Trash & Recycling in Rochester, MN (2026)
5 verified trash & recycling rules for Rochester, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Rochester requires refuse containers to be stored in or next to the garage, or next to the residence when there is no garage, and kept clean, sanitary and in good repair. Containers may sit at the curb only from the evening before scheduled pickup and cannot stay past 24 hours after collection.
Rochester Trash Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code §§ 12-10-2, 12-10-3 & 7-4-56
All refuse containers shall be stored in or adjacent to the garage, or adjacent to the residence if there is no garage. Each container shall bear the name of the commercial hauler supplying it. During collection periods the containers shall be placed adjacent to but not in the traveled portion of the right-of-way. No container shall be kept adjacent to the right-of-way for longer than 24 hours....
Illegal Dumping
Rochester makes it unlawful to dump refuse on anyone else's property or to drop trash into a container that belongs to someone else without that person's consent. The prohibition sits in the solid waste chapter alongside the city's hauling and disposal rules, and it is enforced as a Code violation with jail time and fines on the table.
Rochester Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsRochester City Code § 12-10-16
It is unlawful for any person to deposit refuse in any manner on the property of another or to place refuse in a refuse container belonging to another person, without the consent of such person.
Yard Waste Collection
Rochester lets residents keep spring and fall yard waste out of the regular garbage stream: leaves, grass clippings and similar material that pile up between pickups can be bagged in fiber boxes or plastic bags and taken to a composting facility or disposed of on site, rather than forced into the weekly refuse cart.
Rochester Seasonal Yard Waste Rules
Light RestrictionsRochester City Code § 12-10-17
In residential areas during spring and fall, when a great amount of leaves, grass trimmings, and similar material, may accumulate between collections, such items may be stored in fiber boxes, plastic bags or similar containers and shall be disposed on site or at a composting facility.
Dumpster Rules
Rochester City Code § 8-3-3 treats a construction dumpster, roll-off, or compactor left on a residential lot as a public nuisance once it overstays its welcome. A dumpster may sit on a site zoned R-Sa, R-1, R-1x, R-2, R-3, or R-4 for up to 90 days a year and must not block traffic; it must come down within five days of permit expiration or final inspection.
Rochester Caps Residential Dumpsters at 90 Days
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 8-3-3(a), (b)
(a)The common council finds that dumpsters on residential property are necessary for temporary projects such as remodeling, clean up, landscaping, renovations and construction activities. However, the extended presence of dumpsters on residential property may cause aesthetic, health and safety concerns, especially for adjacent property owners, and, as such, are declared to be public nuisances. ...
Collection Schedule
Rochester requires refuse pickup at least once a week at every residential and commercial property. Standard collection runs between 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., never on Sundays or on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving or Christmas, with earlier 4:00 a.m. starts allowed in approved commercial and industrial zones.
Rochester Trash Collection Schedule Rules
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 12-10-13
Refuse shall be collected from residential and commercial properties at least once weekly. Except as hereinafter provided, all such collection shall be made between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Collections shall not be made on Sundays or on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving or Christmas. In areas zoned and used for commercial and industrial purposes that hav...
Looking for Olmsted County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Rochester city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Olmsted County →