Recycling rules in Kenosha, WI

📍 City of Kenosha · 2-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Kenosha, WI

Kenosha, WI collects its own residential waste: City of Kenosha operates the carts directly rather than contracting the route to a private hauler. Households get two carts — a recycling cart for recyclables and a garbage cart for everything else. There is no curbside compost cart, so food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the garbage cart.

That two-cart setup is the norm for most of the country — curbside food-scrap collection remains rare outside California and a handful of West Coast and Northeast cities.

The quick answer for Kenosha, WI

Plastic bottles & jugs♻️ Recycling cartEmpty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans♻️ Recycling cartGive them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard♻️ Recycling cartClean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars♻️ Recycling cartLids off.
Food scraps🗑️ Garbage cartNo curbside compost cart here.
Greasy pizza box🗑️ Garbage cartNo curbside compost cart here.
Plastic bags & film🗑️ Garbage cartStore drop-off is better.
Batteries⚠️ HazardousNever curbside — tape the terminals.

This is the short list. The full A–Z of what is and isn't recyclable is on what can I recycle? — or scan the item and get the answer for Kenosha, WI directly.

📷 Scan an item

Kenosha, WI recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Kenosha, WI?
Not in your recycling cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Kenosha uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your garbage cart.
What do I do with batteries in Kenosha, WI?
Batteries never go in any of your Kenosha, WI carts — not the recycling cart, not the garbage cart. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

Popular item guides

How to dispose of medicationsHow to dispose of light bulbsHow to dispose of motor oilHow to dispose of a refrigeratorHow to dispose of a couchCan you recycle styrofoam?

More recycling guides

Kent, WAKilleen, TXKirkland, WAKissimmee, FLKnoxville, TNLa Canada Flintridge, CALa Habra, CALa Mesa, CA

Still not sure?

Rules vary by material and by hauler, and the sorting line is strict — one wrong item can contaminate a whole load. When in doubt, point your camera at the item for a verdict, or check the official City of Kenosha guide.