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Hennepin County, Minnesota

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Drop-off facilities

Hennepin County operates drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park for household hazardous waste and problem materials. Check first to see if we accept your item on the Green Disposal Guide.

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To make your visit efficient, safe and productive, review the following guidelines before you visit our drop-off facilities.

Who can use our facilities

  • Households only (excluding organics and some recyclable materials).
  • Residents of Hennepin, Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties only. Residents from Sherburne and Wright counties are not eligible to use our drop-off facilities.

In general, Hennepin County does not accept waste from businesses, with the exceptions of cardboard, scrap metal, recycling, and organics recycling from small businesses.

Businesses include rental properties, condominium, neighborhood, or townhouse associations; governmental entities; home-based businesses; nonprofit organizations; or any other activity intended to produce income. Hennepin County will not accept waste from commercial activities that was generated or stored in a household. For disposal options, businesses should search Commercial Hazardous Waste Disposal Companies fact sheet (PDF).

Check whether we accept your item

Safely transport household hazardous wastes

  • 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.

Remember to bring

  • Proof of residency, such as a driver's license or utility bill, is required.

When you get to our facilities

  • Residents should remain in their vehicles unless otherwise directed by staff.
  • Items should be stored in the trunk of the vehicle, bed of truck, or in a trailer.

Additional disposal options

If your items are still in good shape, look for donation opportunities on the Choose to Reuse website.

Below is a list of common materials accepted at the drop-off facilities. This is not all the items we accept. Check the Green Disposal Guide or call 612-348-3777 for a more comprehensive list of specific items.

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 materials are accepted from household only. Businesses must manage their hazardous and problem wastes properly.

Materials accepted

Electronics

There is a limit five of same type per year.

  • Computer peripherals (CPUs, mice, printers, etc.)
  • Audio and video equipment
  • Phones – cordless, cell phones, smart phones
  • Rechargeable products – tools, toothbrushes, toys, etc.

Household, lawn, garden

  • Paint, stain, varnish, solvents, driveway sealer, and other materials (if five-gallon pails, limit three per year)
  • Pesticides
  • Fluorescent bulbs (limit 25 per year)
  • Aerosols
  • Pool chemicals
  • Mercury thermometers and thermostats
  • Oil filters
  • Automotive fluids
  • Motor oil (if in five-gallon sized containers or less)
  • Gas, fuels and other fluids – during limited operations, gas cans must be left to be emptied and will not be returned

Batteries

  • All types
  • Prepare household batteries by placing batteries in a clear plastic bag OR place clear tape on both the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals of batteries to prevent fires.

Needles and sharps

For proper preparation and directions, go to Green Disposal Guide – Needles and Sharps.

Materials accepted for a charge

Tires

  • $3 each, with or without rims
  • Less than 4' diameter
  • No bicycle tires
  • Limit of up to 15 tires per load with an annual limit of 30 tires per household per year

TVs, computer monitors, laptops

  • $10 each

Large appliances

  • $15 each
  • Appliances including air conditioners (including wall and window units), appliance compressors, bilge pumps, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, dryers, freezers, furnaces, gas-powered appliances, garbage disposals, heat pumps, hot water heaters, microwaves, pool heaters (natural gas), ranges, refrigerators, stackable washers and dryers (treated as one unit), stoves, sump pumps, trash compactors, washers, and water coolers.

Mattresses and box springs

  • $25 each item
  • Brooklyn Park Transfer Station only

Materials not accepted

Find disposal options for these items on the Green Disposal Guide website.

  • Garbage
  • Ammunition
  • Asbestos
  • Business hazardous waste
  • Carpet
  • Concrete or asphalt
  • Construction materials
  • Empty gas cans
  • Explosives
  • Furniture
  • Infectious waste
  • Medicines
  • Non-reusable textiles
  • Remodeling debris
  • Wood
  • Yard and tree waste

Recycling accepted for no charge

Recycling is accepted from households and businesses. Note: Businesses are limited to one pickup truck load of recyclables per week.

Cardboard

  • Flatten boxes
  • Preferred size 3'x3'
  • Bloomington Drop-off Facility limited to one pickup truck load per visit. Larger quantities of cardboard from households should be delivered to the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station.

Cartons

  • Milk, soup, broth, and wine cartons
  • Juice boxes

Glass

  • Bottles and jars

Metal

  • Food and beverage cans
  • For scrap metal, remove non-metal parts

Paper

  • Mail, office and school papers
  • Magazines and catalogs
  • Newspapers and inserts
  • Phone books (limit 100)
  • Refrigerated food boxes
  • Boxes like cereal, cracker, gift, toiletry, etc.

Plastics

  • Bottles, jugs, cups and containers (empty, rinsed)
  • Bags (clean, dry, placed in an open bag)

Accepted from households only

Cords and lights

  • Electric cords and string/holiday lights

Media

  • DVDs and Blu-ray discs
  • CDs
  • Pen drives
  • Diskettes
  • Thumb drives, flash drives, media storage cards
  • Video game cartridges
  • Jewel cases accepted only if holding DVDs or CDs.

Organics recycling accepted for no charge

Organics are accepted from households and businesses at both the Brooklyn Park and South Hennepin (Bloomington) facilities.

Organics can be dropped off Tuesday through Saturday. Organics must be in BPI-certified compostable bags, and there is a limit of five bags per person per day.

Organics recycling guide (PDF) features the list of materials accepted for organics recycling.

Guidelines for businesses delivering recycling to drop-off facilities

  • Your business must self-haul recycling to our facilities.
  • There is no material redemption service at these facilities.
  • If in plastic bags, must be emptied at time of drop-off. Bags may be separately recycled.

Volume accepted

  • A pick-up load or less of recycling per week is accepted.

Preferred times

  • We recommend dropping off recycling Tuesday - Thursday afternoons. These are our least busy times when we can provide the best customer service.
  • Please refrain from bringing in materials between 10 and 11 a.m., Tuesday–Friday.

Residents can pick up usable products that were previously dropped off for free at the Free Product Centers located within each drop-off facility. The products are screened for quality before being placed on the shelves for reuse.

Examples of products you may find at the centers include:

  • Adhesives and glues
  • Aerosols
  • Automotive products
  • Cleaners
  • Paints and stains

Guidelines and limits

Residents must be 18 years and older to pick up items. The county does not guarantee these products, and items selected by residents are used at their own risk.

For the safety of those inside the drop-off facilities, park your car in the parking lot and walk to the building to use the free product centers.

Reselling products is prohibited.

The county limits the number of items that a person can take.

  • Aerosol cans: 2 per week
  • No more than 10 items total per week
  • Reselling products is prohibited

You can take simple steps to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals at home. Learning to read labels and buy the least toxic products, making your own non-toxic cleaners, and knowing how to properly use, store and dispose of hazardous products can reduce your exposure to chemicals, keep you and your family safe, potentially save you money and reduce the amount of household hazardous waste that you have for disposal.

See our tips for reducing and safely using and storing household hazardous waste.

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