Yard & Garden

Yardwaste Disposal

Emerald Ash Borer: Information about identifying and preventing the spread of this destructive tree pest.
New Compostable Bag Requirements: Residents of Hennepin County, excluding Minneapolis, who bag their yard and organic waste are now required to put their waste out for pick up in compostable bags. Learn more about the new requirements.
Yard Waste Disposal: Options for disposing of yard and tree waste including a listing of drop-off sites in the metro area.

Backyard Composting: Backyard composting is an easy way to turn much of the waste from your yard and kitchen into a rich organic material that you can use to improve your soil.
Compost Bins: Hennepin County is no longer selling compost bins. Some suggestions for where to find compost bins.
School Compost Events: Kids to plant gardens with compost collected from their school organics recycling programs

Actions to Improve Water Quality: Ten actions you can take to improve Minnesota's lakes, rivers and streams.
Clean Air Landscaping: Clean air landscaping is an approach that uses innovative landscape design and maintenance to minimize air pollution.
Earth-Friendly Home Landscaping Guide: Learn about earth-friendly home lanscaping practices, including low input lawn care, plant selection, rain gardens, composting and rain barrels.
Earth-friendly Lawn Care Tips: Follow these tips to have a great looking lawn and minimize your impact on the environment.
Eco-Yards: Hennepin County maintains two eco-yards where residents can learn about environmentally friendly, sustainable landscaping, including rain gardens, prairie plantings, fescue lawns, trees and shrubs and permeable pavers.
Rain Barrels: Rain barrels can be placed under a roof downspout to collect stormwater runoff that can be used for watering your lawn and gardens. This reduces runoff that carries pollutants into streams and rivers.
Rain Gardens: Rain gardens reduce runoff by helping water infiltrate into the ground rather than running off into storm sewers.
Winter maintenance and salt use workshop: Protect Minnesota's water resources by learning about selecting and properly applying deicers and other snow removal methods.

Beginning in 2012, Hennepin County will no longer accept trash from residents at the Brooklyn Park Drop-off Facility.