Garbage
Collection update: If unplanned delays occur, they will be posted on the garbage and recycling page.
Residential garbage is collected every week.
Collection day guidelines
Follow these guidelines to ensure your garbage is picked up:
- Set your garbage out by 7 a.m.
- Carts cannot be placed in the street, alley or on a sidewalk.
- Garbage must fit inside your cart with the lid completely closed.
- Occasional extra bags of household garbage are allowed outside cart but must be marked with a $3 extra garbage sticker.
Cart set-out requirements
Residents who have city solid waste collection at the curb are asked to follow these guidelines on their collection day:
- Set out carts by 7 a.m. on your regular collection day, as the time of day your cart is collected could change.
- Place carts so the front is facing outward toward the street (please do not put your cart in the street). The front of the cart is the side opposite the hinges, which opens as you lift the lid.
- Place carts 2 feet apart from each other. Make sure carts have 2 feet of clearance from other objects (cars, mailboxes, trees, etc.). This spacing allows drivers in automated trucks to safely and efficiently provide collection.
Note: Those with alley collection do not need to follow the 2-foot spacing. Those paying for walk-up service will still receive the service.
As a reminder, carts in St. Louis Park should not be placed in the street or sidewalk. This is a year-round requirement.
Every-other-week collection
Residents who sign up for this service will have their garbage collected every-other-week on the same week as recycling. This service level is available only to residents who have 30-gallon carts and who participate in organics recycling or manage food scraps through backyard composting.
Households who sign up for this service will have an orange sticker applied to the front of their garbage cart to identify it as a cart that receives service every-other-week. Please do not remove this sticker.
Note: 20-gallon carts are being phased out of use. Residents currently using these carts for weekly or every-other-week garbage collection will be allowed to do so for the time being, but they are no longer an option for new or existing residents to choose or switch to.
Changing cart size or service level
Cart dimensions
Cart dimensions are as follows:
- 30-gallon cart – 39 inches tall by 20 inches wide by 23 inches deep
- 60-gallon cart – 41 inches tall by 27 inches wide by 28 inches deep
- 90-gallon cart – 46 inches tall by 28.5 inches wide by 34 inches deep
How to change your cart size
To increase or decrease the size of your garbage cart or change your garbage service level from weekly to every-other-week, use myStLouisPark, and go through the following steps.
- Visit the myStLouisPark website or download the app for Apple or Android.
- If you're using the app, click on the "Submit Request" button at the top and the app will open a new menu.
- If you're using the website, the menu to select an issue should automatically load.
- From the menu, click on "garbage recycling organics and yard waste."
- You can then choose "garbage cart size selection form" and fill out the required information.
You can also call utility billing at 952.924.2111.
Garbage cart exchange policy
No charge
- Residents can change cart size for free once every 12 months.
- New account customers can change cart size for free at the time of move-in.
- Residents can downsize garbage cart size one time after signing up for organics recycling.
Charge
- Residents can change cart size for a free of $30 if it has been less than 12 months since their last cart exchange.
Missed pickup or problems
Missed pick up
If you believe your pickup has been missed or if you need to report a problem with your collection, contact The Buckingham Companies at 952.226.6457 or email SLP@buckinghamcompanies.com.
Missing or damaged carts
If you cart is missing or damaged, call public works at 952.924.2562.
Bulky items
Residents with city garbage service can request curbside collection of appliances, electronics and bulky items by calling The Buckingham Companies at 952.226.6457. Residents must prepay The Buckingham Companies for a bulky item collection.
Accepted items
- Appliances – these items will be recycled per state law
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- Washers, dryers, dishwashers, microwaves
- Electronics – these items will be recycled per state law
- TVs, laptops, computer towers
- Mattresses and box springs – these items will be recycled
- Bulky items – these items are disposed as trash
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- Furniture, carpet, large broken toys or patio furniture
- Construction and remodeling debris
For a list of facilities that accept trash, carpet, bulky items, remodeling debris and more, view Hennepin County's Green Disposal Guide. Be sure to always call ahead to any location listed for hours, fees and special requirements.
Garbage hold request
If your property will be vacant for four or more consecutive weeks, you can request to place your garbage and recycling collection on hold. To qualify for a garbage hold, the following conditions must be met:
- The property must be vacant for a minimum of four consecutive weeks.
- You must notify utility billing two weeks before the property is vacant.
- All carts must be in a location where they are not visible to the hauler.
How to request a hold
To request a hold, use myStLouisPark, and go through the following steps.
- Visit the myStLouisPark website or download the app for Apple or Android.
- If you're using the app, click on the "Submit Request" button at the top, and the app will open a new menu.
- If you're using the website, the menu to select an issue should automatically load.
- From the menu, click on "garbage recycling organics and yard waste."
- You can then choose "garbage hold request form" and fill out the required information.
You can also contact utility billing at 952.924.2111 or utilitybilling@stlouisparkmn.gov to request a hold.
For vacancies longer than a year, a new form must be submitted each year.
Walk-up service
Walk-up service is an optional service for residents who may not be able to set their recycling cart out at the curb or alley. The Buckingham Companies can collect your garbage cart from a different location on your property for an extra fee.
Sign up by calling The Buckingham Companies at 952.226.6457.
Rates
Garbage walk-up service is billed directly to residents on an annual basis by The Buckingham Companies.
- Weekly rate — $9.09 per month plus taxes and fees
- Every-other-week rate — $4.56 (only available to residents who have signed up for every-other-week garbage collection service)
Note: Walk-up service is also offered for recycling by The Buckingham Companies and organics by Republic Services.
Disclosure
St. Louis Park is required by law to give its residents the following information word for word:
You may be responsible for any liability that results from contamination at a facility where your waste has been deposited. Minnesota believes that its waste management system provides substantially more financial and environmental protection than depositing waste in landfills in other states. Managing your waste in Minnesota may minimize your potential liability.
The city’s garbage hauler, The Buckingham Companies, only disposes of waste at facilities that are fully permitted and licensed. These facilities are fully compliant with all local, state and federal regulations governing financial and environmental protection. The Buckingham Companies complies with specific disposal requirements found in their Service Agreements and County Waste Delivery Agreements. St. Louis Park's single-family residential mixed municipal solid waste collected by The Buckingham Companies is disposed of at the following facility:
Hennepin Energy Resource Company (HERC)
505 6th Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55405
Type of Facility: Mass Burn Waste-to-Energy
MPCA Permit Number: SW-396