Scott County, MN Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- County Duty
- Opportunity to recycle (115A.552)
- Haulers
- Must offer recycling
- Accepted
- Paper, cans, glass, plastics 1/2/5
- Organics
- Metro expanding food-scrap collection
Summary
Recycling is built into Minnesota's metro waste law. Scott County must ensure every resident has an opportunity to recycle, and any hauler collecting trash here must also offer recycling. Accepted materials go in a single curbside cart.
Counties shall ensure that residents, including residents of single and multifamily dwellings, have an opportunity to recycle.
Full Breakdown
The seven-county Twin Cities metro has some of the strongest recycling rules in the country. Under MN Stat. 115A.552, counties must ensure residents have an opportunity to recycle, and Scott County meets that duty by requiring every licensed hauler to offer curbside recycling alongside trash. Residents put accepted materials in one cart: newspaper, cardboard, aluminum, tin and steel cans, glass bottles and jars, and plastics numbered 1, 2, and 5. Contaminated loads, plastic bags, or food waste can get a cart tagged and skipped. The metro is also expanding organics, with larger cities adding curbside or drop-off collection of food scraps to keep them out of the trash.
Violations & Fines
Repeatedly contaminating recycling with trash, bags, or food waste can get a cart tagged and skipped, and city ordinances may add warnings then small fines. Haulers who fail to offer recycling risk their county license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to recycle in Scott County?
What goes in the recycling cart?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scott County
Compare Scott County to another location·View the Minnesota trash & recycling overview
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