Stearns County, MN Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing ordinance
- Stearns County Ordinance No. 193, Section 4.1.2
- State backbone
- Minn. Stat. § 115A.552, subd. 2
- Who sets the mandate
- County Solid Waste Director, by district
- Incentive tool
- Volume-based pricing to reward separation
- Max penalty
- $700 fine / 90 days, per Section 8.1
Summary
Under Ordinance No. 193, the county's Solid Waste Director can impose mandatory recycling requirements district by district and must guarantee every county-provided hauling customer the recycling opportunities set out in Minnesota Statutes Section 115A.552.
4.1.2 Opportunity to Recycle. The Director may establish mandatory recycling requirements for County provided residential and non-residential service for one or more solid waste districts. The Director shall ensure that county provided service, including that provided by contract haulers, provides the opportunities to recycle contained in Minnesota Statutes, Section 115A.552, subdivision 2; or successor statutes. The Director shall from time to time recommend to the County Board pricing policies designed to encourage generators to separate recyclable materials from the solid waste stream.
Full Breakdown
1 of Ordinance No. 1 directs the Director to administer the ordinance in ways that advance the county's recycling goals. 552, subdivision 2. That state provision is the backbone of the local mandate, since it obligates the county's contracted service to make recycling collection available rather than leaving it optional. 1 of the companion Solid Waste Collection Ordinance No. 194, which lets the county set container standards, maintenance rules and placement-for-collection requirements district by district. Because the mandate operates through the county's own service contracts rather than as a direct household penalty, enforcement runs through the general Ordinance No. 193 violation provisions rather than a recycling-specific fine.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with recycling requirements imposed by the Director under Section 4.1.2 falls under the general enforcement clause, Section 8.1: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $700, up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, plus civil abatement action by the County Attorney under Section 8.2.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory in unincorporated Stearns County?
Does the county charge more if I don't recycle?
Who enforces the recycling requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stearns County
Compare Stearns County to another location·View the Minnesota trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.