City cleanup days and shred events

Visit the city cleanup page for more information on our annual cleanup days and shred events. 

Spring swap series

Join us for the 2026 spring swap series with new swaps at new locations on new dates. Attendees will bring items to give away and/or shop for items to take home. Swap events are a great opportunity to rehome items and reduce waste in our community. These events are free and open to everyone. No items may be sold; everything must be given and taken freely. Event staff reserve the right to refuse any items.

Note: a limit of 3 bags or boxes of items per person may be brought to each swap event. Presorting items into like categories before the event recommended. Final items accepted at 6:30 p.m.

If you bring items to share: 

1. Stop at the check-in table 
2. Have items weighed by city staff 
3. Set your allowed items on the designated tables, with help from volunteers.
4. Return any items not allowed to your vehicle 
5. Stay and 'shop' or leave at your leisure

If you do not bring items to share: 

1. Stop at the check-in table to grab a bag if you'd like 
2. Start 'shopping' and leave at your leisure 

Art and craft supply swap

April 16, 5 – 7 p.m.
Municipal Service Center, 7305 Oxford St. 

Acceptable items: usable arts and crafts books, beads, brushes, buttons, canvas, charcoals, crochet hooks, embroidery supplies, fabric, knitting needles, markers, scissors, sewing notions, yarn

Items not accepted: paint, decor, worn out drawing utensils, scraps, completed or partially completed projects

Puzzle and board game swap

April 23, 5 – 7 p.m.
Municipal Service Center, 7305 Oxford St. 

Acceptable items: puzzles and board games in good condition

Items not accepted: puzzles and board games with missing pieces

Clothing swap

April 30, 5 – 7 p.m.
The Rec Center Banquet Room, 2nd Floor, 3700 Monterey Drive

Acceptable items: all styles, types, and sizes of shirts, pants, shorts, dresses, skirts, sweaters, coats, formal attire, shoes, sandals, boots, hats, mittens, scarfs and belts, all in good condition

Items not accepted: blankets, linens, undergarments (including swimsuits) and any non-wearable items 

St. Louis Park Reuse Directory

The reuse directory includes St. Louis Park businesses that can help you reduce waste by renting items, repairing what you already own or purchasing used. 

The directory map shows the locations of the businesses in the directory. Click on each dot for business contact information and to learn more about what the business offers.

The reuse directory spreadsheet shows a list of all the businesses. Search and organize businesses by name, category or type of service. 

This list is maintained by City of St. Louis Park solid waste staff as a resource for residents. Inclusion is not an endorsement of any business or their services offered.

If you know of a business that could be added to this list, please email recycling@stlouisparkmn.gov for staff consideration.

Hennepin County Choose to Reuse 

Hennepin County 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.

If you have any questions, call 612.348.3777.

While composting is an important way to deal with food scraps when we have them, preventing food waste is the best option to minimize negative environmental impact and save you money. The average household in the U.S. throws away more than $2,500 worth of food every year!

Here are a few things you can do to reduce your food waste:

• Make a list and stick to it when you shop. This will help you buy less food, reducing the potential for waste and save you money from impulse buys.
• When planning your weekly meals, schedule one less dinner to account for unexpected takeout nights.
• Buy “ugly” produce. Misshapen fruits and vegetables may look a little different than we are used to, but they are perfectly safe to eat. Help reduce food waste by ensuring these items are purchased.
• When hosting celebrations, use the meal planning guest-imator to help you estimate how much food to prepare.
• Experiment with scraps. Many veggie scraps (leaves, stems, peels) are edible, but we have been taught to discard them. Try these recipes to reduce food waste:
  • Roasted cauliflower leaves
  • Watermelon rind stir fry
• Reorganize food in your refrigerator to keep your food fresh for longer. View the refrigerator insider for storage tips. 
• Understand best by/use by dates. These dates rarely have to do with food safety. Instead they tell you when the quality (taste, freshness) may start to decline. Depending on the type of food, many items (especially shelf-stable goods) can be eaten past the date.
  • FAQs from the USDA:
    • Are foods safe to eat after the date passes? With an exception of infant formula, if the date passes during home storage, a product should still be safe and wholesome if handled properly until the time spoilage is evident (chill refrigerate promptly). Spoiled foods will develop an off odor, flavor or texture due to naturally occurring spoilage bacteria. If a food has developed such spoilage characteristics, it should not be eaten.
    • How does date labeling impact food waste? Confusion over the meaning of dates applied to food products can result in consumers discarding edible food. In an effort to reduce food waste, it is important that consumers understand that the dates applied to food are for quality and not for safety. Food products* are safe to consume past the date on the label, and regardless of the date, consumers should evaluate the quality of the food product prior to its consumption.

*The only federally regulated food labeling is on baby formula to ensure that the nutrient levels listed on the packaging are accurate until the expiration date.

For more ideas, including food storage tips and meal plan calculators, visit SavetheFood.com.

Have extra materials from your latest building or remodeling project? Maybe you have leftover tile or hardware you don’t need but can’t return to the store. Or maybe you removed old cabinets and they are still in good condition. Don’t throw them out!

Better Futures Minnesota and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore accept and sell usable building materials.

Phonebooks

If you don't use phone books anymore, you can opt out of phone book delivery by going to the Yellow Pages opt-out site. Old or unwanted phone books should be recycled.