Blaine, MN Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

City Code Sec. 62-19 defines recyclable materials as items separated from mixed municipal solid waste for recycling, including paper, glass, plastics, metals, automobile oil and batteries, while excluding refuse-derived fuel or anything destroyed by incineration. Recycling collection service is defined as collecting all recyclable materials set out in recycling containers at residences that already receive garbage and refuse service. Sec. 62-20(d)(2) protects that system by declaring recyclable materials set out for collection to be the sole property of the city from the moment residents put them out until the hauler collects them, at which point ownership passes to the contracted hauler.

It is unlawful for anyone other than a licensed hauler under contract with the city to collect recyclables set out for collection, a practice the code calls unauthorized collection or scavenging. The first violation is a petty misdemeanor, capped at a $300 fine under Sec. 1-7, and a second or later violation escalates to a full misdemeanor. Under Sec. 62-22(b)(4)-(5), every licensed hauler must offer recycling collection to all customers and provide at least three broad categories of recyclables under Minn. Stat. § 115A.151. Haulers must also report tonnage collected to the city monthly and allow the city manager to inspect customer lists to confirm compliance with the state's mandatory collection law.