City of Milwaukee residents noticing trash piling up after holidays

MILWAUKEE -- Due to the holidays, City of Milwaukee garbage and recycling collection has hit a snag, and many are wondering when their trash will be picked up, especially since there's a lot more of it, with all the trash from holiday parties and gift giving piling up!

Wanda Booker is a sanitation services manager for the City of Milwaukee. She says every year there is confusion during and after the holidays, as to when exactly the trash will be picked up. Booker explains there are four City holidays: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day and on these days, there is no garbage or recycling collection. "Most of the time, the holidays fall mid-week, so people understand that it's Christmas Eve or it's Christmas Day, so we're not collecting. When it's on a weekend, as it has been this year, it's a little difficult for people to understand why we didn't work that Friday and that Monday," Booker says.

Booker says people who had their garbage collected Tuesday were last collected back on December 22nd, so they have their Christmas and New Year's trash in their garbage carts. Residents near 13th and Edgerton saw garbage trucks in their neighborhood Tuesday, and they were likely a bit happier than normal to get their overflowing trash collected. "We were just wondering when the garbage would be picked up, and then we heard the trucks and said 'oh, they're here today!'" one resident said.

Booker says in an effort to address the mess, crews did collect trash last Friday, December 30th, and Tuesday. Additional pieces of equipment are being utilized in an effort to catch up. "It's pretty full, but we're going to get it knocked out, and everybody should be looking good," Booker said.

Booker says anyone with questions about the City of Milwaukee's garbage or recycling schedules and protocol can call 414-286-CITY for answers, or visit their website.