The University of Minnesota Twin Cities hosts a top university recycling program, with waste collected into four streams: paper, cans/bottles, compost, and trash. The campus operates the Como Recycling Facility, where materials are hand-sorted and sold to local markets. Paper includes printer paper, cardboard, magazines, etc., while cans/bottles are separated into glass, metal, and different plastics. Compost includes food scraps, napkins, and certified compostable products. Trash includes non-recyclable items like chip bags and Styrofoam. Waste stations in 285 buildings ensure equal access to recycling for the 50,000 individuals on campus, diverting 4 million pounds of waste annually. Custodial Services collect and transport materials to loading docks, where Waste Recovery Services handle further transportation. Compost goes to the SMSC Organics Facility, while non-recyclables are sent to the HERC in Minneapolis. The university aims to achieve a 90% recycling rate and promotes waste reduction through sustainable practices and zero waste initiatives.
papercans and bottlescampus recyclingpaper recyclingcontainer recyclingUniversity of Minnesota+1 more
Electronics Recycling of Minnesota is a site that offers secure recycling for a variety of electronic devices, including computers, mobile devices, and appliances. They offer both drop-off and pick-up services for residential and business customers in the Minneapolis area.
ComputersCell PhonesTabletsLaptopsPrintersMonitors+8 more
EMR Minneapolis (Scrappy's Express) specializes in scrap metal recycling, including the purchase of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. They provide services for junk vehicle collection and metal recycling.
Ferrous metalNon-ferrous metalAuto batteriesAluminum cansCatalytic convertersSmall electronics+4 more
Accepts: Ferrous metal, Non-ferrous metal, Auto batteries, Aluminum cans, Catalytic converters, Small electronics
Services: Scrap metal buying · Vehicle recycling · Junk car pickup
What identification is required for selling scrap metal?
You need to present a document issued by any state, federal, or foreign government that includes your full name, date of birth, photograph, and signature.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:15 PM, and closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Eureka Recycling is a nonprofit zero waste social enterprise, one of only a handful of nonprofit recyclers in the United States, and has provided recycling services to the Twin Cities metro since 2001. Its Material Recovery Facility on Kennedy Street NE processes 400 to 450 tons of recycling a day.
More than 90 percent of the sorted material sells to Midwest end markets, and all of it stays in North America. Eureka employs over 100 people, with unionized drivers since 2010 and living wages with benefits for every employee, MRF sorters included. The facility runs public tours.
K&K Metal Recycling Group is a locally owned Minnesota company specializing in buying and sorting non-ferrous metals. They provide services for various metals including aluminum, brass, and copper, with a focus on top-dollar pricing.
Aluminum cansCopperBrassmetal recyclingnon-ferrousaluminum cans+3 more
Leder Brothers Metal Company is a family-owned scrap metal recycling business in Minneapolis, serving retail, industrial, and wholesale clients in the Twin Cities area for over 100 years. They do not accept catalytic converters but buy a variety of materials including ferrous scrap like iron and steel, copper, brass, and precious metals. The company focuses on high-quality service, modern facilities, and accurate pricing based on market value. Sellers can bring materials to their clean and secure Minneapolis yard or arrange for pickup, with all metals carefully analyzed for fair pricing. The facility features electronic scales for accurate weight measurements and handheld X-Ray Fluorescence XRF analysis equipment for metal content determination. Leder Brothers pays top prices for scrap metals, ensuring sellers receive maximum value. Their efficient and safe facility is centrally located, easily accessible, and equipped to handle various forms and quantities of metals. With a focus on integrity, fair pricing, and customer relationships, Leder Brothers Metal Company is a trusted name in the Twin Cities' scrap metal recycling industry.
IronSteelCopperBrassPrecious MetalsScrap Metal Recycling+4 more
What company-level annual revenue has this listing’s brand reported?
For company-level context, Republic Services, Inc. reported $16,591,000,000 in consolidated revenue for 2025, in its release dated 2026-02-17. This listing names the Republic Services brand and links to the company's domain. The figure is the company's overall revenue, not this location's sales, valuation or a claim about who owns its land. It is an actual reported annual figure, not 2026 guidance.
Malcolm Avenue facility in southeast Minneapolis that accepts yard waste year-round for a fee, giving north metro residents an option outside the April to November Maple Grove season.
Second Chance Recycling is a social enterprise in Minneapolis, MN, focusing on the recycling of mattresses and box springs. The company offers employment opportunities for individuals overcoming barriers to employment, and they aim to reduce landfill waste through effective recycling practices.
