The following items are accepted for recycling in the City of St. Louis Park's curbside recycling program. If an item is not listed below, check out Hennepin County's Green Disposal Guide for recycling or disposal options or contact city staff at recycling@stlouisparkmn.gov. 

Print or view the recycling guide and 2023 - 2024 recycling calendar for a quick at home reminder of acceptable materials and your collection week!

Recyclables should be placed loose in your recycling cart, they may not be accepted if they are bagged. If you use bags to collect your recyclables inside your home, empty your recyclables into the cart and reuse or discard the bag in the trash (if it is a plastic bag), or reuse or flatten and recycle the bag (if it is a paper bag).

Recyclable materials we accept

Paper

• Mail, office and school papers
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspapers and inserts
• Phone books
• Books (remove hard covers)
• Cereal, cracker, pasta, and cake mix boxes
• Shoe boxes, gift boxes and electronics boxes
• Toothpaste, medication and other toiletry boxes
• Cardboard (flatten to three feet by 3 three feet. If placed outside your cart remember to bundle with tape or twine)
• Cardboard cans
• Pop and beer boxes
• Freezer/refrigerator boxes

Cartons (rinse, leave caps on)

• Milk, soup and broth cartons
• Wine and juice cartons
• Juice boxes

Glass (remove lids)

• Food and beverage bottles and jars

Metal

• Food and beverage cans
• Aluminum foil and trays (rinsed and clean)

Scrap metal is no longer accepted through the city's recycling program. Visit the City Cleanup page for information on recycling scrap metal at events or local recycling facilities instead.

Plastics (rinse, leave caps on)

Make sure all plastics have a resin code of #1, #2, or #5.

• Water, soda and juice bottles
• Milk and juice jugs
• Ketchup and salad dressing bottles
• Yogurt, pudding and fruit cups
• Margarine, cottage cheese and other tubs
• Produce, deli and take out containers
• Dishwashing liquid bottles
• Detergent jugs
• Shampoo, soap and lotion bottles (remove pump)
• Clear packaging from toys and electronics
• Medicine bottles (greater than three inches tall or wide)
• Disposable plastic cups and bowls

Bulky rigid plastics

All items must fit inside the recycling cart, do not cut into small pieces. Make sure all bulky rigid plastics have a resin code of #1, #2 or #5. Examples include:

• Plastic buckets 5 gallons and smaller (clean, no paint/spackle, metal handle okay)
• Plastic laundry baskets, tubs and crates
• Rigid plastic garden pots (less than 8 inches in diameter, free of dirt)

Items that are NOT accepted

Placing items in the recycling that are not accepted causes safety, operational and contamination issues.

NO: Needles or syringes, plastic plates, utensils, straws, compostable plastics, foam products of any kind (e.g., packing peanuts, foam cups and coolers), shredded paper, gift wrap, plastic bags, plastic toys, dishes, ceramics or pottery, window glass or mirrors, clothing, scrap metal, string/holiday lights, aerosol cans, light bulbs, motor oil or anti-freeze bottles, propane tanks, electronics or batteries.

NO: Paper egg cartons, napkins, paper towels, facial tissue or pizza delivery boxes with food or grease – These items can be placed in your brown-lidded organics cart for those who participate in the curbside organics program. Paper cups or plates that are certified compostable may also be placed in the organics.