Frequently Asked Questions

For a comprehensive list of what can be recycled view the recycling disposal guide. If an item is not listed visit the Hennepin County Green Disposal Guide. If you have further questions or can't find information on the item you need to get rid of, please contact Hennepin County Environment and Energy or the City of Champlin. 

Hennepin County Contact Information 

Email environment@hennepin.us 

Phone 612-348-3777

City of Champlin 

Email stouney@ci.champlin.mn.us

Phone 763-253-4299 

Items that should not go in the recycling include: 

• Plastic Bags 
• Random metal objects (cooking pans, pipes, tools) 
• Pressurized tanks 
• Single use straws or utensils 
• Paper plates, cups, and takeout containers 
• Black plastic 
• Large plastic items (laundry baskets, toys, storage bins) 
• Electronics and batteries 
• Cords and string lights 
• Needles and sharps

For a more comprehensive list view the recycling disposal guide.

Find your refuse, recycling, and organics recycling collection schedule based on your hauler and address. View the Collection Dates and Maps.

Refuse and organics recycling is collected weekly on the same day of the week. 

Recycling is collected the same weekday as refuse/organics, but every other week. 

Yard waste collection service is weekly if signing up for seasonal service.

Residents should contact haulers directly for missed pick-ups, carts not fully emptied, if additional bags are placed outside the container, or if an additional pick-up outside of normal service is required. 

Hauler Contact Information

• ACE: 763-427-3110
• Republic Services: 320-252-9608
  • Republic Services includes legacy Randy's and Walz customers

If you have further concerns, please email utility billing or call (763) 923-7135.

Yes, residents may request a second recycling container at no additional cost to your monthly bill. 

To request one: 

• Request a Change of Container Size (please note need of additional container) 
• email utility billing or call (763) 923-7135. 

If you would like to replace or exchange your refuse bin, please fill out the Report a Lost or Damaged Container form  or email utility billing or call (763) 923-7135.

The City will respond by email confirming your request within two business days. Please note you are only allowed one size exchange per year. Additional size exchanges are $20.

All requests must be submitted by 12PM the day before your service. Anything received later will be scheduled onto your next service day.

You should rinse cans before recycling to ensure they are clean, as this helps improve the quality of the recycling process. For example, food waste from a tin can containment the paper goods in your recycling container. While the food waste would be burned off in the smelting process, the food waste could make the paper goods no longer acceptable for recycling. 

Remember, clean, drain, dry! 

Other tips: 

• Don’t bag your recyclables – place them loose in your recycling cart.
• Leave plastic caps on plastic bottles. Do not place caps in the bin on their own.
•  Metal caps can be collected in a metal can when it’s full, carefully squeeze the top of the can shut and place it in your recycling.
•  Remove pumps from spray bottles.
• Flatten boxes.
• Don't crush containers like milk jugs, juice cartons or cans. With modern sorting equipment, uncrushed containers are more likely to end up in the right spot. 

Plastic bags are NOT accepted in curbside recycling programs. Clean plastic bags can go to a retailer that offers plastic bag recycling drop off. Examples of facilities that accept plastic bags for drop off are grocery and department stores. Check with your local grocer or retailer to see if they offer plastic bag and film collection. Additionally, the Hennepin County drop off facilities in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington accept them for free.  Otherwise, plastic bags and films need to be placed in the refuse container. 

Electronics and batteries may not go into the refuse or recycling container per city ordinance Sec 46.17. It is the responsibility of the property owner to dispose of hazardous waste in a safe, legal manner. View electronics and batteries disposal guide.

Hazardous  waste may not go into the refuse container per city ordinance Sec 46.17. It is the responsibility of the property owner to dispose of hazardous waste in a safe, legal manner. View hazardous waste disposal guide.

Major appliances may not go into the refuse container per city ordinance Sec 46.17. It is the responsibility of the property owner to dispose of hazardous waste in a safe, legal manner. View major applicance disposal guide.

State law (MN Statute 115A.93) requires that all residents must be charged for recycling service regardless of their participation. View utility billing rates. Properties outside of the city's program must work with their hauler to determine a fee. 

Recycling starts at the curb with you separating your recyclables from trash so they can be picked up by your hauler. 

The next step is processing. Haulers bring the recyclables to material recovery facilities (MRFs) to be sorted, graded, cleaned, and prepared for markets. Materials are sorted to remove contaminants that may damage processing equipment and graded to reclaim higher-value materials. Various methods are used at MRFs to sort materials. Mechanical processes such as magnets, air jets, and screens use physical differences among materials, such as weight or magnetism, to sort them. Hand-sorting is usedto sort materials that the mechanical methods cannot. After the recyclables are processed at the MRF, the materials are sold to manufacturers that make them into a wide variety of new products. Paper is turned into a pulp and recycled back into paper, newspaper, boxes, napkins, paper towels, egg cartons and more. Glass is crushed, heated and recycled into glass bottles and jars or used in insulation, floor tile, road construction projects and more. Steel or aluminum is heated, melted and recycled back into steel or aluminum cans. Plastics are shredded, melted and recycled into a variety of products, including plastic bottles, carpet, furniture, clothing and more. 

The final step in the recycling process is closing the recycling loop by buying products made from recycled materials.

There are many reasons recycling is important such as: 

• It helps reduce waste in landfills, which conserves natural resources and protects the environment. 
• Recycling requires less energy to produce new products compared to manufacturing from virgin materials, thus lowering greenhouse gas emissions. 
• It supports local economies by creating jobs and supporting businesses involved in recycling and waste management. 
• By participating in recycling programs, residents can contribute to a sustainable future and promote environmental awareness. 

Overall, recycling plays a vital role in maintaining a clean and sustainable environment for future generations.