Food Scraps Drop Off

​​Dakota County’s organics drop-off program is changing to the food scraps drop-off program. The program will work the same way as it always has, just with a new name. The program’s changes have started and will last through early spring.

​Focus on food s​craps

Food is the number one item in our trash, and everyone creates food scraps. Dropping off food scraps at a food scraps drop-off site is a free and easy way to reduce your trash and give food scraps a new life. A local commercial compost facility turns the collected food scraps into compost, a nutrient-rich soil additive.

​Sign up

Sign up ​online, call 952-891-7557 or email foodscraps@co.dakota.mn.us.

You’ll receive a welcome kit with a free container label, compostable bags and details on how to drop-off your food scraps. ​

 Sign up online 

​Start collecting

1. ​Use any container to collect food scraps in your house.
• Reuse a container like an ice cream bucket, coffee container or yogurt tub
• Purchase a kitchen compost bucket at local stores or online
  
2. Line your container with a Biodegrad​able Products Institute (BPI)-certified compostable bag — they're available for free at the drop sites.
3. Start collecting the following items.

4. Take your bagged food scraps to a drop-off site and place it in the dumpster. Take a free BPI-certified compostable bag and start collecting again. ​

Locations

Sites are open 5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, unless noted. All sites are open to Dakota County residents or households only. No business or institution food scraps are allowed.

• Apple Valley Central Maintenance Facility​, 6442 140th St. W.
  
• ​Burnsville – Civic Center Park, 260​ Civic Center Parkway​​
• ​Eagan – Holland Lake Trailhead, Lebanon Hills Regional Park, 1100 Cliff Road 
• Farmington Central Maintenance Facility, 19650 Municipal Drive​​​
• Hastings Transportation Shop, 900 County Road 47
• Inver Grove Heights - Inver Glen Library, 8098 Blaine Ave. ​​
• Lakeville Water Treatment Facility, 18400 Ipava Ave.
• Mendota Heights – Mendakot​a Park, 2171 Dodd Road​​​
• Rosemount 
• Rosemount Public Works Facility, 14455 Brazil Ave. 
  
• The Mulch Store, 16454 Blaine Ave. E (Empire Township), Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Saturday hours vary seasonally. Check The Mulch
  ​S​tore website or call 651-423-4401.
• West St. Paul – Dakota Lodge, Thompson County Park, 1200 Stassen Road

​Accepted items

Food scraps

• Bakery and dry goods
• Coffee grounds
• Dairy products
• Eggs and eggshells
• Meat, fish and bones
• Produce, fruits and vegetables​
  

Additional items

• Napkins, tissues and paper towels
  
• BPI-certified comp​ostable products (e.g., paper plates, bowls, cups and to-go containers) – only items with the BPI logo will be accepted​

Not accepted items

• ​Animal waste, pet litter and bedding
• Cigarettes
• Cleaning and baby wipes
• Diapers and sanitary products
• Dryer sheets and lint
• Fast food wrappers
• Frozen or refrigerated food boxes
• Glass, metal and all plastics
• Grease and oil
• Microwave popcorn bags
• Paper cartons (milk and juice) cartons
• Plastic bags
• Shredded paper
• Stickers on produce
• Styrofoam
• Trash
• Yard waste of any kind (grass, wood, leaves, etc.)
• Any bag or product (paper plates, bowls, cups and to-go containers) without the BPI logo.

Certified compostable products

Compostable products like bags, paper plates, bowls, cups and to-go containers must be certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) in order to be accepted. Look for the BPI logo on these products. 

This certification means BPI used an independent lab to test that the products will fully break down at a compost facility. You can search for BPI-certified products on their online catalog.

​Food scraps drop-off vs. composting at home

Food scraps like fruits and veggies can go into your backyard compost. Do not add meat, bones, fish and dairy — they can attract rodents, spread bacteria and plant diseases. Instead, use the food scraps drop-off sites for these items. Food scraps drop-off sites accept these items because they are taken to a commercial compost facility that maintains higher temperatures to kill bacteria and break down the materials faster than a backyard compost pile.​

For questions about what is accepted or not accepted, contact foodscraps@co.dakota.mn.us or call 952-891-7557. Learn how to compost at home.​

Food waste prevention

We see the greatest environmental benefit by reducing waste, including wasted food. Check out these tips to reduce your food waste so you can save money, resources and take less trips to the food scraps drop-off sites.