Fargo, ND Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 13-0530, Fargo Municipal Code
- Violation class
- Infraction under § 1-0305(B)
- Maximum fine
- Up to $1,000 per violation
- Who it covers
- Persons, corporations, employees at deposit sites
Summary
Fargo's composting and recycling program requires trash and recyclable materials to go into the correctly marked container at city deposit sites: putting either in the wrong container is a code violation.
It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, or any agent or employee thereof to place in the compost or deposit sites established by the City any non-compatible trash. Trash and recyclable materials shall be deposited in the appropriate containers and anyone depositing trash in a container not marked or designated for that type of trash or recyclable material shall be guilty of a violation of this section.
Full Breakdown
Under Fargo Municipal Code § 13-0530, the city's composting and recycling program sets deposit sites and receptacles for trash and recyclable materials, and anyone, resident, corporation, or employee, who dumps non-compatible trash there, or puts material in a container not marked for that type of waste, is guilty of a violation. Because § 13-0530 isn't singled out as a Class B misdemeanor under § 1-0305(A), a sorting violation defaults to an infraction under § 1-0305(B), punishable by a fine up to $1,000 under § 1-0301(B).
Violations & Fines
Sorting trash into a recycling receptacle, or vice versa, at a city deposit site violates § 13-0530: an infraction carrying up to a $1,000 fine under § 1-0301(B).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put trash in a recycling bin at a Fargo compost site?
What's the penalty for mis-sorting at a Fargo recycling site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fargo
Compare Fargo to another location·View the North Dakota trash & recycling overview
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