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April 24, 2026

Anticipating potential flood impacts, the City of Oshkosh is providing residents with information on how to properly sort and dispose of flood-related debris to help support safe, efficient cleanup efforts. The City of Oshkosh is sharing the following information from the Winnebago County Solid Waste Department.

Residents cleaning up after flooding should separate debris by material type whenever possible. Keeping materials sorted helps ensure items are handled correctly and in accordance with state recycling and disposal requirements. Winnebago County Solid Waste identifies separate categories.

How to sort flood debris

Residents are encouraged to separate debris into the following categories:

  • Yard waste and small branches: Vegetation and branches up to 6 inches in diameter may be handled as yard waste. Tree trunks, logs, stumps, and root balls should be kept separate, as they are not accepted in the same stream.
  • Construction and demolition debris: This includes items such as drywall, framing lumber, plywood, shingles, non-asbestos insulation, carpeting, and floor coverings damaged by flooding or storm conditions.
  • Large appliances: Washers, dryers, HVAC units, microwaves, dishwashers, water heaters, refrigerators, and freezers should be separated from general trash.
  • Electronics: TVs, computers, printers, monitors, and gaming devices should be kept separate. Residents should dry items and wipe off soil or debris before disposal.
  • Scrap metal: Metal shelving, bed frames, mowers, and snowblowers should be separated. Any gasoline or oil must be drained into a lidded container and managed appropriately as hazardous material.
  • Household furniture and general household debris: Items such as couches, mattresses, dressers, tables, chairs, rugs, toys, clothing, and similar storm-damaged household contents may be disposed of with general flood debris.
  • Household hazardous materials: Paints, chemicals, fuels, and similar materials require special handling and are only accepted during scheduled collection opportunities through Winnebago County Solid Waste. Appointments are required.

Items that need special disposal arrangements

Some materials are not accepted through the standard Winnebago County Solid Waste flood debris streams. These include:

  • Tree trunks and branches over 6 inches in diameter
  • Stumps and root balls
  • Asbestos-containing materials
  • Large wood beams and large-scale demolition material
  • Sand, mud, silt, gravel, rocks, and boulders
  • Sandbags
  • Boats and water vessels

Residents should seek alternative disposal options for those materials.

Important reminders for residents

  • Separate debris by type before bringing it to a disposal location or placing it out for collection.
  • Do not mix hazardous materials, electronics, appliances, yard waste, and household trash together.
  • Dry off and clean mud or soil from electronics and household hazardous material containers when possible.
  • Construction debris and flood-damaged household debris should be kept separate from regular household garbage if possible.

For disposal options, household hazardous material appointments, and current facility information, residents can contact the Winnebago County Solid Waste Department at (920) 232-1800 or visit Winnebago County Solid Waste online.