Multifamily means an apartment building, a condominium, a cooperative housing unit, or any other property where a property manager or association coordinates waste collection service for residents of the housing. Multifamily properties generally have 5 or more units, but this varies by city.
Recycling is an easy and convenient way to reduce waste and protect the environment. Property owners and associations are required to provide residents with the opportunity to recycle and ensure they have the information to recycle right. Recycling service should be equal in capacity to trash service to capture all of the recyclable material generated by residents. We recommend recycling containers to have a capacity equivalent to at least 0.1 cubic yard per week for each residential unit.
If you are a resident of an apartment building or condo and recycling service is not available, call your city recycling coordinator.
If you are a property owner, manager or part of an association and you need help with your recycling program, free educational materials and on-site assistance is available.
Sign up to receive the Apartment Recycling newsletter for updates about new resources and grant information. See the most recent edition for an example of the content.
Free resources are available to property owners and managers to help inform residents about recycling. After you submit your order, someone will be in touch to finalize your order, offer a site visit, and arrange delivery. See what's available and order free resources.
Hennepin County revised its recycling ordinance in 2018 to include new recycling requirements for multifamily properties.
Browse the "how to comply guide" (PDF) for step-by-step instructions.
The county provides resources to assist multifamily properties in meeting these requirements.
Hennepin County provides funding, resources and assistance for apartment and condos to start or improve programs to divert recyclables and/or organics.
Hennepin County offers grants for multifamily properties to start or improve recycling or organics recycling, reduce contamination, prevent waste, and educate their residents on recycling and waste prevention.
Areas of focus can include purchasing bins and compostable bags, paying for hauling costs, constructing waste enclosures or chutes, managing or preventing the waste of bulky items, and educating residents. Applicants may apply for up to $3,000 for bins and compostable bags and up to $20,000 for all other categories combined. Review the grant flyer (PDF, 312KB) and 2024 multifamily recycling grant guidelines (PDF, 737KB) to learn more.
Eligible applicants include multifamily properties with shared waste collection service located in Hennepin County.
The 2024 application period has closed. Check back in early 2025 for the next grant round.
A variety of resources are available to property managers and residents to use to help improve recycling and make it easier: free recycling storage bags, aluminum signage, labels, and educational resources.
Order free container labels, posters, and flyers.
Contact the apartment recycling program coordinator to request assistance by emailing apartmentrecycling@hennepin.us.
The following properties received bin and compostable bag grants to improve recycling and organics recycling for their residents in 2023.
These properties received grants to reduce contamination, prevent waste, or start organics recycling at their buildings in 2023.
Property owners, managers and associations are required to provide residents with the opportunity to recycle. These tips can help you set up and maintain a successful recycling program at your building.
Residents in apartment and condo buildings want to recycle, but they don't always do it right. Hennepin County can help you set up a recycling system and provide educational materials for your residents. Free assistance from Hennepin County can greatly improve recycling at your building(s) making it easier for both managers and residents.
Contact the apartment recycling program coordinator at apartmentrecycling@hennepin.us to request assistance.
These tips can help you set up and maintain a successful recycling program at your building. The most important tool is clear communication. Studies show that posting two or three recycling reminders throughout the year can increase participation by as much as 20 percent.
Clearly label all recycling and trash containers. Use labels that include pictures of the materials that your residents can recycle. Use signs to direct residents to the correct containers.
Provide enough recycling service to accommodate all recyclables generated by residents. Recycling service should be at least equal to trash service; if your trash dumpster is 4 yards and serviced twice a week, your recycling dumpster should be as well. We recommend recycling dumpsters to have a capacity equivalent to at least 0.1 cubic yard per week for each residential unit.
If your building has only trash chutes, consider adding recycling bins next to the trash chutes to make recycling just as convenient as taking out the trash.
Give residents a recycling guide that includes a list of what can and can't be recycled when they move in.
