Recycling & Waste Education Resources

This is a visual representation of acceptable and unacceptable items in a curbside recycling cart. The text on the page below lists the same acceptable and unacceptable items.

Recycling - Know What To Throw

We know that recycling can be complicated, so we’ve assembled an all-star cast to give you nine tips, to help you recycle right!

 

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Acceptable Items In Your Curbside Recycling Cart

  • Paper
    • Office paper
    • Newspaper
    • Magazines
    • Envelopes
    • Mail
    • Paper bags
  • Corrugated cardboard (flatten for recycling)
  • Paperboard (e.g. cereal boxes and cracker boxes)
  • Aluminum cans
  • Tin and steel cans
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Plastic bottles and containers #1, #2, and #5 (keep caps on)
  • Milk and juice cartons (aseptic and gable-top cartons)

Never In Your Curbside Recycling Cart

(not an inclusive list)

  • Plastic Bags
  • Batteries
  • Electronics
  • "Tanglers"
    • Hoses
    • Cords
    • Wires
    • Rope
  • Shredded Paper
  • Foam Containers and Packaging
  • Ceramics, Dishware, & Window Glass
  • Food Waste
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Napkins and Paper Plates/Towels
  • Plastic Cutlery
  • Aerosol Cans 

Some of the items that are not acceptable in your curbside recycling cart can and should be recycled.

For example, rechargeable batteries are considered hazardous waste and should be brought to the Hazardous Waste Facility.

TVs, computers, and other electronic items should be brought to the Recycling Center Plus.

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The resolution listing items that should be recycled in Olmsted County was approved in March 2022. 

Educational Materials

To view the documents below, please contact Environmental Resources at 507-328-7070 or pwservice@co.olmsted.mn.us(link sends email).

  • Background on recycling in Olmsted County: Lesson plans and resources for teachers
     
  • How to start a school recycling program or gain participation: a how-to guide and outside resources
     
  • How to assess a school's waste and other outside resources

Speaker Request Form

If you would like a representative from the Environmental Resources Department to speak at an event regarding garbage and recycling, please complete the request form below. Visits are limited to groups located in Olmsted County. All speaker requests are subject to approval.

Good decisions are based on knowledge. Our goal is to teach Olmsted County residents how to make the most of our resources through an understanding of how and why our Integrated Solid Waste Management System provides a proper place for waste.

Effective waste education helps us all to become stewards of our environment.