If you are the first time owner of a newly constructed house, please contact our office and the city will provide the first recycling cart, free of charge.  If you have purchased an existing home, the previous owner should have left a recycling cart.  If you need a replacement cart, for any reason, it must be purchased from the city.

Recycling Instructions

Metal, Glass & Plastic Containers

Please rinse all containers and remove all lids/caps.  Labels may remain on the containers.  Aluminum and tin cans; glass bottles and jars; and plastic containers with codes 1-7 in a triangle are acceptable.  Place loose in your recycling cart.  No bags please. 

Please do not include any of the following:

• aerosol
• broken glass
• dishes
• drinking glasses
• light bulbs
• molded plastic
• paint cans
• paper tissues
• paper towels
• plastic bags
• Plastic with no code
• scrap metal
• Styrofoam
• vases
• waxed paper
• window glass

Paper and Mixed Residential Mail (Junk Mail)

Items allowed:

• Catalogs
• Inserts
• Magazines
• Mixed residential mail
• Newspapers
• Phone Books

Items not allowed:

• Napkins
• Newspapers still in plastic bags
• Paper plates
• Shredded Paper

Corrugated Cardboard

Please only recycle in small amounts. Flatten all cardboard, no larger than 36 inches square.

Items Allowed:

• Paperboard
• Cereal boxes
• Cracker/snack boxes
• Dry food boxes
• Pop/beer boxes

Items not allowed:

• Wax coated boxes (butter, frozen food items)

Household Hazardous Wastes

Fluorescent light bulbs; paint, stain or varnish cans; and aerosol cans are considered to be “hazardous” wastes.  They cannot be included as recyclable items or in your regular refuse.  Please bring these items to the Stearns County Household Hazardous Waste Facility. 

Any questions regarding the disposal of other household hazardous wastes – paints, solvents, insecticides – please call Stearns County Household Hazardous Waste at 255-6140.