Post instructions in the recycling and common areas of your building (laundry room, community room, mailroom, bulletin board, etc.) showing residents how to recycle.
Provide educational materials in multiple languages if some residents do not speak English.
Remind residents to recycle by giving information to new residents at move-in and by providing periodic recycling updates. At a minimum, recycling updates should be provided annually.
Inform your residents of the benefits of recycling and assure them that materials collected for recycling do get recycled.
Provide positive feedback to your residents who are recycling. Consider setting a goal for your building and tracking progress regularly. If you send out a building newsletter, consider adding a recycling section for regular updates and reminders.
Organics, which includes food scraps and food-soiled paper, make up about a third of residential garbage. Instead of going in the trash, organics can be composted into a nutrient-rich material that is used in landscaping and road construction projects to improve the health of our soil.
Most multifamily properties of 5 or more units are not required to offer organics recycling service to their residents. The ordinance’s residential organics requirement applies to single-family up to 4-unit dwellings and other residential households where each household has its own collection container, such as a townhouse. However, nursing and residential care facilities providing food and passing the weekly trash generation threshold (8 cubic yards or 1 ton per week) must divert food waste in back of house areas for beneficial use.
Though multifamily properties are not required to offer organics recycling service, the county offers assistance to help properties get started. Properties have several options for recycling organics.
Does your property have a garden, or outdoor space? If you have the space and a caretaker or knowledgeable resident to manage it, some food scraps and food soiled paper can be composted onsite using a compost bin.
Check with your city to see if they have a drop-off option. Some Hennepin County cities have organics recycling drop-off sites located throughout each city. There is no charge for your residents to use these drop-off sites but residents need to contact their city to sign up. Learn more about different drop-off sites that are available for residents or contact us to find the best drop-off option.
Properties can request organics hauling service from waste haulers for a fee. Check if your current trash and recycling hauler provides organics for composting hauling service.
Ensure the cart or dumpster is co-located with recycling carts and dumpsters in a waste collection area. All carts and dumpsters should be clearly labeled.
While composting is great for disposing of food scraps, preventing wasted food can have an even bigger impact – for the planet and your wallet. An average family of four tosses more than $2,500 worth of food away each year.
Check out Trash or Cash to see how much you can save with tweaking your kitchen habits. Also explore these resources:
Moving can create a lot of additional waste. You may notice extra charges on your invoices to manage bulky items. There are ways to reduce these charges by donation or recycling. Did you know that over 95% of a mattress can be completely recycled?
There are two drop-off sites for recycling mattresses.
Contact the transfer station at 612-348-3777
Cost: $25 per mattress or box spring
Directions to Brooklyn Park Transfer Station
8100 Jefferson Highway, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Contact Second Chance at 612-332-0664, ext. 14.
Cost: $35 per mattress or box spring
Directions to Second Chance Recycling
1179 SE 15th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Curbside pick-up service for mattresses is available to Hennepin County residents and condo and apartment building managers.
There are many charitable agencies in the region that are happy to take reusable household items and furniture in good condition left by your residents. Many even offer pickup service. Find charitable organizations that accept used items in the donation opportunities brochure (PDF).
Electronics and some common household products such as batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), paint and cleaners can be hazardous if disposed of improperly and shouldn't be thrown in the trash. Safe disposal is free and easy for residents at Hennepin County drop-off facilities. Other items, such as mattresses, appliances and tires, are accepted for a fee. Residents can find more information about specific items on the Green Disposal Guide.
Many electronics recycling companies in the metro will pick up electronics for recycling. This includes broken or unwanted electronics.
The information above refers to hazardous waste generated by residents. For information on managing hazardous items from businesses, like electronics, fluorescent bulbs and other chemicals, visit the Hennepin County page on managing and disposing of hazardous waste.
The recycling guide includes information on what you can and cannot recycle and recycling and disposal options for items not accepted in your recycling cart or dumpster at home.
The guide is available in the following languages: