Curbside Recycling

Recycling At Home

Recycling at home is easy once you know what goes in your bin. Most recycling companies have moved to a single-sort system that makes it easier than ever. Items such as paper, plastic, tin, aluminum, and cartons can all be placed in the same bin with single-sort.

Recycle these items: 

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 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

Many items can be recycled but not in your household cart, such as plastic bags and batteries. Plastic bags wrap around the automated sorting machines causing damage and ultimately end up in the trash. Empty recycling into your cart without the bag. Take plastic bags to retailers such as grocery stores for recycling. Food shelves are also happy to accept clean plastic bags for bagging groceries for the food shelf recipients.

Items that need special recycling:

  • Plastic bags - take to grocery stores or food shelves for recycling
  • Batteries - take to The Recycling Zone for recycling
  • Paint - take to The Recycling Zone for recycling or find a local hardware store that accepts paint by visiting PaintCare's website.

Do NOT put these items in the recycling:

  • Batteries
  • Black plastic
  • Clothing and textiles
  • Food
  • Household hazardous waste/hazardous waste
  • Paper plates, cups, and napkins
  • Diapers
  • Plastic bags and film
  • Scrap metal (e.g., metal pots and pans)
  • Shredded paper
  • Tanglers (e.g., chains, extension cords, hoses, string lights)

To know exactly what your hauler accepts for recycling, please contact your hauler.

For more information on recycling and disposing of items visit Dakota County's Recycling Guide.