Recycling Announcements

Announcements

• Upcoming Backyard Compost Workshops:

  • August 23: Details & Sign-up
    • This class will be taught in Spanish only
    • Hosted by City Garbage Team & CLUES. Includes free backyard composting container and starter kit.
  • August 31: Details & Sign-up
    • Hosted by City of Saint Paul Libraries & U of M Extension Master Gardeners
  • September 18: Details & Sign-up
    • Hosted by City Garbage Team & Frogtown Green. Includes free backyard composting container.
  • September 24: Details & Sign-up
    • Hosted by City Garbage Team & Frogtown Green. Includes free backyard composting container.

• The second 2022 Citywide Recycling Drop-off Event is September 17. 

  Recycling Drop-off Event Details

• A new food scraps pickup program is coming in 2023. Soon you'll be able to dispose of food scraps for composting from your cart at home!

  Food Scraps Pickup Program Details and Updates

• Are you a food service business owner in Saint Paul? Changes are coming to the requirements for to-go packaging.

  Green To-go Packaging Details

• There is a NEW 24/7 food scraps (organics) drop-off site located in the Highland Park neighborhood!

  Food Scraps Drop-off Site

• Eureka Recycling is offering virtual tours! Join them to learn about the recycling process and zero-waste efforts going on throughout the City.

  Recycling Tour Sign-up

New Recycling Studies and Reports

• The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries recently released their 2021 Economic Impact Study for the United States Recycling Industry. This highlights the impacts that recycling has on jobs, manufacturing, taxes, agriculture, and transportation. 

  2021 Economic Impact Study, U.S.-Based Recycling Industry

• In 2020, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released their Recycling Economic Information Report (REI) which aims to increase the understanding of the economic implications of material reuse and recycling.

  Recycling Economic Information Report

• The recycling industry has truly recovered from China's 2018 National Sword! Read the article from the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) for details.

  Recycling Markets Have Strongly Recovered Since National Sword

COVID-19 Protocols 

The COVID-19 pandemic, has many Saint Paul residents taking the time to do extra cleaning, both indoors and out. Here are a few helpful recycling and disposal tips and resources:

• City recycling and garbage services are running on their normal schedules. Make sure all materials fit into your garbage or recycling carts.
• Depending on the size of the garbage cart, residents in 1-4 unit properties can have two or three free bulky items collected at no additional cost. If you have large, bulky items to dispose of, please call your garbage hauler to schedule pick up. Learn more at stpaul.gov/bulky.
• Residents can drop off acceptable recyclable materials, including large, flattened cardboard at Saint Paul’s recycling Drop-Off Center. Find location and hours on the Recycling Drop-off Page.
  • Residents can pay to drop of large items at area transfer stations. For a list of locations and hours visit ramseycounty.us/content/garbage.
• Learn how to properly recycle or dispose of many items with Ramsey County’s “A to Z Disposal Guide” at RamseyRecycles.com/AtoZ.
• Household organics and food scraps will continue to be composted by Ramsey County. To find drop-off locations and hours, visit the Organics Recycling Page.
• Properly dispose of all Household Hazardous Waste by dropping items off at Ramsey County’s free hazardous waste sites. Learn more at RamseyRecycles.com/HHW.
• Residents in 1-4 unit properties can put yard waste in a compostable bag to be collected by your garbage hauler for $3 per bag, plus tax (please call your garbage hauler). Find your garbage hauler contact information at stpaul.gov/garbage.
• Yard waste can also be dropped off at Ramsey County’s yard waste sites. For more information, visit the Ramsey County Yard Waste Page.
• Donations of gently used but good items have temporarily been suspended at many collection sites. Please check with the organization before planning to drop any items off. For more information, visit the Ramsey County Reuse and Donation Page.
• For options to get rid of your excess clutter, view the new Fall Disposal Guide. Additionally, check out the Saint Paul Bulky Item Collection Program or search the Ramsey County A to Z Disposal Guide for alternative options. 
• Reuse, Recycling & Disposal Guide