Saint Paul, MN Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)

Sec. 09(a)(3) of the Legislative Code makes source separation of compostable materials mandatory citywide, to the extent Ramsey County's solid waste ordinances permit it. Every owner, lessee or occupant of residential, commercial and industrial property must either set separated compostable materials out for collection in the manner and frequency the city's director of public works prescribes, or deliver them directly to a composting facility the department of public works has approved. The department of public works enforces the mandate under subsection (a)(4), weighing which sector, residential, commercial, institutional or industrial, is falling short of state and county recycling goals when it decides where to focus enforcement.

Containers used by buildings of four units or fewer that store compostables outdoors must be durable, rust-resistant, nonabsorbent, watertight, rodent-proof and fitted with close-fitting, fly-tight covers under subsection (c). Penalties are spelled out in subsection (f): a resident in a building of four units or fewer who violates the separation mandate is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and faces a $25 fine, while other violators face a petty misdemeanor fine of up to $100. The city must issue a written warning for a first violation, and every day the violation continues after that counts as a separate offense, so fines can stack quickly for a property that never corrects course. The public works department, not DSI, is the named enforcement authority for this section.