Holiday Waste Disposal Tips
It's estimated that Americans throw out 25% more garbage between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. End the year right by putting your waste in its proper place.
Light Strands
Don't let burnt-out light strands sit around gathering dust. Bring them to the Olmsted County Recycling Center Plus to be recycled (year-round). They can also be brought to the Rochester Public Utilities Service Center through January 29, 2021. There is no disposal fee at either location.
Do NOT place light strands in your curbside recycling cart. They tangle sorting equipment at materials recovery facilities (MRFs).
 Lithium and Rechargeable Batteries
Lithium and other rechargeable batteries can start fires in garbage & recycling trucks, at materials recovery facilities―where curbside recyclables get sorted―and other waste facilities. "Nationally, the recycling industry is losing one facility per month to battery fires," according to Bill Keegan, president of Dem Con Companies. This does not include smaller "thermal events" which must be mitigated with fire-prevention technology on a regular basis.
Lithium and rechargeable batteries should be brought to the Olmsted County Hazardous Waste Facility (for free) or a retailer that accepts them. Never throw them in your curbside garbage or recycling cart.
Single-use alkaline batteries can go in the trash.
 Electronics
TVs, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices are popular gifts this time of year. Unfortunately, a newer version is always on the horizon. If the devices still work, consider donating them to a thrift store that accepts electronics.
If reuse isn't an option, electronics can be recycled at the Olmsted County Recycling Center Plus for a fee―prices will vary by the item's size. E-waste contains valuable metals like gold, silver, and copper. It also contains hazardous materials like mercury, lead, and cadmium so it's important that e-waste is recycled properly. For more information about the Recycling Center Plus, visit the facility's website.
It's worth noting that the rechargeable batteries used in laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices can remain inside the device when brought to the Recycling Center Plus for recycling. The same is true for cell phones which can be recycled for free at the Hazardous Waste Facility.
If you’re replacing an electronic device’s battery but not disposing of the device, bring the rechargeable battery to the Hazardous Waste Facility.
 Wrapping Paper
If it can't be reused, throw wrapping paper in your curbside garbage. The same goes for ribbons, bows, and tissue paper. The Recycling Center Plus also considers wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and tissue paper to be garbage.
Cardboard Boxes
Are cardboard boxes filling up your house? Remember to break them down so they fit INSIDE your curbside recycling cart.
- Don't leave boxes next to your recycling cart. The "mechanical arms" on recycling trucks are designed to grasp carts, not boxes.
- Snow and rain can damage a box's recyclable fibers.
- Placing TV boxes inside your recycling cart prevents any would-be burglars from knowing that your house recently upgraded TVs.
- Corrugated cardboard boxes can also be brought to the Olmsted County Recycling Center Plus. Please remove all Styrofoam and packing materials―throw these items in the garbage.
Christmas Trees
Through March, Christmas trees can be dropped off at the Olmsted County Compost Site any day of the week during daylight hours. There is no disposal fee, but residents should remove the stand, ornaments, and lights.
Wreaths, swags, boughs, and other evergreen decorations should be placed in a bag and thrown in the garbage to prevent the spread of an invasive species known as the Elongate Hemlock Scale―a pest that feeds on conifer trees. Do not compost.
 Christmas trees at the Olmsted County Compost Site; photo credit: Anthony Wittmer
Automated Scale System Increases Efficiency at OWEF Scale House
Whether it comes from a household or a business, all garbage in Olmsted County is brought to the Olmsted Waste-to-Energy Facility (OWEF) where it is used as a fuel source to produce steam and electricity. Before entering the facility, waste haulers stop at the OWEF Scale House to be weighed and are charged a fee for each ton of garbage they deliver.
 The OWEF Scale House; photo credit: Erick Brower
It has been just over a year since the automated scale system went online at the OWEF Scale House. This software upgrade has come with a variety of benefits:
- Waste haulers carry RFID cards with pre-loaded data to log the weights of their garbage loads. This allows for faster self-service processing.
- Incoming trucks can simultaneously weigh-in while outgoing trucks weigh-out. This significantly reduces wait time.
- Waste haulers can now deliver garbage to the OWEF 24/7. This has reduced hauler traffic congestion early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
- The OWEF Scale House was previously staffed by two employees at .75 FTE. This past year, a full-time (1.0 FTE) operator at the Kalmar Landfill Scale House retired. That position was filled by one of the OWEF Scale House operators. The remaining OWEF Scale House operator's FTE was increased to 1.0. As a result, .5 FTE was saved by not having to hire a replacement operator.
