MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee residents taking part in spring cleaning can have unwanted household items picked up for free May 6 through June 24 during the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works annual "Project Clean & Green."



Normally, residents are charged $50 to $150 for all bulky item pick-up requests larger than one cubic yard (about the size of an easy chair).



Here's how it works:



First, you must find your specific collection zone. You can do so by CLICKING HERE to take a look at the map, which shows seven zones based on your address.



Pickups are scheduled as follows (collection occurs on your regularly scheduled garbage collection day during your designated zone week):







Project Clean & Green





Then, you can gather up acceptable materials from your home, garage and yard, including broken furniture, mattresses, unusable household items, tires, grass clippings, tree trimmings and mixed yard waste.



It's important to note, this is the only time the city collects tires and yard waste other than the fall leaf collection and the April – November seasonal brush collection.



By 7 a.m. on your designated pickup day, you should place your unwanted items, up to two cubic yards of tree trimmings and leaves, yard and garden waste, and up to five tires at your regular garbage collection point -- either the curb or alley line. Yard waste and tires are each handled separately from general household debris and must be separated.



You can use brown paper yard waste bags available at area stores for their yard waste, or you can place it in piles at their collection point. However, grass clippings must be placed in a brown paper yard waste bag. Do not place loose grass clippings in a pile or in your garbage/recycling carts for pick-up.



For curb pick-up, please ensure that all items, including brush and leaves, are kept out of the street and instead placed along the area between the sidewalk and curb, on the lawn edge if there is no sidewalk, or at the end of the driveway. For alley collection, place items at the alley line.



Things like appliances, TVs and electronics, construction debris, paint and paint thinner, motor oil, and other hazardous waste won't be accepted. For those items, you're encouraged to visit a DPW Drop-Off Center or MMSD.