Brush, Leaves & Yard Waste

Rake your leaves to the curb for collection by the vacuum trucks. There are no districts for leaf collection.

leaf_truck

Fall Leaf Collection

Leaves are collected at the curb in the spring and fall of each year.  Fall collection is scheduled to begin when the leaves start to fall, usually in early October, and will continue until approximately early December, weather permitting. There are no districts for leaf collection. Vacuum trucks circle the city and collect leaf piles as they see them. To ensure that crews can access your leaves with the vacuum trucks, please note the following:

  • Places leaves on the curbside terrace (not in the street or gutter) in rows no wider than 3-4 feet.
  • Avoid placing leaves near sign posts, mailboxes, tree trunks, parked cars, or other obstacles.
  • Do not mix trash, brush, or other yard waste with your leaves. Leaves mixed with other matter will not be collected to prevent damage to the vacuum equipment.
  • Leaves can also be taken to the City’s yard waste drop-off site.

Interested in managing your leaves sustainably and improving the health of Lake Monona? 

Check out Monona's Adopt a Storm Drain Program!

Yard Waste Drop-Off Site

Open through late fall


Monona's free yard waste drop-off site for leaves, grass clippings, and garden waste (shown at right) is open from spring through late fall.  The site is located at the Public Works Garage on Edna Taylor Parkway, between Femrite Drive and East Broadway, next to the Monona Dog Park. Please note that this site does not accept brush. See above for information on Monona's curbside brush collection schedule.
yard waste site3

Brush  Collection

Final pickup of the year in October

The City contracts with Barnes, Inc. for curbside brush collection.  Brush is collected 4 times per year from April through October with each collection divided into 4 districts.  If you're not sure which district you reside in, click to view a map or a listing of districts by street. 

2020 Brush Collection Schedule

DISTRICT 1DISTRICT 2DISTRICT 3DISTRICT 4
April 6April 13April 20April 27
June 1June 8June 15June 22
August 3August 10August 17August 24
October 5October 12October 19October 26

View a map of brush collection districts         

View a listing of brush collection districts by street

Brush Collection Requirements


  • Residents should place their brush at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on Monday of their scheduled collection week. Once the collection for a street is completed, crews will not return until the next scheduled pick-up week.  We cannot ensure collection of brush if it is not at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on Monday.
  • Residents should not place their brush at the curb more than 14 days before their scheduled pick up week.
  • The free collection is for routine tree trimmings and yard maintenance; it is not for the disposal of entire trees.  Brush generated by a private contractor must be disposed of by the contractor.
  • Brush pile size should not exceed 4' x 4' x 10'.  If there are multiple piles at one residence, the combined size of all piles must not exceed 4' x 4' x 10'.  Limbs should not exceed 6 inches in diameter and 10 feet in length. Residents who have more brush than allowed per the pile size limit must remove or dispose of the brush within 7 days after the scheduled collection. Options for disposing of the additional brush include:
    • Contact Barnes, Inc. at (608) 845-3230 or any tree company of your choice to have the additional brush collected for a fee.
    • Take the additional brush to the Dane County Landfill for a disposal fee of $10, up to 500 pounds.
  • Brush should be uniformly stacked behind the curb, untangled, with all cut ends facing the street or parallel with the street facing the direction of traffic for your side of the street.
  • Keep brush separate from other refuse at the curb and do not mix brush with other yard waste.  Brush which is mixed with leaves, garden waste or yard waste can not be collected.
  • Tree roots, root balls, stumps, and logs can not be chipped without damaging the machinery. Remove any roots or root balls and place these in your regular trash.
  • Thorny brush should be piled separately so as to minimize injury to collection personnel.

Dropping Off Your Brush


The City of Monona does not have a drop-off site for brush. Outside of the regular brush collection schedule, residents who have brush to dispose of will need to contact a private contractor.  The Dane County Landfill (located on Hwy. 12 just east of Interstate 90) will also take brush for a fee.