Hennepin County is now enforcing rules under Ordinance 13 for handling organic waste. Cities must offer organics recycling to all households that have curbside recycling services. These rules were part of changes made to the county’s recycling ordinance in November 2018.
The goal of the recycling ordinance is to help the environment by reducing waste and recycling as much as possible. Diverting organic materials, like food scraps and yard waste, is one of the best ways to cut down on trash. A waste study by Hennepin County found that organic materials make up 25-35% of what we throw away.
Increasing organic waste collection is a major step toward reaching the county’s zero-waste and climate action goals, which aim to keep 90% of waste out of landfills or incinerators. Cities are required to offer organics recycling, and state law mandates that all residents have access to this service.
Although households are not required to participate in organics recycling, starting January 1st, Maple Plain will comply with Ordinance 13 and set up a public organics drop-off site with a dumpster provided by Republic Services near the Public Works building (1645 Pioneer Ave.).