Zero Waste Packaging Ordinance

To find what products St. Louis Park food establishments are using, view the zero waste products status map.

Only food establishments that have been verified to be in compliance with the ordinance are included on the map.

If you believe your food establishment is in compliance with the ordinance and is not listed on the map, contact public works at recycling@stlouisparkmn.gov or 952.924.2562.

Note: This list and map are maintained by city solid waste staff as a resource. Inclusion in either is not an endorsement of any business or their services offered.

Not sure if a product is recyclable or BPI-certified compostable? Send the solid waste division a picture of the product at recycling@stlouisparkmn.gov.

To meet ordinance requirements, food and beverage packaging must be either reusable, recyclable or certified compostable. More detail about recyclable and compostable packaging is provided below.

Recyclable

The following materials meet the definition for recyclable packaging under subsection 12-202 of the ordinance:

• Plastic: Polyethylene Terephthalate (#1 PET or PETE), High Density Polyethylene (#2 HDPE), Polypropylene (#5 PP)
• Metal: Aluminum (foil and containers)

Due to contamination caused when lids and cups/containers need to be separated, lids used for recyclable cups and containers must be recyclable.

Compostable

The following materials meet the definition for compostable packaging in subsection 12-202 of the ordinance:

• Third-party verified compostable products (must be BPI-certified compostable)

Due to contamination caused when lids and cups/containers need to be separated, lids used for compostable cups and containers must be compostable.

Compostable utensils

 Food establishments are required to utilize compostable utensils, when not providing reusable options.

Compostable cup labeling

 All compostable cups and containers must be labeled to indicate the item is compostable. Examples include:

• The logo of a third-party certification (e.g., BPI).
• Phrases such as "made from plants," "bio-based," or "biodegradable" are not acceptable alternatives on their own.

Other

Straws by request: Food establishments shall no longer provide straws to customers, unless requested. A front-of-house straw dispenser or other self-serve setup will meet this ordinance requirement.

2026 temporary exemptions

The following packaging products are exempt for 2026. Please note that exempt products do not have widely available recyclable or compostable alternatives and must be disposed of as trash.

• Paper food wraps and liners (e.g., fast food wrappers)
• Portion cups (smaller than 4 ounces) and lids

Reminder: Any food establishment that chooses to utilize temporarily exempt items must provide information to customers to clearly indicate these items can’t be recycled or composted and must be placed in the garbage. This information must be provided in print in one of the following ways:

• Directly labeling exempt items
• Including text on menus
• Posting signage where it is visible to customers

In order to decrease the impact of food packaging, recyclable or certified compostable items must actually be recycled or composted. To be in compliance with the zero waste packaging ordinance, any business using recyclable and/or compostable packaging to serve customers on-site must collect those items for recycling and/or composting and arrange for delivery to an appropriate facility.

• If customers dispose of packaging directly: Recycling and/or organics are required “front of house” along with trash.
• If staff dispose of packaging: Recycling and/or organics are required "back of house" along with trash.
• If you have food trucks: Collection containers must be provided by the hosting entity (event organizer or business) and be available to event attendees.

If your business needs to start or change hauling services, the following companies are currently licensed to provide solid waste collection services in the city. This list was updated in January 2025.

Below is a list of business resources:

• 2026 zero waste packaging flyer(PDF, 1MB)
• 2026 acceptable materials and exemptions list(PDF, 109KB)
• 2026 administrative rules(PDF, 140KB)
• Ordinance language(PDF, 191KB)