Organics Recycling

Per Hennepin County ordinance, cities are required to provide the opportunity for single-family to fourplex residential households to participate in curbside collection of organic material. View the Frequently Asked Questions PDF about Golden Valley's organics recycling program.

Golden Valley's residential curbside organics recycling service includes weekly pick-up of food scraps, greasy or soiled paper products, and other compostable products through a contract with Republic Services. It is available to all Golden Valley residents living in single-family through four-plex households.

Organics recycling will be picked up every Friday beginning January 7, 2022. Regular recycling will continue to be picked up every other Friday. 

Residents are charged $17 on their quarterly utility bill which pays for organics recycling. Residents are also charged $17 per quarter for traditional recycling services. Starting April 2023, these rates will increase to $18 per quarter. These charges also pay for annual waste and recycling programs like Mighty Tidy Day, Spring Brush Pick-Up, and Fall Leaf Drop-Off. Residents are not able to opt-out of the quarterly recycling fees.

Call 763-972-3335 if you have questions or want to make arrangements to request or return an organics cart. Keep in mind you will still be billed for the program if you return your cart. If you have questions about billing for the organics recycling program, call the City Finance Department at 763-593-8013.

Preparing Your Organic Materials For Pick-Up

You do not need to place organic materials in a bag before putting them in the organics cart, but using bags can help keep the receptacles cleaner. If you choose to use bags, make sure that they are certified BPI compostable. These bags can be found at most grocery and convenience stores. Brown paper bags may also be used. Plastic bags should never be used for organics or mixed recycling.

Importance Of Organics Recycling

In Hennepin County, approximately 30 percent of materials found in residential trash would be accepted for organics recycling. Recycling these organic materials, instead of throwing them away, presents one of the biggest opportunities to reduce what ends up in the landfill. While in landfills, organic materials rot and emit methane, a greenhouse gas that is 30 times more potent than CO2. By diverting these materials from landfills and recycling them, we reduce emissions and create a valuable resource: nutrient-rich compost used in yards, gardens, landscaping, and construction projects. Compost helps reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides, improves soil, and protects local water quality.

Other Organics Resources

Drop-Off Locations

Organics are accepted for free Tuesday through Saturday at Hennepin County drop-off facilities during normal facility hours (limit of five bags per person per day). Organics must be brought in BPI-certified compostable plastic bags.

Backyard Composting

Composting converts organic matter, such as food waste, leaves, and grass clippings, to more usable soil or mulch. Compost is nutrient-rich, helps hold moisture in light, sandy soil, and improves drainage in heavy soil. Learn more about Golden Valley's yard composting requirements.