Sanitation Services is responsible for the collection and disposal of residential solid waste for approximately 190,000 households in the City of Milwaukee. Residents have a designated date for collection from spring to fall, during the winter months this not possible because collection crews are diverted for snow and ice control. Sanitation provides supervision for snow and ice control.

The City’s curbside recycling program serving residents of single family through four-unit households is operated by Sanitation. The current collection system uses two methods: 95 gallon split carts that are collected monthly for about 85% of households, and 18-gallon bins that are collected weekly for about 15% of households.

Sanitation Services is also responsible for fall leaf collection and street and alley cleaning. In the spring of the year, the section operates Project Clean & Green which encourages neighborhoods to get rid of household clutter and “green up” their communities.