The city hosts two cleanup days annually, one in the spring and one in the fall. Cleanup events take place at the Municipal Service Center, 7305 Oxford St.

For questions about the events, email recycling@stlouisparkmn.gov or call public works at 952.924.2562.

Accepted materials

Electronics recycling – fees vary

• Holiday light strings and extension cords – free
• Desktop computer towers, laptops, notebooks, keyboards and mice – free
• Mobile devices: cell phones, tablets, MP3 players, cords and chargers – free
• VCR/DVD players, stereos, speakers, fans and miscellaneous household electronics – $5
• Flat panel TVs/monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines – $10
• Box/tube TVs/monitors – $50

Appliance and microwave recycling – $15

• 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, ice makers, microwaves, pool heaters (natural gas), ranges, refrigerators, stackable washers and dryers, stoves, sump pumps, trash compactors, washers, and water coolers

Scrap metal recycling – free

• Grills, steel shelving, file cabinets, gutters, metal fencing, lawn mowers, snow blowers etc. (lawn mowers and snow blowers must be drained of all fluids)

Bicycles in any condition – free

Tires (not accepted on rims) – $8

Clothing, shoes and linens for donation – free (please bring these items in a separate box/bag from housewares for donation, listed below)

Mattresses and box springs – free or $22

• Free if stain or rip free, otherwise recycled at $22 per piece

Metal bed frames for donation – free

Housewares for donation – free

• Bakeware: casseroles, loaf and muffin pans, pie plates, rectangular, pizza pans, and cookie sheets
• Cookware: all sizes, pots and pans
• Dishes: plates, bowls, cups, serving pieces, butter dishes, and salt/pepper shakers (no china sets)
• Glassware: all sizes, drinking, and stemware
• Knives, cutting boards and knife blocks
• Silverware: forks, spoons, knives, serving pieces
• Utensils (serving): spatulas, can openers, mixing spoons, whisks, peelers, tongs, scissors, and slicers
• Bathroom: shower curtains, bathmats, soap dishes, wastebaskets, and toothbrush holders
• Laundry baskets and storage containers Wastebaskets and trash cans (indoor only)

Not accepted

• No bulky trash items (furniture, kids toys, other large unusable items)
• No remodeling debris
• No household trash
• No household hazardous waste (paint, chemicals, herbicides, fluorescent bulbs, etc.)

More options

If you have city collection service, contact The Buckingham Companies at 952.226.6457 to pay for and schedule a curbside pickup of bulky trash and remodeling debris, or see the year-round options tabs on this page for more options.

The city typically hosts at least one paper shredding event each year for residents to safely dispose of confidential papers.

Requirements

• Must be a St. Louis Park resident.
• No business waste. Businesses should contact Hennepin County at 612.348.3777 for information on disposal options.
• Each individual can bring up to 5 paper grocery bags of paper to be shredded. 
• For safety reasons, walking or biking materials into the event is prohibited.

Materials accepted

• Confidential paper for shredding
• Paper file folders

Materials not accepted

• Plastic file folders, or plastic of any kind
• Large metal objects
• Lawn/leaf bags and plastic bags of any kind
• Hard drives, electronic media, ink cartridges or toners

Note: Shredded paper is not accepted in recycling or organics carts. Bring confidential papers to a shredding event if you would like them to be shredded on-site and recycled.

Alternative options for paper shredding

These options all come with a cost. Visit respective websites for more information.

• Shred Right, Bloomington
  • Every Saturday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Shred It, Brooklyn Park
  • Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3pm

In addition, other community organizations and businesses may host their own paper shredding events. However, at this time, the city is not aware of any free options for paper shredding service. There are a few businesses in the area that offer shredding for a charge.

• UPS Store – 5115 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park (Miracle Mile)
• Staples – 11500 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka

If you choose to shred paper at home, place it in your trash. Shredded paper is not accepted in recycling or organics.

The Buckingham Companies

If you have city solid waste service you can request curbside collection of appliances, electronics and bulky items that don’t fit in your garbage cart year-round; see below for scheduling and cost.

