Trash & Recycling in St. Louis County, MN (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Verified from official government sources
Recycling Requirements
Ordinance No. 45 bars anyone from placing materials separated for recycling into containers meant for collection or disposal as mixed municipal solid waste. A hauler who finds recyclables in a trash container may refuse to collect it and must notify the occupant of the reason, keeping recyclables out of the county's landfill waste stream.
St. Louis County, MN Recyclables Diversion Rule
Some RestrictionsOrdinance No. 45 (Solid Waste Ordinance), Article VI, § 8.1
8.1 No Person or legal entity shall place in containers for Collection by a Hauler or for Disposal in a Solid Waste Facility any of the following materials: manure, Household Hazardous Waste, Hazardous Waste, pathological waste or Infectious Waste as these wastes are defined by state and federal regulations, materials separated for Recycling, tires, used motor oil, lead acid batteries, recharge...
Illegal Dumping
St. Louis County Ordinance No. 45 makes it unlawful to dump, throw, or deposit solid waste on any roadway, waterway, or public or private property outside an MPCA-permitted facility's operating hours. The Environmental Services Department investigates violations, and offenders face a misdemeanor citation, charged fresh for each day the dumping continues.
St. Louis County, MN Illegal Dumping Ban
Heavy RestrictionsOrdinance No. 45 (Solid Waste Ordinance), Article VI, § 5.1
5.1 Except as provided in this Ordinance, no Person shall Dump, throw or in any manner deposit or Dispose of Solid Waste upon or in any roadway, waterway, body of water, public or private property, or at any MPCA-permitted Waste Facility other than during the facility's operating hours and in a manner consistent with Disposal of Solid Waste at the Waste Facility.
Yard Waste Collection
Ordinance No. 45 keeps yard waste out of the trash: Article VI, Section 8.1 bars placing yard waste, garden waste, leaves, grass clippings, and prunings in containers collected as mixed municipal solid waste. A hauler who finds yard waste mixed into a trash container can refuse to pick it up and must tell the occupant why.
St. Louis County, MN Yard Waste Disposal Ban
Some RestrictionsOrdinance No. 45 (Solid Waste Ordinance), Article VI, § 8.1; Article IV, Definitions
8.1 No Person or legal entity shall place in containers for Collection by a Hauler or for Disposal in a Solid Waste Facility any of the following materials: manure, Household Hazardous Waste, Hazardous Waste, pathological waste or Infectious Waste as these wastes are defined by state and federal regulations, materials separated for Recycling, tires, used motor oil, lead acid batteries, recharge...
Collection Schedule
Ordinance No. 45 requires every property owner, lessee, or occupant within the county's Solid Waste Management Area to arrange lawful collection, transportation, and disposal of all solid waste generated on the property. The County Board sets service fees by resolution, and unpaid charges become a lien collected the same way as delinquent property taxes.
St. Louis County, MN Mandatory Waste Collection
Heavy RestrictionsOrdinance No. 45 (Solid Waste Ordinance), Article VI, § 7
Section 7. Duty to Provide Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Solid Waste. It shall be the duty of the Person, which specifically includes the owner, lessee or occupant, having properties within the St. Louis County Solid Waste Management Area to provide for the lawful Collection, Transportation, and Disposal of all Solid Waste Generated on such properties.
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