MattressesBox springsmattress recyclingsocial enterpriseenvironmental servicescommunity jobs
The recycling center in Minneapolis offers garbage collection weekly, recycling pickup every other week, and organics recycling for food scraps and compostable items at no extra cost. They also provide large item collection services and yard waste collection from mid-April through November. Additionally, the center offers a disposal guide to help residents properly dispose of various household items, as well as options for requesting special cleanups for an added fee. Visitors can also learn about becoming a recycling block leader to help neighbors recycle more efficiently and reduce waste. The center encourages community cleanup efforts and provides resources for preventing and removing graffiti, reporting illegal dumping, and managing waste at events. For those interested in the services, the center's address is Eastside Maintenance Facility, 2635 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418, with office hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
CardboardGlassPlastics #1&2ElectronicsAppliancesGarbage Collection+11 more
The South Transfer Station in Minneapolis is a drop-off site for extra garbage and building materials, available for City garbage customers who can request a voucher to use the site. Those without City garbage service but with a Minneapolis water bill can pay to use the site. However, the station will be closed for maintenance from April 21 to May 5, during which vouchers and Pay per Use Passes will not be issued. It is important to note that the South Transfer Station is exclusively for City customers with garbage or water service. Visitors must adhere to guidelines for drop-off items and fees, and the station is located at the Eastside Maintenance Facility on 2635 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, and visitors must call to request a voucher. For further inquiries, individuals can contact Solid Waste Recycling via email or phone.
CardboardGlassPlastics #1&2ElectronicsAppliancesDrop-off Site+1 more
Listed hours: Mon Closed · Tue-Fri 12:30 – 7:15 PM · Sat 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM · Sun Closed
What company-level annual revenue has this listing’s brand reported?
For company-level context, Waste Management, Inc. (WM) reported $25,204,000,000 in consolidated revenue for 2025, in its release dated 2026-01-28. This listing names the WM brand and links to the company's domain. The figure is the company's overall revenue, not this location's sales, valuation or a claim about who owns its land. It is an actual reported annual figure, not 2026 guidance.
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Materials Accepted in Minneapolis
Based on the listings above, materials commonly handled in Minneapolis include recycling, Aluminum cans, Copper, Brass, Cardboard. Browse the guides below for preparation tips, scrap values, and what's recyclable.
Minneapolis runs its own Solid Waste and Recycling division out of Public Works, separate from Saint Paul's contracted hauler system. Recycling and organics carts are collected weekly on the same day as garbage, and the city will even swing back the next business day to grab large appliances and electronics you set out on recycling day. Minnesota has no bottle deposit law, so cans and bottles go straight into the blue cart rather than to a redemption center.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can go in a Minneapolis recycling cart?
The blue cart takes paper, cardboard, food and beverage cans, aluminum foil, cartons like milk and juice boxes, and plastic bottles and containers marked #1, #2, or #5. It does not take plastic bags, bubble wrap, Styrofoam, shredded paper, or #3, #4, #6, and #7 plastics. Plastic bags and film need to go to a drop-off spot like a grocery store instead of the cart.
Does Minneapolis recycle glass curbside?
Yes, food and beverage bottles and jars go in the regular recycling cart along with everything else, no separate bin needed. Drinking glasses, window glass, ceramics, and mirrors are not accepted because they melt at a different temperature than container glass and contaminate the batch. There is no bottle deposit in Minnesota, so this is the only way to recycle glass containers curbside.
How does the Minneapolis organics (green cart) program work?
Organics recycling is opt-in and open to any resident with city garbage service; you sign up online or by phone and the city delivers a green cart plus a welcome kit with compostable bags. It accepts food scraps, food-soiled paper like pizza boxes and napkins, and BPI-certified compostable products, but not yard waste or anything labeled merely 'biodegradable.' The cart is emptied weekly on your regular garbage day, and items need to go in a BPI-certified compostable bag or paper grocery bag.
Where can Minneapolis residents drop off household hazardous waste and electronics?
Hennepin County runs two drop-off facilities, one in Bloomington and one in Brooklyn Park, open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both take household hazardous waste, electronics, and other hard-to-recycle items, and household hazardous waste is also accepted from residents of several neighboring metro counties. Minneapolis residents can also set out TVs, computers, and small electronics on their curbside recycling day.
How do I get rid of large or bulky items in Minneapolis?
City garbage crews take up to two large items per week on your regular pickup day, as long as you tag each one with a note that says 'For Solid Waste.' Appliances, electronics, mattresses, and metal items go out on recycling day instead: crews tag them with a 'We'll be back' sticker and return the next business day to collect them for recycling rather than the landfill. Anyone without city cart service (dumpsters or a private hauler) should use Hennepin County's Green Disposal Guide instead.
Recycling tips for Minneapolis
•Put glass food and beverage jars straight in the blue recycling cart, not a separate bin, since Minneapolis has no bottle deposit program to redeem them elsewhere.
•Tag large items with a note reading 'For Solid Waste' and set them out by 6 a.m. on pickup day, or crews may leave them behind.
•Set appliances, electronics, and mattresses out on your recycling day rather than garbage day; the city returns the next business day with a 'We'll be back' sticker to recycle them properly.
•Sign up for the green organics cart online if you want food scraps and food-soiled paper picked up weekly; it is opt-in and not automatic with garbage service.
•For household hazardous waste, paint, or anything the curbside program will not take, use one of Hennepin County's two drop-off centers in Bloomington or Brooklyn Park, open Tuesday through Saturday.
Recycling centers near Minneapolis
The closest recycling centers in neighboring areas: