What Can & Can't Go in a Dumpster in Wisconsin

Wisconsin, like every state, restricts a specific list of materials from ordinary landfill disposal. Here's the plain-English rundown of what's fine and what isn't.

What can go in

Wood, drywall, tile, flooring, furniture, general household junk, yard debris and clippings, roofing shingles and small appliances are all fine in a standard mixed load. Breaking bulky items down before they go in makes a real difference to how much you actually fit.

What's banned statewide

• Paint, solvents and oils in liquid form
• Tires
• Batteries
• Hazardous chemicals
• Propane tanks and gas cylinders
• Medical or biohazard waste
• Asbestos-containing material

Wisconsin DNR publishes the full statewide list and where restricted items actually need to go instead — we'll point you to the right facility for anything on this list rather than let it become someone else's problem.

Appliances need special handling

Small appliances are fine as-is. Anything containing refrigerant — refrigerators, freezers, window AC units — needs the refrigerant professionally recovered before it can go to a landfill. Set those aside and we'll point you to the right place.

Paint is a common gray area

Wet or liquid paint is on the banned list. Latex paint that has fully dried out solid can go in the dumpster; anything still wet needs to go to a household hazardous waste collection instead.

Concrete and dirt are allowed — but weight-limited

Clean concrete, brick and fill dirt are allowed, but they need to be a dedicated single-material load in a smaller container (usually a 10 or 15 yard) since they hit the weight limit long before they fill the box. Keeping them separate from mixed debris also means the material can go to a recycler rather than the landfill.