pickup | Free | By appointment |
| The Salvation Army donation pickup | Nonprofit | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment | |
| textiles | The Salvation Army donation pickup | Nonprofit | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment |
| tyres | Madison drop-off sites and large item collection | Municipal | Pickup, Drop-off | Free | By appointment |
| batteries | Nothing we have listed takes this yet. | ||||
| building materials | Nothing we have listed takes this yet. | ||||
| construction waste | Nothing we have listed takes this yet. | ||||
| garden waste | Nothing we have listed takes this yet. | ||||
| hazardous waste | Nothing we have listed takes this yet. | ||||
| paint | Nothing we have listed takes this yet. | ||||
Furniture
Book a work order before you put a large item out, unbooked items are not collected. Buildings with more than eight units get no city large-item collection at all since January 2025, so if you rent in a larger block the drop-off sites are your route.
-
Reuse
Buy Nothing Project
Buy Nothing Project
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, books, and 4 more
- Where
- Neighbourhood groups across the US and beyond
- Booking
- By appointment
-
Reuse
The Salvation Army donation pickup
The Salvation Army
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, clothes, and 5 more
- Where
- Nationwide
- Booking
- Book online
-
Municipal
Madison drop-off sites and large item collection
City of Madison Streets Division
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and 2 more
- Wait
- Collected during the work week following your chosen set-out Sunday. Holidays, leaf collection and storms can delay it.
- Where
- Sycamore (east)
- Booking
- Book online
View → Checked 18 Aug 2026
-
Removal
EZ 360 Junk Removal
EZ 360 Junk Removal
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and 1 more
- Won’t take
- By appointment only
- Cost
- On quote
- Wait
- "Same-day service available." The same page offers "priority scheduling with same-day availability".
- Where
- Madison and Dane County
- Booking
- By phone
Mattresses
Whether the city takes it for nothing depends on your address. Households that pay the Resource Recovery Special Charge get most items collected free, and the rest pay per item. EZ 360 is the paid alternative and quotes each job rather than publishing a price. Either way you have to book.
-
Municipal
Madison drop-off sites and large item collection
City of Madison Streets Division
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and 2 more
- Wait
- Collected during the work week following your chosen set-out Sunday. Holidays, leaf collection and storms can delay it.
- Where
- Sycamore (east)
- Booking
- Book online
View → Checked 18 Aug 2026
-
Removal
EZ 360 Junk Removal
EZ 360 Junk Removal
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and 1 more
- Won’t take
- By appointment only
- Cost
- On quote
- Wait
- "Same-day service available." The same page offers "priority scheduling with same-day availability".
- Where
- Madison and Dane County
- Booking
- By phone
Appliances
The three drop-off sites are Sycamore, South Point and Quann-Olin. The central one moved to Quann-Olin Parkway in April 2026, so older directions are wrong. One trip a day, and the load must fit a pickup bed or a single-axle trailer.
-
Reuse
Buy Nothing Project
Buy Nothing Project
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, books, and 4 more
- Where
- Neighbourhood groups across the US and beyond
- Booking
- By appointment
-
Reuse
The Salvation Army donation pickup
The Salvation Army
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, clothes, and 5 more
- Where
- Nationwide
- Booking
- Book online
-
Municipal
Madison drop-off sites and large item collection
City of Madison Streets Division
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and 2 more
- Wait
- Collected during the work week following your chosen set-out Sunday. Holidays, leaf collection and storms can delay it.
- Where
- Sycamore (east)
- Booking
- Book online
View → Checked 18 Aug 2026
-
Removal
EZ 360 Junk Removal
EZ 360 Junk Removal
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and 1 more
- Won’t take
- By appointment only
- Cost
- On quote
- Wait
- "Same-day service available." The same page offers "priority scheduling with same-day availability".
- Where
- Madison and Dane County
- Booking
- By phone
Electronics
Never put a computer or television at the kerb. The city may remove it and charge you a 30 dollar fee. Take it to a drop-off site instead, where electronics are free to residents.
-
Reuse
Buy Nothing Project
Buy Nothing Project
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, books, and 4 more
- Where
- Neighbourhood groups across the US and beyond
- Booking
- By appointment
-
Reuse
The Salvation Army donation pickup
The Salvation Army
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, clothes, and 5 more
- Where
- Nationwide
- Booking
- Book online
-
Municipal
Madison drop-off sites and large item collection
City of Madison Streets Division
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and 2 more
- Wait
- Collected during the work week following your chosen set-out Sunday. Holidays, leaf collection and storms can delay it.
- Where
- Sycamore (east)
- Booking
- Book online
View → Checked 18 Aug 2026
-
Recycling
E-Cycle Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Takes
- electronics
- Won’t take
- Households only, Not for business waste
- Cost
- On quote
- Where
- Wisconsin
View → Checked 18 Aug 2026 -
Removal
EZ 360 Junk Removal
EZ 360 Junk Removal
- Takes
- furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, and 1 more
- Won’t take
- By appointment only
- Cost
- On quote
- Wait
- "Same-day service available." The same page offers "priority scheduling with same-day availability".
