Blaine, MN Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Chapter 62, Article II of the Blaine City Code governs collection and disposal of refuse, yard waste and recyclable materials citywide, and section 62-20(c) bars anyone from depositing those materials on any street, alley, other public ground, vacant lot, or ground appurtenant to a building, except through the collection system the article establishes. The definitions in section 62-19 sweep broadly: "refuse" covers paper, cans, cardboard, glass, wood, ashes, fabric, food waste and furniture generated by a dwelling unit, while "yard waste" covers garden waste, leaves, lawn cuttings and tree trimmings.

Because Blaine has no chapter-specific fine for littering, a conviction falls under the Code's general penalty in section 1-7: a misdemeanor violation carries a fine of not more than $1,000.00, imprisonment up to 90 days, or both, plus the costs of prosecution, while a violation the Code or state law labels a petty misdemeanor caps the fine at $300.00. Section 1-7 also treats a continuing violation, such as an ongoing dump site, as a separate offense for each day it continues, and lets the city seek injunctive relief to abate it as a public nuisance.

A related but distinct offense sits in section 62-20(d)(2): scavenging recyclables set out at the curb before the licensed hauler collects them is a petty misdemeanor on a first offense and a misdemeanor on repeat offenses. Community Development's code enforcement staff and the Blaine Police Department handle complaints and inspections for dumping on public or private ground within city limits, separate from Coon Rapids or Spring Lake Park, whose codes govern their own streets and alleys.