Appliances, electronics and bulky item collection

Curbside collection of appliances, electronics and bulky items can be arranged by calling Buckingham at 952.226.6457. This includes items such as large broken toys, carpet, mattresses, furniture and construction or remodeling materials, including wood. This also includes items that must be recycled such as electronics, TVs, appliances and microwaves. The cost for this service is per item. Solid waste tax applies to the disposal costs for any items collected as trash (most items except electronics and appliances, which must be recycled). Residents must prepay The Buckingham Companies directly for a bulky item collection.

Disposal facility drop-off

For a list of facilities that accept trash, carpet, bulky items, remodeling debris and more, view the Hennepin County's Green Disposal Guide. Be sure to call ahead to any location listed for hours, fees and special requirements.

The following are year-round options for recycling, donating or otherwise disposing of many common items. (Businesses are only listed as a resource for our residents; inclusion does not constitute an endorsement of a business.)

Bikes

Whether you have a usable bicycle, one that needs repair or is beyond repair, view Hennepin County's Green Disposal Guide for options.

Electronics

The following locations accept electronics including computers, printers, cables, power strips, cell phones, tablets and more. Some items are accepted for free, while others have a fee.

• Hennepin County accepts electronics at their drop-off facilities in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington.
• Tech Dump accepts electronics at their locations in Golden Valley and St. Paul.

Household hazardous waste

Hennepin county provides two permanent drop-off locations and several seasonal household hazardous waste (HHW) collection events throughout the year for residents to get rid of paint, chemicals and other household hazardous waste.

Mattresses

Second Chance Recycling offers recycling for mattresses of all sizes for a fee. Visit their website to schedule a pickup.

Paper shredding

The city typically hosts paper shredding events, separate from cleanup day events. Residents may bring up to five paper grocery bags worth of paper. Please DO NOT use lawn/leaf bags or plastic bags of any kind.

In addition, other community organizations and businesses may host their own paper shredding events. However, at this time, the city is not aware of any free options for paper shredding service. There are a few businesses in the area that offer shredding for a charge.

• UPS Store – 5115 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park (Miracle Mile)
• Staples – 11500 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka

If you choose to shred paper at home, place it in your trash. Shredded paper is not accepted in recycling or organics.

Scrap metal

Express Metals in Hopkins accepts scrap metal for recycling. Examples of items accepted include washers, dryers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, furnaces, stoves, air conditioning units, lawn mowers and snow blowers (drained of fluids), and grills (no propane tanks). They also accept lead acid batteries; other household batteries are not accepted. View a complete list of items accepted.

Reusable items

There are many options throughout the Twin Cities for donating usable items. Here are options located in St. Louis Park or that offer pickup in our community.

• Goodwill, 3575 Hwy. 100 – Accepts clothing, household goods, books and many other items.
• Bridging (nonprofit assisting Minnesotans coming out of homelessness) – Accepts items for donation, including usable furniture, linens and kitchen essentials (dishes, cookware, utensils, etc.). Visit the Bridging website for a complete list of accepted items and hours. Curbside pickup of items is available for a fee.
• Epilepsy Foundation (nonprofit offering services for individuals with epilepsy) – Curbside pickup of clothing and household items is available by request. Visit the Epilepsy Foundation website for more information.

Find other reuse businesses through Choose to Reuse.

Tips for donating

• Pre-sort your donations (clothing, kitchenware, décor, etc.) to decrease the work that must be done by thrift stores.
• Remember that thrift stores must pay to dispose of stuff they can’t sell. Please don’t donate junk. This includes opened personal care items, broken toys, things you got for free at a conference or event (branded swag, promo CDs, etc.) or old media (computer games that are more than few years old, etc.).

Other items

View Hennepin County's Green Disposal Guide for a list of facilities that accept trash, carpet, bulky items, remodeling debris and more. Always call ahead to any location for hours, fees and special requirements.

Hennepin County also hosts a Choose to Reuse website to help residents find places to buy, sell, donate, rent or repair items. The mission is to keep usable items out of the trash and to encourage reuse before buying new.