Organics Recycling

About 30 percent of what we throw away is organic material, food scraps and food-soiled paper products. Through organics recycling programs, waste is recycled into valuable compost at a commercial composting facility to be used in landscaping and road construction projects. Organics recycling includes collecting fruits, vegetables, bones, meat, breads, eggshells, non-recyclable and food-soiled paper and more, for composting.

Curbside Organics RecyclingA blue Republic organics recycling cart with an orange lid that says Food Waste

As of January 2022, all Hopkins residential recycling customers are eligible to participate in the City’s new curbside organics recycling program.

The program stems from a Hennepin County requirement for all cities to make organics recycling services available to households with curbside recycling by January 1, 2022.

How to Participate

Residents can sign-up for Curbside Organics Recycling at any time. 

Collection is weekly on the same day as garbage day. 

Fee

Residents who have recycling provided by Republic via the City contract will see an additional $5.75 on their utility bills, regardless of whether or not they choose to participate in the curbside organics recycling program.

Preparing Organics for RecyclingBPI certified Symbol

All material MUST be bagged - no loose material - in either a BPI certified compostable bag or paper bag.  BPI certified compostable bags will have one of these symbols on their packaging.

Organics Recycling Audit for Current Subscribers

In an effort to assess the current success of the organics recycling program, the City will be conducting an audit for purely educational purposes. If your street is selected, you will receive a letter of notice in the mail prior to the sort and will receive a follow up letter if contamination is found. For this initial audit, there will be no fines or penalties for contaminated bins. 

Contact Hopkins' GreenCorps Member Nicole Witt with questions.

Managing Your Organics webinar

Learn the do's and don'ts of organics recycling in Hopkins by watching a recording of the Managing Your Organics webinar. 


Where the Collected Organics Go

Organics collected are taken to either the Specialized Environmental Technologies commercial composting site in Rosemount or the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community commercial composting facility.  

Watch this video to see what happens after you drop your collection off and how it becomes valuable compost.