Washington County, MN Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Washington County's Solid Waste Management Ordinance No. 202 defines Yard Waste, in its Section 2 definitions, as 'garden wastes, leaves, lawn cuttings, weeds, Shrub and brush waste,' and manages it through licensed composting facilities rather than a curbside pickup schedule written into county code. 2836. A Yard Waste Compost Facility may accept 'Only Yard Waste, or similar vegetative waste, in Compostable Bags or in bulk,' and its operator must take steps to keep the incoming material from undergoing anaerobic decomposition, the process that produces the rotten-egg odor typical of a poorly managed pile.

Because Yard Waste Compost Facilities are Compost Facilities, they also carry the general Section 12 design and operating duties: design and operation must prevent nuisance odors from leaving the property, incoming material must begin processing within 48 hours of delivery, and the facility must keep three years of daily records on the type and quantity of material processed. Facilities that handle more than 10,000 cubic yards a year must also submit engineered surface-water and Leachate drainage plans built to manage a 24-hour, 10-year storm event.