The following is a list of materials accepted at the drop-off facilities. For more information on a specific item, visit the A to Z How-to-Get-Rid-of-It Guide or call 612-348-3777.

Materials accepted - household hazardous waste and problem materials

Transport your household hazardous wastes in sealed containers, in an upright position, in a plastic lined box.  Make sure all containers are 5-gallons or less in size and properly labeled with the contents.

The following wastes are accepted from residents only. Businesses must manage their hazardous and problem wastes properly.

Materials accepted for free

  • Automotive products
    • Lead-acid batteries
    • Automotive fluids (such as antifreeze, brake fluid, transmission fluid and fuel)
    • Oil and oil filters
  • Electronics (quantity limits apply)
    • TVs
    • Personal computers and peripherals (such as keyboards, printers and scanners)
    • Fax machines
    • Stereos
    • Telephones
    • DVD players and VCRs
    • Rechargeable products (such as tools and portable electronics with batteries)
  • Household, lawn and garden products
    • Adhesives
    • Aerosols
    • Batteries (tape the positive (+) terminal) - also find battery drop-off locations throughout the county
    • Cleaners
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Mercury-containing items (such as fluorescent bulbs, thermometers and
      thermostats)
    • Paint
    • Pesticides
    • Photochemicals
    • Poisons
    • Pool chemicals
    • Stains
    • Varnishes
  • Media (video, audio, computer)
    • Computer disks
    • DVDs, CDs and Blu-ray discs
    • Flash drives and Secure Digital (SD) memory cards
    • Game cartridges
    • Ink jet and laser toner cartridges
    • Plastic cases and jewel cases
    • Video and audio cassettes and tapes
    • Vinyl records

Materials accepted for a fee

  • Appliances
    • Air conditioners
    • Appliance compressors
    • Dehumidifiers
    • Dishwashers
    • Freezers
    • Furnaces
    • Garbage disposals
    • Boiler gas valve
    • Microwaves
    • Ovens/stoves
    • Plug-in coolers
    • Pool and portable heaters
    • Pumps (bilge and sump)
    • Refrigerators
    • Trash compactors
    • Washers/dryers
    • Water heaters
    • Water coolers
  • Mattresses and box springs
    Only accepted at the Brooklyn Park facility.
    • All size mattresses and box springs, including mattresses from futons, cribs and toddler beds.
  • Tires

Recycling accepted for free from residents and businesses

  • Cardboard
  • Glass bottles and jars*
  • Metal - cans*
  • Metal - scrap
  • Newspaper and advertising supplements*
  • Paper - mail, office and school papers, shredded, folders, magazines, soft cover books and boxes*
  • Phone books*
  • Plastic bottles*
  • Plastic bags
  • String and holiday lights

*If these items are in plastic bags, they must be emptied at time of drop-off.

If you are dropping of recycling from a business, please see the Recyclables Accepted from Businesses at Hennepin County Drop-off Facilities for more information.

Organics recycling accepted for free from residents and small businesses

Organic materials that will be accepted include:

Organics can be dropped off Tuesday through Friday. Organics are NOT accepted on Saturday. Organics must be in BPI-certified compostable bags, and there is a limit of five bags per person per day. Organics are ONLY accepted at the Brooklyn Park facility.

See a full list of materials accepted and organics drop-off guidelines.

Materials not accepted

Business waste 

Businesses must manage their hazardous and problem waste properly. See the information for commercial hazardous waste generators.