The 411 on coffee pod recycling

Despite what the packaging may say, coffee pods (K-Cups) are not accepted in curbside recycling. They are too small to be sorted at the recycling facility.

However, there are some mail-in programs for coffee pods:

• Terracycle has a mail-in recycling program.
• Nespresso has a take-back program for their coffee pods.

Coffee grounds can go in food scraps collection (organics recycling).

Some coffee pod brands are compostable. Check the packaging for the BPI logo and/or search for the product on the Biodegradable Products Institute database. If you do not find the BPI logo on the packaging or you do not find the product in the BPI database, do not put it in your food scraps collection bag or backyard compost bin, even if it says it’s “compostable”. It may not fully break down in the composting process.

Another option is to try reusable coffee pods. You can add your favorite coffee blend yourself, clean, and reuse them.

Curious about recycling or disposing of other items? Visit our A to Z Recycling & Disposal Guide.

Where do your leaves go?

Ramsey County’s yard waste sites will soon be bustling with residents dropping off leaves. Wondering how all those leaves are managed?

During peak fall weekends, keeping enough space at each site for incoming leaves can be a challenge. To keep up, Ramsey County contracts with private businesses to push the piles back with a pay loader (a tractor with a scoop in front) and haul the leaves out. This happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays when the yard waste sites are closed, so the work can be done safely. Hundreds of semi-loads of leaves are hauled out each fall and brought to private compost facilities. They use the leaves to make compost that is sold to residents and landscapers.

At the White Bear Township site, all incoming leaves remain on site for composting. The leaves are arranged into long rows called windrows that allow for a turning machine to mix them up once a month. After a year, the compost is “finished” and ready to be distributed at all seven Ramsey County yard waste sites each spring. Residents can take this compost for free. Just in time for spring planting! Subscribe to yard waste updates so you know when compost is available. 

Properly dispose of used oil

Do you change your own oil? Whether you are winterizing a boat or lawnmower, or just doing a routine oil change on your car, bring your used oil to a Ramsey County household hazardous waste collection site in Saint Paul or Maplewood this month or to our 24/7 used oil collection shed in Arden Hills. These collection sites also accept used oil filters and antifreeze.

When you visit our mobile and year-round collection sites, you can receive a free used oil jug, while supplies last. This jug helps you safely store and transport your used oil.

Once collected, Ramsey County ships the used oil to local vendors that re-refine it to make new oil or burn it for energy. Recycling used oil helps conserve virgin materials needed to make new oil, protects our water supply, and supports local business. Last year, Ramsey County recycled 54,660 gallons of used oil. If you were to weigh it, it would weigh as much as the Statue of Liberty!

Some retailers also accept used motor oil, filters and fluids. Contact them to confirm what they accept and their business hours.