County Ordinance 110 Solid Waste Management includes recycling and waste management requirements. The requirements are designed to reduce waste going to landfills, improve the quality of materials recycled, and make progress toward the state's goal to recycle 75 percent of waste by 2030.
Requirements include a 
designated list of recyclables that everyone must recycle — residents, businesses, schools, and government — and haulers must collect. In addition, certain businesses that generate organics (food scraps) must collect a designated list of organics for proper management (e.g., commercial composting). Standardizing the basic items that we all recycle and collect for organics — no matter where you live in Dakota County or the hauler you have — benefits everyone.
Waste haulers
- Label hauler-supplied containers with the container capacity.
- Submit amended license prior to changes in service (e.g., material acceptance).
- Label all hauler-supplied containers in accordance with county labeling requirements.
- Collect the designated list of recyclables from customers.
- Properly itemize customer invoices to include container sizes, collection frequency, taxes and fees, and service period.
- Provide standardized educational messaging to customers.
- Offer weekly recycling service to all residential customers (exempt if 40 percent residential recycling rate achieved).
Collection sites and transfer stations
- Reduced regulations for small-volume collection and transfer of certain materials and wastes (e.g., organics, municipal solid waste, construction and demolition waste, certain recyclables).
- Allowance to co-collect organics in durable compostable bags for commercial composting.
Landfills
Effective by 2025:
- Complete waste composition studies every five years.
Resources
The county provides resources to help haulers make their own labels and educational messaging to meet requirements.
Mailers that meet required education using standardized messaging:
Recycling Educational Mailer
Recycling Educational Mailer with Additional Accepted Items
Organics Educational Mailer
Organics Educational Mailer with Additional Accepted Items
Request design files by emailing solidwastecompliance@co.dakota.mn.us.