Saint Paul, MN Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cart selection
- Owner must choose cart size or defaults to medium
- Lid rule
- Cart lid must be fully closed at set-out
- Bulky items
- Must be empty of food and liquids before pickup
- Rejected materials
- Unacceptable materials won't be picked up; owner must remove
- Address requirement
- Street number must be visible per SPLC Ch. 71.02(4)
Summary
Saint Paul spells out what a household must do before the designated hauler will collect trash: choose a cart size, keep the lid fully closed, and keep out any 'unacceptable materials' such as hazardous or biomedical waste. Sec. 220.04 makes these owner duties enforceable, and haulers are told not to knowingly pick up anything that violates them.
a. Choose a trash cart size (and frequency if choosing a small cart) and utilize the base level solid waste services from the designated hauler as contracted by the city. An RDU who fails to choose a trash cart size will be assigned a medium trash cart. b. Follow the city's guidelines and instructions for storing and setting out residential solid waste materials, including placement of their residential trash and yard waste in designated carts for each type of waste with the lid fully closed. ... g. Make certain that no unacceptable materials are placed out for collection within any trash cart, yard waste cart, overflow trash bag, compostable bag, or yard-waste bundle. Haulers will not knowingly pick up unacceptable materials.
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
Sec. 04 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code, 'Duties of RDU owners,' lays out the mechanics every residential dwelling unit must follow for a scheduled pickup to actually happen. Owners must first choose a trash cart size, small, medium, or large, and, if picking a small cart, a collection frequency; anyone who never selects a size is automatically assigned a medium cart under subsection (a). ' A cart whose lid sits open more than six inches is treated as an 'overflow trash cart' under the Sec.
01(r) definition and can trigger an extra fee. Bulky items set out for pickup must be 'empty of all food and liquids' under subsection (e), and no unacceptable materials, biomedical waste like hypodermic needles, hazardous waste, special waste, recyclables, or electronic waste, may go in any trash cart, yard waste cart, overflow bag, compostable bag, or bundle under subsection (g); haulers 'will not knowingly pick up unacceptable materials,' leaving the owner responsible for removing rejected items before the next cycle. Extra bulky items beyond the base allowance, or yard waste bags/bundles from non-subscribers, require 48 hours' advance notice to the designated hauler under subsection (f). 02(4).
Violations & Fines
Setting out unacceptable materials, an overfilled cart with the lid open more than six inches, or bulky items still holding food or liquid means the hauler will simply leave it. Sec. 220.04(g) states haulers 'will not knowingly pick up' rejected items, and the owner must remove them before the next scheduled cycle. Repeated overflow issues can add per-bag or off-day service fees under Sec. 220.05(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if my trash cart lid won't close?
Will Saint Paul's hauler pick up my old paint cans or a car battery with the trash?
Do I have to request pickup for extra bulky items?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
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