GARBAGE AND RECYCLING
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Additional Recyclables: All recyclables should be placed in your recycling cart. Additional recyclables that will not fit in a full cart can be placed in clear plastic bag(s) next to the recycling cart - provided the homeowner has called Pellitteri ahead of time and prepaid for the additional bag(s). Do not put any bags to the curb unless you have prepaid. Pellitteri will accept bags up to 32 gallons in size no heavier than 50 lbs. This includes cutting down cardboard boxes to fit in those bags (not bundled, not placed in a bigger box). Improperly prepared additional recyclables will not be picked up. The driver will leave a notification sticker on the resident’s cart. Click here for more information regarding recycling.
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Appliances, Furniture, or Large Items: Habitat for Humanity accepts donations of a variety of working appliances and furniture in excellent condition. Click here ​for a full list of acceptable items. Appliance pick up or drop off is also available from Gary's Appliances, 2405 Vondron Rd. Call (608) 221-1150 for more information. Most large items and appliances can be picked up by Pellitteri, although you must call ahead and there may be a fee. For more information call (608) 257-4285.
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Batteries: Please do NOT put batteries—or any devices containing batteries—in your trash or recycling containers. They can start fires. If you need to charge a device, it has a battery. Don't throw it out. Take it to a drop-off site. Visit call2recycle.org or batteriesplus.com for a nearby drop-off site. Please remove all batteries from items you set out for the annual curbside clean-up. View this short video on the dangers of batteries and propane tanks. Learn more about safe disposal in Pellitteri's Op-Ed piece here.
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Construction and ​Remodeling Debris: Habitat for Humanity accepts donations of a variety of construction materials in excellent condition. Click here for a full list of acceptable items. Dane County Land Fill also accepts construction materials. Please visit Dane County Land Fill's website for more information. Pellitteri can provide a dumpster. Please call (608) 257-4285 for pricing.
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Electronics: Wisconsin's electronics recycling law establishes a statewide recycling program administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The program, called E-Cycle Wisconsin, puts in place a system to collect and recycle discarded electronics. For more information on E-Cycle Wisconsin, please click here. Clean Sweep will take TVs and computer monitors for a fee per electronic. Visit the Dane County Clean Sweep website for more information.
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Empty Containers & Solid Material: When a container is empty or the material in it is solid, it is no longer hazardous and may be thrown out in the regular trash. The exceptions to this rule are solids or powders containing pesticides, poisons, mercury, lead, or other heavy metals. Empty paint cans cannot be recycled. Put the empty or solid 1 or 5 gallon containers, without the lids, out for curbside pickup.
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Hazardous Waste (paints and paint-related products, pesticides, poisons, household products containing organic solvents, ignitable, and aerosols): Dane County Clean Sweep accepts hazardous waste. For more information, please visit Clean Sweep's website or call (608) 838-3212.
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Mattresses: Please visit amerisleep.com/blog/mattress-donation/ for more information about ways to dispose of your old mattress.
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Medications and Prescriptions: Medication should not be flushed down the sewer or placed in the refuse. In Dane County, there are ten MedDrop box locations that are open year-round for disposal of your unwanted medicines. To dispose of medications in the MedDrop drop boxes, please bring your unused or expired medication and a Ziploc or other resealable bag to any MedDrop location. Empty the contents of pill bottles into a zip lock bag and recycle your pill bottles. Leave liquids, gels, or creams in their original containers and place them in a Ziploc bag as well. Put sealed Ziploc bags into the MedDrop box. For a listing of items you can dispose of at MedDrop and MedDrop box locations, please visit this website.
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Plastic bottle caps: Put them back on the container and put in the recycling bin. The two types of plastic will be sorted out once it’s melted down.
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Sharps: Sharps, such as medical needles, syringes, and lancets pose a problem for collection crews when they are improperly mixed with trash or recyclables. Sharps are a significant health concern for all workers who handle solid waste whether at the curb, the landfill, or the recycling facility. All needle stick injuries require workers to undergo extensive testing, pose serious disease risks, and can cause long-term emotional stress. State regulations require households to safely package sharps for proper disposal and prohibit putting sharps in the landfill. Place your used sharps in a red plastic sharps disposal container or a used plastic laundry bottle labeled with a "Biohazard" or "Sharps" sticker. Stickers are available at participating pharmacies or by calling (608) 267-2626. When your container is full bring it to a participating pharmacy or sharps disposal location.
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Styrofoam: Reynolds Recycling is able to accept Styrofoam peanuts. Please call (608) 906-4244 or visit their website for more information.
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Thermostats: Due to health problems associated with mercury, old thermostats and thermometers should be recycled through Dane County Clean Sweep.
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Water-Based Products & Cleansers: Latex paints and water-based products are not hazardous. Cleansers or any product that would have gone down the drain in normal use may be flushed down a sanitary sewer drain including septic systems. Flush small amounts of latex paint (less than 1/3 full container) or if not in its original container down a sanitary sewer drain. If the paint is hard on the bottom with some liquid on top (latex paints and driveway sealant), pour the liquid down a sanitary sewer drain. Water-based semi-solid like caulk, joint compound, adhesives, and glues may be thrown in your regular trash.
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More Information
Town of Dunn residents: Call (608) 838-1081 ext.1
Pellitteri: Call (608) 257-4285 for questions related to curbside pick-up and dumpster rental.