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Recycling System
How the System Works
The city collects recyclable materials every other week using fully automated trucks. Recycling and refuse are picked up on the same day, but by different trucks. The cost for recycling is $7.30 plus tax per household per month. This recycling/pass-by fee is included on the resident's bi-monthly city utility bill. Contact the Public Works Department at 320-650-2900 to learn what day you have recycling pickup at your address.
Each user household in the city is provided with a blue recycling cart imprinted with "City of St. Cloud." If you move, please leave the recycling cart at the old address for the new owner. If you construct a new house, please contact the Public Works Department for delivery of a recycling cart to your new address. If you lose your recycling cart, please make arrangements to have it replaced as soon as possible. Without a St. Cloud recycling cart, city crews will not pick up your recyclables.
If you have extra recyclables that will not fit in your cart, you may put the extra in another container or box and place it next to your recycle cart. Corrugated cardboard boxes must be broken down into pieces no bigger than 18" x 18", bundled together with twine or string, and placed next to your recycle cart. Nonrecyclable items or improperly prepared materials will not be picked up.
Contact the Public Works Department at 320-650-2900 to arrange to have a recycling cart delivered to your residence. The cost of a replacement cart is $61.79 including tax. This fee may be added to your utility bill.
Please view the informational video below.
- RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
- PLACEMENT OF CART
- RECYCLING CALENDAR
- HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
- PREPARING RECYCLABLE ITEMS
- recycling VIDEO
Please follow the guidelines below for recycling under the City’s program:
• Glass bottles and jars: Green, brown and clear glass is acceptable, but it must be thoroughly rinsed. Remove covers. Labels do not need to be removed. Unacceptable: Window glass, plate glass, mirrors, drinking glasses, dishes, light bulbs, or ceramics.
• Plastic disposable single use containers with a recycling symbol of #1, #2, & #5: Milk jugs, bottles, plastic food containers, yogurt cups, margarine and whip cream tubs. All items must be thoroughly rinsed. Covers and labels do not need to be removed. Unacceptable: styrofoam, plastic bags, motor oil or anti-freeze containers, paint pails, plastic manufactured household goods and furnishings such as laundry baskets, swimming pools, lawn chairs, tableware, plastic toys.
• Aluminum and bimetal (tin and steel) cans: Vegetable or beverage cans and pie tins that are empty and thoroughly rinsed; labels do not need to be removed. Unacceptable: Aluminum foil, clothes hangers, empty paint or aerosol cans, or pots and pans.
• Newspaper and inserts: All newspaper and inserts that come with the paper may be included. Newspaper should be clean and dry. Do not bundle and tie paper.
• Magazines, catalogs and telephone books
• Junk mail: Accounting paper, adding machine paper tape, computer printouts, copy paper (all colors), typing paper, letterhead, stationery, post-it notes, note paper, NCR paper, legal pad paper, greeting cards, manila file folders, paperback books, brown paper bags and envelopes (windows removed). Unacceptable: Hard cover books, gift wrapping paper, paper towels, tissue, paper napkins, used paper or styrofoam plates, waxed paper, styrofoam, bubble wrap, diapers, cigarette butts, construction paper, blueprints, pendaflex folders and carbon paper.
• Corrugated cardboard: Cut into 18” x 18” pieces or smaller. Larger pieces of cardboard may become lodged inside the cart causing the cart not to empty completely when tipped. Unacceptable: Delivery pizza boxes or corrugated cardboard contaminated with grease or food substances.
• Boxboard: Cereal, cake and cracker boxes, shoe boxes, pop and beer cases, paper milk cartons, juice boxes, broth and other paper cartons. Unacceptable: Ice cream cartons and boxboard contaminated with grease or food substances.
• Shredded paper: Shredded paper is no longer accepted in recycling.
On the designated recycling day, place the recycling cart as near as possible to the alley. If there is no alley, place the cart as near as possible to the street. The cart shall be set out for collection no later than 6:00 a.m. on the designated recycling day and no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the preceding day. Pickup times for recycling on a particular route may change due to weather delay, equipment problems or other unforeseen circumstances. The front side of the recycling cart shall face the street or alley and have a clearance of four feet from buildings, parked cars, trees, mailboxes and other objects to allow the automated equipment to work properly. The lid on the recycling cart must be completely closed in order for the cart to be emptied. Carts not properly set out for collection will not be emptied. After collection, remove the cart from the street or alley by 7:00 p.m. The cart may be stored outside as long as the lid of the cart is kept securely closed at all times to prevent recycling from blowing out of the cart and to keep rain and snow from accumulating inside it.
Removal of Snow: Each household shall be responsible for clearing snow and ice from around the base of the recycling cart of approximately four feet to allow collection crews access to the cart. Any cart that does not have the snow and ice removed will not be emptied. Carts cannot be placed on top of a snow bank for collection.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Good Friday - Friday, April 7, 2023: Friday's refuse and Friday's GREEN recycle routes will be picked up on Monday, April 10. There will be NO yard waste collection on April 10. All other schedules for the week remain the same.
Memorial Day - Monday, May 29, 2023: There will be NO yard waste collection on May 29. Yard waste collection will resume on June 5. All other schedules for the week remain the same.
Independence Day - Tuesday, July 4, 2023: All schedules remain the same.
Labor Day - Monday, September 4, 2023: There will be NO yard waste collection on September 4. Yard waste collection will resume on September 11. All other schedules for the week remain the same.
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.
Place glass bottles and jars, tin and aluminum cans, plastic items, corrugated cardboard and paper products into your recycling cart.
No separation is needed.
Do not put recyclables in bags.
For proper recycling procedures, please follow the instructions on the lid of your cart. Unacceptable items may not be collected. Carts containing unacceptable items can be emptied for a fee of $40 plus tax at the property owner's request.