- Where
- Madison and Dane County
- Booking
- By phone
Clothing & textiles
Madison's municipal service does not cover clothes and textiles, so both routes here are free ones that are not the city. The Salvation Army collects from the door by appointment and leaves a receipt. Buy Nothing is neighbour to neighbour, inside your own group.
-
Reuse
Buy Nothing Project
Buy Nothing Project
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, books, and 4 more
- Where
- Neighbourhood groups across the US and beyond
- Booking
- By appointment
-
Reuse
The Salvation Army donation pickup
The Salvation Army
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, clothes, and 5 more
- Where
- Nationwide
- Booking
- Book online
The words Madison uses
These are the terms on the city's own pages. They stay in the local language here for the same reason they do on a form: the English version will not get you to the right page.
- work order
- What you book before a large item goes to the kerb. Unbooked items are not collected.
- drop-off site
- One of the city's three, Sycamore in the east, South Point in the west, Quann-Olin in the centre, which moved to Quann-Olin Parkway in April 2026, so older directions are wrong. Proof of residency at the gate, one trip a day, a load no bigger than a pickup bed or a single-axle trailer, and no contractors.
- Resource Recovery Special Charge
- The charge on your home that makes most drop-off site items free. Without it, appliances are $35, smaller motorised items $15 and tyres $5–$10. Electronics are free to residents either way.
- Streets Division
- The city department behind both routes. Since January 2025 it no longer collects large items from buildings with more than eight units, so many apartment residents have to use the drop-off sites or arrange their own removal.
- E-Cycle Wisconsin
- The statewide electronics scheme. Wisconsin bans this equipment from landfill and incineration, but manufacturer-funded does not mean free at the counter, the DNR says fees vary between sites, so ring ahead. Madison's own drop-off sites charge residents nothing for electronics.
- Clean Sweep
- Dane County's route for household chemicals and paint. It is a county service rather than a city one, so it is not at the Streets Division's drop-off sites.
Things that catch people out
- Book a work order before you put a large item out. Unbooked items are not collected.
- Never put a computer or television at the kerb. The city may remove it and charge you a 30 dollar fee. Take it to a drop-off site instead, where electronics are free to residents.
- Buildings with more than eight units get no city large-item collection at all, a change made in January 2025. If you rent in a larger block, the drop-off sites are your route.
- The three sites are Sycamore, South Point and Quann-Olin. The central site moved to Quann-Olin Parkway in April 2026, so older directions are wrong.
- Fluorescent tubes and bulbs are refused at the drop-off sites. City and county ordinance requires any shop that sells them to take them back from customers.
- One trip a day, and the load must fit a pickup bed or a single-axle trailer. Contractors cannot use the sites at all.
- Household chemicals and paint go to Dane County Clean Sweep, which is a county service rather than a city one.
How to book Madison drop-off sites and large item collection
In order. The sequence is the content, several of these fail if you do them the other way round.
- Book a work order first. Unbooked items are not collected.
- Check your building: more than eight units and the city does not collect large items at all, a change made in January 2025. The drop-off sites are your route instead.
- Keep computers and televisions off the kerb. The city may remove one and charge you 30 dollars. They go free to a drop-off site.
- Put the item out once the work order is confirmed.
What it costs in Madison
What each option charges, in its own words, with the date we last read it. We publish no price of our own: a number we typed would go stale before the sentence it came from did.
| Option | Cost | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Buy Nothing Project Private · Pickup · Free · Booking needed | Free Free. Nothing is sold or bartered. Everything is given. | |
| The Salvation Army donation pickup Nonprofit · Pickup · Drop-off · Free · Booking needed | Free Free, including the pickup. You get a receipt, and donations are tax deductible under IRS rules. | |
| Madison drop-off sites and large item collection Municipal · Pickup · Drop-off · Free · Booking needed | Free Most items free if your home pays the Resource Recovery Special Charge. If not, appliances are $35, smaller motorised items $15 and tyres $5–$10. Electronics are free to residents either way. | |
| E-Cycle Wisconsin Government · Drop-off · Paid | On quote Manufacturer-funded, but usually NOT free at the counter. The DNR's own wording: "Recycling fees vary between sites and calling ahead can help determine the total cost of recycling your electronics." | |
| EZ 360 Junk Removal Private · Pickup · Paid · Booking needed | On quote Paid service. Prices are quoted by the company, not published here. |
Check who is carrying it away
The risk nobody mentions
Once someone drives away with your things, what happens next is on their word. These are the questions that get an answer worth having, and they work whatever the rules are where you live.
Ask where it goes
Not “we recycle”, the name of the place. A company that sorts for reuse can tell you who receives it.
Ask for it in writing
A message you can keep is worth more than an assurance on the doorstep, and costs an honest operator nothing.
What we cannot check
Licensing works differently in every country and we hold no licence data, so we never call a listed option licensed.