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 scraps
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
- 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
- Line your container with a
Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI)-certified compostable bag— they're available for free at the drop sites.
- Start collecting the following items.
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 – Mendakota Park, 2171 Dodd Road
-
Rosemount
-
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 compostable products (e.g., cups, plates, bowls, utensils and containers)
Not accepted items
- Yard waste
- Plastic bags
- Shredded paper
- Recyclable glass, plastic, metal and clean paper
- Milk and juice cartons
- Diapers and sanitary products
- Pet waste, litter and bedding
- Dryer sheets and lint
- Fast food wrappers
- Cleaning and baby wipes
- Frozen or refrigerated food boxes
- Cigarettes
- Microwave popcorn bags
- Stickers on produce
- Grease and oil
- Styrofoam
- Non-certified compostable bags
- Utensils, plates, bowls, cups bags not BPI certified compostable
- Items labeled biodegradable
- K-cups not certified compostable
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.