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Carver County, MN Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Minimum pickup frequency
twice per month
Banned from trash
beverage containers, glass, newsprint
Multi-family duty
must offer recycling storage location
Fee rule
no surcharge for recycling customers
Scavenging
unlawful for non-hauler to take set-out recyclables

Summary

Carver County requires licensed haulers to collect recyclables at least twice a month and bans putting beverage containers, glass and newsprint in with regular household trash. Multi-family owners must offer their tenants a recycling drop location, and haulers cannot charge recyclers more than non-recyclers.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Carver County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

§ 50.024 RESIDENTIAL RECYCLING; MANDATORY. (A) This section shall be effective upon action by the County Board. (B) It shall be unlawful for any owner or occupant of a residential or multi-unit residential building to generate and deposit for collection mixed municipal solid waste that contains any of the following recyclable materials: (1) Beverage containers; (2) Glass recyclables; (3) Newsprint; and (4) Other materials that may be designated by the County Board unless the waste is directly delivered or collected for direct delivery to a facility that has been approved by the county for separation of recyclable material.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-20: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 111-2025, passed 7-25-25).

Full Breakdown

021(E), a licensed hauler must collect recyclables from each customer at least twice per month, matching the frequency of refuse collection if that runs less often than weekly. 021(C) requires the hauler to specify a time and day for recyclables to be set out and to collect within 12 hours of that designated time. 022(C) forbids a hauler from charging a recycling customer a higher fee than a non-recycling customer. 022(B). 024, RESIDENTIAL RECYCLING; MANDATORY, makes it unlawful for a residential or multi-unit residential building's owner or occupant to generate and set out mixed municipal solid waste containing beverage containers, glass recyclables, newsprint, or other materials the County Board later designates, unless that waste is delivered directly to a county-approved separation facility.

025 for beverage containers, glass and paper recyclables. 023(A) make it unlawful for anyone besides the servicing hauler, owner, lessee or occupant to pick up recyclables set out for collection, protecting the material's value for the licensed hauler.

Violations & Fines

Violating the mandatory residential or commercial recycling bans in §§ 50.024-50.025, or the anti-scavenging rule in § 50.023, is a misdemeanor under the chapter's general penalty section § 50.999(A), with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense. The county may seek injunctive relief and recover corrective-action costs civilly or as a special property tax assessment under § 50.999(B).

Frequently Asked Questions

How often must recyclables be picked up in Carver County?
Section 50.021(E) requires the licensed hauler to collect recyclables from each customer at least twice per month, unless normal trash collection runs less than weekly, in which case recycling pickup matches that lower frequency.
Can I put glass bottles in my regular trash cart?
No. Section 50.024 makes it unlawful for a residential owner or occupant to set out mixed municipal solid waste containing glass recyclables, beverage containers or newsprint unless it goes directly to a county-approved separation facility.
Can someone else take my recycling bin's contents before pickup?
No. Section 50.023(A) makes it unlawful for anyone other than the servicing hauler or the property's owner, lessee or occupant to pick up recyclable materials that have been set out for collection.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Carver County

All Carver County rules

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