Dakota County residents and businesses recycle nearly 50 percent of materials, but there are many new opportunities to do even better.
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What goes in the cart
The list below is your guide to what types of materials are collected by recycling haulers in Dakota County.
YES—put these in your recycling cart
- Paper (mail, office and school papers, magazines, catalogs, newspapers)
- Phone books and paperback books
- Boxes (cardboard, cereal, cracker, shoe, toothpaste, medication, toiletry and other boxes)
- Metal cans
- Glass bottles and jars
- Plastic bottles and jugs (soda, milk, water, shampoo, laundry soap, etc.)
- Plastic tubs and containers (yogurt, pudding and fruit cups, margarine and cottage cheese tubs)
- Cartons (juice boxes, milk, soup and broth cartons
Maybe
Not all recycling haulers accept these items. Check the 
Hauler Items Accepted list to see what your hauler accepts.
- Paper egg cartons
- Frozen food boxes
- Paper towel and toilet paper rolls
- Pizza boxes from delivery
- Plastic produce and deli containers
- Aerosol cans
- Scrap metal and aluminum foil
NO – leave these items out of your cart
- Plastic bags (retail and garbage bags)
- Styrofoam™ cups, plates and packaging
- Garden hoses and chains
- Batteries
- Paper soiled with food
- Paper plates and cups
- Paper napkins or towels
- Gift wrap
- Plastic wrap
- Drinking glasses, dishes, and vases
- Window glass or mirrors
- Motor oil bottles and other containers that held hazardous products
- Empty paint cans
Tips for recycling at home
- Recycle in every room of your home.
- Place recyclable materials in a paper bag or loose in your recycling cart. Do not use plastic bags.
- Empty out bottles, jars and containers — no need to wash them.
- Leave staples in papers and plastic in window envelopes.
- Leave labels on cans and caps on containers.
- Ask your hauler about a larger recycling cart, a second cart or weekly recycling collection.