Blue Earth County, MN Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Sec. 16-11(a) makes the owner, lessee, and occupant of any premises, business establishment, or industry responsible for the satisfactory storage of all solid waste accumulated there, and bars any building, structure, area, or premises from being constructed or maintained for human occupancy, use, or assembly without adequate facilities for sanitary and safe storage, collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste. Sec. 16-11(b) requires putrescible waste such as garbage to go in durable, rust-resistant, nonabsorbent, watertight, rodentproof, and easily cleanable containers with close-fitting, fly-tight covers and adequate handles, or in another container type approved by the environmental services department and compliant with state agency regulations; the department, or the solid waste collection service it approves, sets allowable container size and weight.

Sec. 16-11(c) extends putrescible-waste container standards to any mixed storage of putrescible and nonputrescible waste. Sec. 16-11(d) requires toxic or hazardous waste to be kept in durable, leakproof, clearly labeled containers stored safely and in compliance with agency rules. Sec. 16-11(e) requires all storage containers to be maintained to prevent nuisance or unsanitary conditions, and Sec. 16-11(f) requires oversized waste unsuited to containers to be stored in a pollution-free, nuisance-free manner satisfactory to the department. Sec. 16-11(g) caps how long waste may sit out: it may not be stored on public or private property for more than two weeks without the environmental services department's written approval.

The county environmental services department administers and enforces this chapter under Sec. 16-2, and Sec. 16-9(a) makes any violation a misdemeanor, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense; the chapter may also be enforced by injunction or other district court action under Sec. 16-9(b).