Refuse Collection

Using Your Refuse Bag

• Simply fill and tie; do not exceed 25 pounds of refuse in bag
• Place bag as near to the alley as possible or on the right hand side of your driveway (as you are facing the street) if you do not have an alley; this allows for better visibility for the collection crews, especially in the winter when snow banks may obstruct visibility
• Put bag out for collection no later than 6:00 a.m. or the night before
• There is no limit to the number of bags you can place out for collection
• Refuse does not include 
  • yard waste
  • oil/water-based paint or related products,
  • fluorescent light bulbs
  • tires
  • electronic products
  • major appliances
  • Other large and/or heavy items that do not fit in the bag and/or that exceed 25 pounds
• Broken glass or similar items that may puncture the bag should be self-contained within the bags so as not to cause injury to collection crews. 

Pickup times for refuse on a particular route may change due to weather delay, equipment problems or other unforeseen circumstances.

Purchase Bags at:

• 9th Avenue Express
• Arrow Hardware
• Casey's General Store - 656 Lincoln Ave SE
• Cash Wise
• Cenex
• Coburn's
• DOOST LLC
• Go For It Gas
• Good Earth Food Co-op
• Handyman's
• Holiday Stations  (within city limits)
• Kwik Trip  (within city limits)
• Lincoln General Stop
• Lund's & Byerly's
• River Station
• Saint Cloud City Hall
• Stop-N-Go
• Zenteno's Express

Cart Service

• Residents can sign up for weekly 90-gallon cart service for a charge of $31.50 per month plus the recycling/pass-by fee. 
• The fee for this service is included on the resident’s bi-monthly City utility bill. 
• The City provides the 90-gallon cart at no additional charge; however, the customer will be responsible for the replacement cost of the cart should it become damaged, lost or stolen. 
• Cart service customers must use City refuse bags for the disposal of any refuse that exceeds the cart capacity. 
• Yard waste cannot be placed in the cart.  Customers must also use clear City bags or self-haul options for yard waste disposal.
• You must be the owner of the property where service is requested in order to sign up for the cart service. Per City Ordinance Section 244:15, all non-homesteaded rental properties eligible for municipal refuse service shall utilize the 90 gallon refuse cart.
  
  Cart Sign-Up Application
    
  Cart Service Termination Form

Holiday Schedule

Veterans Day - Friday, November 10, 2023 (observed): All schedules remain the same.

Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 23, 2023: Thursday's Refuse and Thursday's BLUE Recycle Route will be picked up on Monday, November 27. All other schedules for the week remain the same.

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day - December 24 & 25, 2023: All schedules remain the same.

Special Pickups

To use this service, you must be a city refuse and recycling system customer. The service is for disposal of large items such as furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpeting, toilets, sinks, windows, lumber, etc.

Call 320-650-2900 to schedule a special pickup. 

How Special Pickup Works

• The minimum fee for a special pick up is $40 plus tax for up to 2 cubic yard (3 feet x 3 feet x 6 feet) OR 200 pounds of material collected. 
• An additional fee of $20 plus tax will be charged for each additional cubic yard (3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet) OR 100 pounds of material collected. 
• The fee for mattress disposal is $30 plus tax per mattress of any size. This fee includes one box spring. 
• The fee for mattress disposal will be in addition to the special rubbish fee if additional items are picked up.
• Items should be bagged, boxed or bundled and stacked neatly and placed at your regular refuse pickup location by 6:00 am the day of the scheduled pickup.
• All small items must be contained in bags, boxes or bundles not to exceed 50 pounds in weight
• Small items that are not contained may not be picked up.
• Garbage cans and other containers will not be emptied. If material is left in a garbage can, the can will be taken.
• Please call at least one day in advance. 
• Special pickups will be scheduled on the same day as your weekly refuse pickup. 
• This service is available throughout the year. 
• There is no limit to the number of special pickups that you may schedule.
• Do not use green City refuse bags for this service.

Disposal of Electronic Products: 

In 2003 the Minnesota Legislature passed a law that bans the disposal of electronic products such as televisions and computer monitors as garbage. The statute went into effect July 1, 2006 (MN Statute 115A.9565). The City of St. Cloud will not pick up electronic products which include television sets, computer monitors, hard drives, keyboards, printers, VCR's, DVD players, radios, CD players and stereos. These products pose a serious environmental hazard.

Contact Waste Management Transfer Station at 320-253-6491, Central Appliance Recyclers at 320-252-3221, or Best Buy at 320-259-5208 for disposal of these products. There may be a charge for this service

Disposal of Hazardous Materials: 

Tires, chemicals, paints, oil-based products, household cleaners, fluorescent light bulbs, computer monitors, TV’s and electronic products, batteries, major appliances, treated lumber and other similar hazardous materials cannot be disposed of through the City’s collection system. For information about the disposal of these items, call Tri-County Solid Waste Commission at 320-255-6140. They will provide assistance in identifying environmentally safe disposal options.

Disposal of Hypodermic Needles:

Residents are encouraged to drop off sharps at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, located at 3601 5th St S, Waite Park, MN. No business waste is accepted. Please follow their special instructions (type the word "sharps" in the Waste Wizard).

Utilizing this service reduces the risk on sanitation staff, as an incident could result in the transmission of disease or cause other serious injuries.

Disposal of Hypodermic Needles through City Refuse Pickup

While this method is not recommended due to safety concerns related to staff exposure, residents may dispose of needles by following the guidelines below. The safest option for disposal is through Household Hazardous Waste. Proper disposal helps minimize the risk that sanitation workers and transfer station employees are exposed to due to the risk of disease transmission and injury from needle-sticks.

• Needles, lancets and syringes can be disposed of in city refuse bags if contained in an empty plastic bottle (pop, milk, bleach or laundry soap bottle).
• The plastic bottle must be sealed with a cap and taped.
• It is recommended that duct tape be used to seal the cap in place on the bottle.
• Label the container "Do Not Recycle: Household Sharps" several times using a permanent marker.
• ◦Do NOT use glass bottles or jars or metal cans for the disposal of needles, lancets and syringes.
• Place the plastic bottle in your city refuse bag.
• Do NOT place the container in your recycling bin. The bottle and its contents are no longer recyclable.
• Do NOT place needles, lancets or syringes loose in a refuse bag.
• Do NOT place a commercial sharps disposal container into a city refuse bag.

 It is highly recommended that if you have the option of disposing of your needles, lancets, syringes or other bio-hazard medical waste through your clinic, hospital or pharmacy that you utilize their program.