Dakota County residents and businesses recycle nearly 50 percent of materials, but there are many new opportunities to do even better.
Recycling at home
All recycling service providers must accept the items listed below.
Follow these rules to ensure your recycling gets recycled:
-
Do not use plastic bags. Place recyclables loose in your recycling cart or in a paper bag.
- Empty and dry bottles, jars and containers. They don't have to be perfect — just free of most residue.
- Leave caps on containers.
- Empty and flatten boxes.
- Check the
Green Guide if you are not sure about an item.
Paper
- Newspaper and inserts
- Magazines and catalogs
- Mail and office papers
Cardboard
- Corrugated cardboard
- Paperboard (e.g., cracker boxes)
Cartons
- Milk and juice cartons
- Soup, broth, and wine cartons
- Juice boxes
Metal cans
- Aluminum, tin, and steel cans
Glass bottles and jars
Plastic bottles, containers and jugs
- Containers numbered 1, 2 or 5
- Soda, juice and water bottles
- Milk and juice jugs
- Margarine, cottage cheese, cream cheese and other tubs and lids
- Laundry detergent bottles and jugs
- Clear berry and produce containers
NO – DO NOT put these items in your recycling
- Batteries
- Black plastic
- Ceramic dishware
- Clothing and textiles
- Food
- Household hazardous waste/hazardous waste
- Paper plates, cups, and napkins
- Diapers
- Pharmaceuticals and medicines/medical waste
- Plastic bags and film
- Metal cylinders (e.g., propane tanks)
- Scrap metal* (e.g., metal pots and pans)
- Shredded paper
- Styrofoam™
- Tanglers (e.g., chains, extension cords, hoses, string lights)
- Trash
- Yard waste and Christmas trees
- All items banned from being placed in the trash or recycling in state or local law – including:
- Electronics
- Major Appliances
- Sharps (e.g., lancets, needles, syringes)
- Tires
*Scrap metal is allowed in carts and dumpsters only if delivered to the Tennis Sanitation recycling facility.
Recycling requirements by 2021
By 2021, residents must recycle the 
designated list of recyclables. Requirements apply to residents living in single-family homes, apartments, condominiums, duplexes and assisted living.
Learn how to recycle right
How to set up recycling and trash services
- Residents in
Hastings and
Farmington, contact your city recycling coordinator to set up services.
- All other residents, contact
haulers licensed in your city.
- For your apartment, contact your building manager to request recycling.
- For your townhome or condo, work with your homeowner association.