Drop off organics at multiple locations as a free and easy way to reduce your trash.

Locations

• Dakota Lodge, Thompson County Park, 1200 Stassen Road, West St. Paul
• Holland Lake Trailhead, Lebanon Hills Regional Park, 1100 Cliff Road, Eagan 
• The Mulch Store, 16454 Blaine Ave. E, Rosemount (Empire Township), Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Saturday hours vary seasonally. Check The Mulch Store website or call 651-423-4401.
• Beginning Oct. 1 - Lakeville Water Treatment Facility, 18400 Ipava Ave., Lakeville

Sign up

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

You’ll receive a welcome kit with a free container label, compostable bags and details on how to recycle organics. You’ll also receive the access code to enter the locked drop-off locations at Thompson County Park, Holland Lake Trailhead and Lakeville Water Treatment Facility.

Sign up online 

Free training

You are invited to attend a free informational session to get an overview of the program and to answer your questions.   Please register for one of three sessions below:

• Wednesday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m. – Lakeville Water Treatment Facility, 18400 Ipava Ave., Lakeville
• Monday, Sept. 30, 6 p.m. – Lakeville Water Treatment Facility, 18400 Ipava Ave., Lakeville
• Saturday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m. – Heritage Library, 20085 Heritage Dr., Lakeville

Start collecting

You can use any container to collect organics in your house.

• Reuse a container like an ice cream bucket, coffee container or yogurt tub
• Purchase a countertop organics container at local stores or online

Line your container with a paper bag or certified compostable bag, just make sure it has the BPI  logo — they’re available for free at the drop sites. 

Take your bagged organics to a drop site. Use your access code to enter the enclosure and place your bag in the dumpster. Take a free certified compostable bag and start collecting again.

Accepted

• All food, food scraps, peels, pits, etc.
• Coffee grounds, filters and teabags
• Paper towels, napkins and tissues
• Paper towel and toilet paper rolls
• Paper egg cartons
• Certified compostable products: Items with the BPI or Cedar Grove certified compostable logo on the product or packaging
• Hair and fur
• Popsicle sticks and toothpicks
• Houseplant trimmings and flowers

Not accepted

• Yard waste including pumpkins and garden plants
• Plastic bags
• Pet waste, litter or bedding
• Fast food wrappers
• Frozen food boxes
• Microwave popcorn bags
• Paper plates, bowls and cups without BPI or Cedar Grove certification
• Single-serve coffee pods (i.e., K-Cups® )

A local compost facility turns the collected organics into compost, a nutrient-rich soil additive. Because it is delivered to a commercial facility, meat, dairy, and plant seeds are accepted.

Buying compostable products

Disposable foodservice ware is often used at parties and celebrations. Opt for certified-compostable bowls, cups, utensils and plates and drop them off with your food scraps. 

Always look for the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) logo on each product or on the box they came in. These are the only products that have been tested to break down at a commercial compost site. Don’t be fooled by products marketed as “degradable”, “biodegradable,” or “made from plants."

Find local vendors of compostable bags and foodservice ware.