What Can Be Recycled in Anoka County? A Complete Guide

Recycling is one of the most important ways that residents of Anoka County and surrounding areas can support the environment and keep excess waste out of landfills. As we mentioned in our previous blog, the Ultimate Guide to Waste Management & Recycling in the North Twin Cities Metro, recycling is one of the key strategies of the waste management hierarchy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why in today’s recycling guide, we’ll break down everything that you can and can’t recycle in Anoka County.

What Can You Recycle in Anoka County, MN?

With single-sort recycling, you don’t have to sort or separate your recycling. Just place all your recyclable items into your cart (do not use plastic bags). But that doesn’t mean it’s just another trash can. Here’s what you can place in your curbside recycling cart in Anoka County, MN:

Paper

Clean sheets of paper are always okay to recycle. Staples are fine, too. Office papers, mail, magazines, newspapers, and even phone books can go in your recycling cart. Shredded paper, however, is not allowed in your cart. Empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls are okay.

Boxes

Flatten all boxes before placing them in your recycling cart. Almost any type of cardboard or paper box is acceptable. These include cereal, cracker, shoe, tissue, toiletry, and refrigerated food boxes. Frozen food boxes are not recyclable and should be placed in the trash. Larger cardboard boxes, such as TV boxes, may need to be cut up and broken down before they will fit in your cart. Cardboard snack cans for nuts and chips are also recyclable. Cardboard pizza boxes are okay as long as they are empty, clean, and not greasy. If they have grease or food residue, put them in the trash. Also remove the plastic box supports before recycling.

Glass

Food and beverage bottles and jars are okay to place in your recycling cart, even if they are broken. Bottles and jars should be emptied and rinsed. Labels are okay, but please remove caps and lids. Other glass items, such as reusable glassware, window glass, and vases, cannot be recycled; place them in your trash.

Cans

You should rinse metal food and beverage cans before placing them in your recycling cart. Labels are okay. Empty aerosol cans can also be placed in your recycling cart as long as they did not contain hazardous or flammable materials. Acceptable cans include shaving cream, whipped cream, sunscreen, and air freshener cans. Unacceptable cans include hair spray, bug spray, and spray paint cans.

Plastic Bottles and Jugs

Plastics labeled #1, #2, and #5 are okay to place in your recycling cart. Empty, rinse, and replace caps on all bottles and jugs before recycling. Water and soda bottles, milk and juice jugs, and ketchup and salad dressing bottles are all acceptable. Laundry detergent jugs and shampoo, soap, and lotion bottles are also okay, but please remove any pumps and place them in the trash.

Plastic Cups and Containers

Again, plastics labeled #1, #2, and #5 are okay. Please empty, rinse, and replace lids if they are the same number. Accepted items include yogurt and fruit cups, margarine and cream cheese tubs, clear food containers, and clear plastic cups.

Cartons

You should also empty, rinse, and replace caps on cartons before recycling them. Milk and juice cartons, juice boxes, soup cartons, and wine cartons are all okay to place in your curbside recycling cart.

What Can’t You Recycle in Anoka County, MN?

Some items should not be placed in your curbside recycling cart because they damage equipment, pose safety risks to workers, or are simply not recyclable. Do not place these items in your cart:

• Plastic bags
• Pet food/feed bags, salt bags
• Black plastics, plastic toys
• Plastic straws and utensils
• Loose plastic bottle caps (screw them onto the bottle before recycling)
• Foil pouches and wrappers
• Food waste containers
• Cords, hoses, and other tanglers
• Batteries, electronics, and electrical items
• Hazardous waste
• Medical sharps and other sharp objects
• Fuel or propane tanks
• Chemically tainted items (aerosol cans, paint cans, motor oil or gas containers)
• Food-tainted items (pizza boxes, frozen food boxes, juice cups, napkins, used paper plates)
• Construction and demolition materials (roofing, siding, gutters, concrete, rock, dirt)
• Clothes, shoes, bedding
• Styrofoam
• Garden waste (planter pots, trays)
• Diapers/wipes
• Furnace filters
• Metal items and scrap iron (other than aluminum or steel cans and tins)
• Packing peanuts, bubble wrap
• Glass (other than bottles and jars)

You can drop off plastic bags at many grocery stores and other retailers for specialized recycling. You should also bring batteries, medical sharps, and hazardous waste to special collection sites. Use these official directories from Anoka , Sherburne , and Chisago counties to find collection sites near you.

If you’re not sure whether an item can be recycled, visit our recycling center’s website and search for your item.

LePage Makes Recycling Easy

We hope this Anoka County recycling guide clears up some confusion about what you can and can’t recycle. LePage & Sons is committed to making recycling and other waste solutions easy for customers. Located in Bethel, MN, LePage & Sons serves Anoka County, Sherburne County, and other parts of east central Minnesota with reliable and punctual recycling pickup services. We guarantee the best price in the industry, with no hidden fees or charges. We’ll even match other residential waste pickup companies to make sure of it! We also guarantee the best service; we care about our customers, and it shows.

Get your free, no-obligation quote for residential trash and recycling services today.