Hennepin County is enforcing rules under Ordinance 13 for handling organic waste. Cities must offer organic recycling to all households that have curbside recycling services. The recycling ordinance aims 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 reduce 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 must offer organic recycling, and state law mandates that all residents have access to this service.
Organic recycling is a voluntary program that collects food scraps and other compostable materials. There is an additional yearly fee to participate. Although households are not required to participate in organics recycling, starting January 1st, 2025 Maple Plain has a public organics drop-off site with a dumpster provided by Republic Services near the Public Works building (1645 Pioneer Ave.).
