Disposal guide

This searchable guide tells you how to properly dispose of many common and uncommon household items.

Featured search items

Brush and prunings

Mattress and box spring

Paper plates and take out containers – plastic lined

Fireworks

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Icon for Storage bin / container - plastic

Storage bin / container - plastic

Disposal method: Large non-recyclable item pick up, Drop-off, Garbage

What to do:
Donate if usable. If not usable, we'll pick this up on your garbage day. Limit of 2 large items per week. Put large items next to your carts by 6 a.m. on your garbage day. Please label the item "for Solid Waste".
Learn more about Large item collection
More information:
Item will be picked up by the garbage truck. You may also bring this item to the South Transfer Station with a voucher.
Learn more about our Voucher program
Fun fact:
Recycling facilities only accept plastic bottles and containers #1 (PET), #2 (HDPE), and #5 (PP) from food, beverages, bathroom and laundry products.
Other plastic items that are too big or too small are not able to be sorted correctly. They also do not take plastics that are black in color.
See Accepted recycling
Icon for Fan - plastic

Fan - plastic

Disposal method: Large non-recyclable item pick up, Drop-off

What to do:
Donate if usable. If not usable, we'll pick this up on your garbage day. Limit of 2 large items per week. Put large items next to your carts by 6 a.m. on your garbage day. Please label the item "for Solid Waste".
Learn more about Large item collection
More information:
Item will be picked up by the garbage truck. You may also bring this item to the South Transfer Station with a voucher.
Learn more about our Voucher program
Fun fact:
Bridging is a local non-profit who will take usable furniture and household goods. They give it to local families in need.
Visit Bridging's website
Icon for Yard signs, political signs - corrugated (coroplast) plastic

Yard signs, political signs - corrugated (coroplast) plastic

Disposal method: Drop-off, Garbage

What to do:

Contact the candidate or organization to see if they want their sign back for reuse. If not, donate to an organization who may repurpose the sign. If reuse is not an option, bring to Hennepin County's Brooklyn Park Transfer Station for recycling. There are also seasonal drop-off locations after major elections. 

See Hennepin County's Green Disposal Guide for more information

Contact our office if you have a large quantity of yard signs that you want to recycle.

Contact us

More information:

Neighborhood groups, daycares or other organizations may put a label on top of the sign and reuse it. Search online for reuse ideas for yard signs.

If unable to reuse or drop-off for recycling, bag and put in your garbage cart. The recycling facility is not designed to accept or be able to sort out these items.

The metal stakes can be recycled as scrap metal. They are not accepted in your recycling cart. 

Fun fact:
Recycling facilities only accept plastic and metal bottles and containers from food, beverages, bathroom and laundry products.
The recycling facility is not designed to sort other types of plastic or metal items.
See Accepted recycling
Icon for Drums or pails - plastic

Drums or pails - plastic

Disposal method: Large non-recyclable item pick up, Drop-off

What to do:
Donate if usable. If not usable, we'll pick this up on your garbage day. Limit of 2 large items per week. Put large items next to your carts by 6 a.m. on your garbage day. Please label the item "for Solid Waste".
Learn more about Large item collection
More information:
Item will be picked up by the garbage truck. You may also bring this item to the South Transfer Station with a voucher.
Learn more about our Voucher program
Fun fact:
Recycling facilities only accept plastic bottles and containers #1 (PET), #2 (HDPE), and #5 (PP) from food, beverages, bathroom and laundry products.
Other plastic items that are too big or too small are not able to be sorted correctly. They also do not take plastics that are black in color.
See Accepted recycling
Icon for Plastic bag

Plastic bag

Disposal method: Drop-off, Garbage

What to do:

Save and reuse, donate to a secondhand store for reuse or bring clean and dry plastic bags to a plastic bag drop-off location.

More information:
Most grocery stores, food co-ops and large retail stores collect plastic bags and plastic wrap for recycling. Examples of acceptable film plastics include:
  • grocery or retail shopping bags
  • dry cleaning bags
  • bread and produce bags
  • packaging wrap from toilet paper and paper towels
  • re-sealable zipper bags (remove hard plastic zipper piece)
  • sealed air bags used for shipping material
  • flexible plastic beverage rings
Contact your local store before bringing bags for recycling.
Fun fact:
Plastic bags cannot be recycled in your blue recycling cart. They get caught in equipment and are not able to be sorted for recycling. Recycling facillities shut down for at least 2 hours every day to remove plastic bags from the equipment.
If unable to bring to a drop-off facility or set out for pickup, bag and put in your garbage cart.
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If you cannot find an item

If you cannot find your item in this list, you can request that we add it to the disposal guide.               Make a request

Resources

Reduce waste, reuse and repair

Get resources to reduce waste, repair, donate usable items and recycle and compost right.

Choose to Reuse

Help keep usable items out of the trash by selling, donating or repairing them.

Drop-off facilities

Hennepin County has two drop-off facilities where you can bring recycling, electronics and appliances.

Green Disposal Guide

Hennepin County's guide to recycling, reusing or disposing of items.

Contact us

Solid Waste & Recycling

Public Works

Facebook

Email Solid Waste & Recycling

Phone

612-673-2917

Address

Eastside Maintenance Facility
2635 University Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418

Office hours

8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday – Friday

This building is closed to the public.