Saint Paul, MN Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Free allowance, small cart
- 2 bulky items + 1 holiday tree per year
- Free allowance, medium/large
- 3 bulky items + 1 holiday tree per year
- Extra items
- Additional fee applies per Sec. 220.05(b)(4)
- Prep requirement
- Items must be empty of food and liquids
- Advance notice
- 48 hours' notice to hauler for extra bulky pickup
- Holiday tree window
- Jan. 1–15, max 6 ft. and 20 lbs.
Summary
Saint Paul's base trash service already includes free bulky-item pickup, two items a year for small-cart households, three for medium or large carts, plus one holiday tree, under Sec. 220.05(a). Large discards like stoves, mattresses, and furniture beyond that allowance cost an additional fee, and every bulky item must be empty of food and liquids before it goes to the curb.
Base level service includes pickup of trash in one (1) of the service levels listed below and one (1) free cart change per calendar year. The base level service includes pickup of two (2) bulky waste items and one (1) holiday tree for RDUs who choose a small trash cart, and three (3) bulky waste items and one (1) holiday tree for RDUs who choose a medium or large trash cart. ... An RDU shall pay an additional fee for all bulky items not included in the base level services.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 220 folds bulky-item collection into the same coordinated system as regular trash. Bulky waste is defined in Sec. ' Sec. 05(a) folds a set number of these into the base monthly charge every RDU already pays: 'The base level service includes pickup of two (2) bulky waste items and one (1) holiday tree for RDUs who choose a small trash cart, and three (3) bulky waste items and one (1) holiday tree for RDUs who choose a medium or large trash cart' each calendar year.
A holiday tree, under Sec. 01(n), can be up to six feet long and 20 pounds, and must be set out between January 1 and January 15. Anything beyond the free allowance costs extra: Sec. 05(b)(4) states an RDU 'shall pay an additional fee for all bulky items not included in the base level services,' with rates set by council resolution rather than fixed in the code itself. Before setting a bulky item out, Sec. 04(e) requires it be 'empty of all food and liquids,' and any bulky pickup beyond the base allowance needs 48 hours' advance notice to the designated hauler under Sec.
04(f). Electronic waste, TVs, computers, monitors, cell phones and similar circuit-board devices under Minn. 1310, counts toward the same bulky allowance and is one of the few otherwise-restricted items still accepted in the bulky stream.
Violations & Fines
Setting out more bulky items than your base allowance without paying the extra fee, or leaving food and liquids in a discarded appliance, means the designated hauler can refuse the item. Sec. 220.04(e) and (g) treat non-conforming bulky waste as material haulers 'will not knowingly pick up,' leaving it to the owner to remove or arrange separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bulky items can I put out for free in Saint Paul?
What counts as bulky waste versus regular trash?
Do I need to schedule an extra bulky pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
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