Residential organics recycling - Sign Up Now.
Español: Mi manera; Mi motive
Hmoob: Txheej txheem kev rov maub siz dua tshiab - Kuv Txoj Kev; Kiv li laj thawj rau kev maub siv dua tshiab
Somaaliga: Dib u warshadaynta Hadhaaga Cuntada; Dib u warshadaynta Hadhaaga Cuntada - Sabaabtayda
How does organics recycling work?
English: What is organics recycling?
Español:¿Cómo funciona el reciclaje de materiales orgánicos?
Hmoob: Kev sau khoom lwj rov mus us siv dua mus li cas?
Somaaliga: Ku soo celi abuurka/caynta organnikada dib-u isticmaalidda organnikada
What is accepted?
English: Tips for collecting organics at home; Detailed yes or no list
Español: Consejos para la recolección de materia orgánica en el hogar; SÍ or No Lista de Productos Orgánicos Residencuiales Aceptables
Hmoob: Tswv yim qhia txog kev sau tej khoom lwj taus tom tsev; Daim Ntawv Teev Cov Khoom Pub Siv Hauv Zej Zos Nyob (txuas ntxiv)
Somaaliga: Waxyaabaha organnikada yaryar ee guriga lagu uruuriyo; Liiska Waxyaabaha Dabiiciga Ah ee Guryaha
Organics collection service
Organics are collected every week. The maximum weight for an organics recycling cart and its contents is 200 pounds.
- Your organics cart must be at your collection point, at the alley or curb line, by 6 a.m. on your collection day each week.
- Customers who opt-in to participate are provided with an organics recycling cart, either small or medium. Properties with two or fewer dwelling units are provided with a small (32-gallon) organics recycling cart. Properties with more than two dwelling units are provided with a medium (64-gallon) organics recycling cart. You may request a larger or an additional organics recycling cart by calling Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917.
- City crews deliver and maintain all carts. If your cart is damaged, call Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917 to request for your cart to be repaired.
- Your collection day is assigned by the Solid Waste & Recycling Division. Routes are created so the Division operates in the most cost-effective way. Look up your collection day.
- In the winter, remember to shovel a 3 foot wide path to your cart, including snow left by the plow. See Snow Shoveling for specific shoveling requirements.
How to prepare your Organics Recycling
Collect organics in your home in a method convenient for you. Visit our Home Setup Tips webpage for examples of how to collect organics in your home. Before your collection day, place bagged (paper grocery bag or certified compostable plastic bag) organics into your organics recycling cart. Place your organics recycling cart at your collection point before 6 a.m. on your regularly scheduled collection day. Visit our Acceptable Organics webpage to see what all can be collected for organics recycling.
Home container labels
Label containers in your home so guests know how to properly sort their waste. Stickers are available for Solid Waste & Recycling customers to label your interior recycling, organics recycling, and trash containers located throughout your house. To order stickers to help improve your home collection system, call Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917 or email your request including the number of each type of stickers you want to [email protected]. If you are not a Solid Waste & Recycling customer, you may request labels, guides, and more from Hennepin County.
Educational tag
Our crews cannot pick up your organics recycling if there is a problem with it. Unacceptable organics will be marked with an educational tag. If you find a tag, please read it over to understand what the issue with your organics was, correct the problem, and place your organics recycling cart out on your next collection day.
Some reasons why your organics might not be picked up include:
- Your organics were not bagged.
- Your organics were in a non-compostable bag. Compostable plastic bags must have the BPI logo on them to be accepted. Paper grocery bags are also accepted.
- Yard waste was found in your organics recycling cart. See our Yard Waste webpage for proper yard waste set-out information.
- Non-compostable materials were found in your organics cart (e.g.: milk cartons, paper ice cream tubs, Chinese food take-out containers, non-compostable food-service items such as coffee cups, silverware, etc.)
- Organics cart was not shoveled and free from snow and ice.
- Organics was not at the pickup area, next to the garbage cart.
- Organics cart weighed over 200 pounds.
Collection time
Your organics recycling will be picked up at any time starting at 6 a.m. on your collection day. You may notice your organics are collected at about the same time every week. Please understand that changes in weather conditions, crew assignments and equipment problems can change your pickup to earlier or later in the day. Please make sure your organics cart is always out by 6 a.m. on your collection day.
Missed organics
If you do not find an educational tag and you believe your organics were missed, please wait until after 3:30 p.m. on the day of pickup before calling Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917. Sorry, but we will not return for your organics if your cart was not out on time.
Extra organics
Your weekly organics should fit in your organics recycling cart. You may place up to two pizza boxes next to the cart for collection each week. If you consistently have more organics than can fit in your cart, contact Solid Waste & Recycling to request a larger or an additional organics cart. Occasional extra organics may also be brought to one of the City's organics drop-offs.
Holiday schedule
When your collection day falls after a major holiday, collection will be one day later than normal. See the Holiday Schedule for more information.
If you have any additional questions, please call Solid Waste & Recycling at 612-673-2917 or by emailing [email protected].
Last updated Apr 1, 2020
