Organics - food scraps and food-soiled paper products - make up about 25 percent of what we throw away. In organics recycling programs, organic waste is recycled into valuable compost used in landscaping and road construction projects instead of taking up space in a landfill or being burned in an incinerator.

Residents in several cities can add organics collection to their trash collection service. Hennepin County is working to make organics recycling programs an option for more county residents. If curbside collection of organics is not currently offered in your community, you can still reduce waste by composting in your back yard or dropping off your organics at the Brooklyn Park Drop-off Facility. 

Organics recycling programs

Organics recycling programs are offered by haulers in the following cities. If you live in an area where organics collection is an option, contact your city recycling coordinator or waste hauler for more information. See a list of haulers that collect organics for composting.

  • Edina (Morningside)
  • Loretto
  • Maple Plain
  • Medicine Lake
  • Medina
  • Minneapolis - see below for which neighborhoods
  • Minnetonka
  • Orono
  • St. Bonifacius
  • Wayzata

Organics recycling video

Learn about what's compostable in each room of your home, as well as how to collect organics for curbside recycling in Hennepin County: How to Collect Organics at Home.  

Frequently asked questions

How does organics recycling work?

Organics recycling is easy!

  1. Collect your food scraps and food-soiled paper products.
    • Consider using an ice cream bucket or kitchen scrap bucket to collect scraps in your kitchen. You can also collect your food scraps in paper milk, juice or ice cream cartons.
    • Collection containers in your home can be lined with a paper bag or compostable bag to help keep it clean. Compostable bags and kitchen scrap buckets are available at local retailers.
  2. Empty your organic waste into the organics cart provided by your waste hauler.
  3. Set out your organics cart on the curb on your trash collection day.

What materials are accepted?

Collect the following for organics recycling:

  • Food scraps
    • Fruits and vegetables
    • Meat, fish and bones
    • Bread, pasta and baked goods
    • Egg shells
    • Dairy products
    • Coffee grounds
  • Food-soiled paper products
    • Paper towels and napkins
    • Paper plates and cups
    • Milk and juice cartons
    • Pizza boxes
    • Egg cartons
    • Boxes from frozen and refrigerated foods
    • Waxed paper and paper containers
    • Coffee filters and tea bags
  • Other compostable items
    • Full vacuum cleaner bags
    • Dryer lint
    • Tissues and cotton balls
    • Floral trimmings and house plants

View a detailed list of what can and cannot be included in residential organics recycling.

Don't forget to continue to recycle as much paper, metal, plastic and glass as you can!

Will the organics smell?

Organics will smell the same as your household trash. Remember, it is the same waste you have now, just separated into containers.

To minimize odors, remember to put in food-soiled paper products or line your container with a paper bag to absorb liquid from food waste, line your container with a compostable plastic bag to contain liquid, empty your container frequently and rinse it out occasionally.

Is organics recycling better than using the garbage disposal?

Yes, recycling organic waste into compost is more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than using a garbage disposal. 

It takes energy and resources to process out solids including food waste at wastewater treatment plants. Food waste can also overload your septic system and cause problems.

Will organics recycling cost more?

Depending on how you set up your service, you could actually save money, or it may add just a few more dollars to your bill.

How do I make organics recycling available in my community?

Hennepin County continues to work with cities and haulers to expand residential curbside collection of organics. If you would like to have an organics recycling program in your city, let your hauler and elected officials know that you are interested in this service. Contact your city council members, mayor, and hauling company. Get interested neighbors to do the same.

Where is organics service available in Minneapolis?

Organics recycling service is currently only available to Minneapolis residents in Linden Hills and ECCO, as well as parts of the Seward, Longfellow and Howe neighborhoods. In Linden Hills, the city, Hennepin County and Linden Hills Power & Light are working together to make this pilot project as successful as possible. The results of the pilot will help determine whether the city would like to expand organics recycling to other Minneapolis neighborhoods.

Contact the city's Department of Solid Waste & Recycling to suggest a neighborhood that they should expand to next.