It's important to note that the scale house operators―at the OWEF and Kalmar Landfill―remain a crucial component of Olmsted County's Integrated Solid Waste Management System. Transactions involving industrial solid waste (ISW), recyclables, bulk compost orders, and much more require the service of an operator.
 Waste haulers use this self-service kiosk to weigh in and out at the OWEF Scale House; photo credit: Erick Brower
Pilot Project Intends to Pave the Way for OWEF Ash Utilization
Olmsted County is pursuing a pilot project through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to test ash as an amendment to aggregate in a section of roadway at the Olmsted County Kalmar Landfill.
The project will utilize ash from garbage processed at the Olmsted County Waste-to-Energy Facility (OWEF). Each year over 100,000 tons of garbage are converted to energy at the OWEF. The remaining ash is disposed of at the Kalmar Landfill. Based on the research findings and cost analysis, this pilot project could expand the use of OWEF ash in roadways to reduce the amount of ash landfilled, prolong the life of the Olmsted County Kalmar Landfill, and reduce the amount of natural aggregate that needs to be extracted for road projects.
The project is expected to begin summer 2021.
 A bulldozer pushes ash at the Kalmar Landfill; photo credit: Anthony Wittmer
Resolve to Find the Proper Place for Your Waste in 2021
Do you need to get rid of old appliances, furniture, or even hazardous materials, but you're not sure where to go? Visit olmstedwaste.com and enter your items into the Waste Wizard. This one-stop information hub will explain where to dispose of your items properly.
If an item can't go in your curbside garbage bin or recycling cart, the Waste Wizard will tell you where to take each item, when to drop it off, and whether or not there's a fee. Disposal instructions in the Waste Wizard are intended for households; businesses should email pwservice@co.olmsted.mn.us with questions.
Disposal Discussion: Changes Coming for Tire and Mattress Disposal
Effective January 20, 2021, the Olmsted County Kalmar Landfill will no longer process/shred commercial loads of tires or mattresses for disposal. Tires and mattresses were being processed at the landfill using the on-site shredder; however, the equipment is coming to the end of its useful life, and there are no plans to replace the shredder. This operational change is due to the high cost of replacing and maintaining the shredding equipment.
Additionally, there are recycling outlets available in the area to accept and process these materials. Olmsted County's goal is to move these materials up the Solid Waste Management Hierarchy to allow these items to be recycled. The Olmsted County Kalmar Landfill will accept tires for recycling, but the material will be directed to a processing facility in the Twin Cities area. The Kalmar Landfill will not accept commercial loads of mattresses and/or box springs. Instead, we encourage mattress stores and businesses to deal directly with the recycling outlet (details provided below).
As an alternative for mattresses and box springs, contact:
- 7 Rivers Recycling
W6833 Industrial Blvd
Onalaska, WI 54650
608-783-6727 x 103
As an alternative for tires, contact:
- Liberty Tires
12498 Wyoming Ave
Savage, MN 55378
952-894-5280
The Olmsted County Board of Commissioners will be considering fee changes to cover the costs of handling and delivering these materials to recycling outlets at a public hearing on January 5, 2021. These changes are outlined below:
Changes at Kalmar Landfill:
- Full tire loads for recycling: $435.00/ton
- Handling/recycling fees for box springs, mattresses in loads-incidental only: $25.00/item
- Full loads of mattresses/box springs: Not accepted – will direct to mattress recycler
- Automotive tires – received incidentally in loads: $25/tire
Changes at Olmsted County Recycling Center Plus (Residential Self-Haul Quantities Only):
- Mattresses and box springs (maximum of 4 per day): Change from $16.00 each to $22.00 each
- Automotive and light truck tires (maximum of 8 per day): Change from $5.00 each to $6.00 each.
- Semi tires: Change from $15.00 each to Not Accepted
- Tractor tires: Change from $40.00 each to Not Accepted
The proposed fee changes would take effect on January 20, 2021.
If you have questions, please contact Olmsted County Environmental Resources at 507-328-7070 or email pwservice@co.olmsted.mn.us.
 Tires at the Kalmar Landfill; photo credit: Carl Struckmann
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