What to do with large plastic items

Did you know? Most recycling haulers do not accept large plastic items like plastic lawn furniture, laundry baskets and storage bins in residential recycling.

They won’t be recycled because they are difficult to sort at recycling facilities and there is a lack of options for recycling this type of plastic. Large plastic items should be placed in the trash instead. If these items don’t fit in your trash cart, you can contact your trash hauler about curbside pickup for large bulky items or you can bring them to a disposal company.

Refer to our webpage for a general list of items that are accepted in residential recycling.

Wondering how to dispose of or recycle other items? Visit Ramsey County’s A to Z Recycling & Disposal Guide to learn more.

Get advice on yard and garden care

Are you looking for expert advice on home composting, yard waste reduction or environmentally friendly yard care? Call the Master Gardener line at 612-301-7590 (English only) for more information, or connect with Master Gardener Volunteers online via Zoom every Wednesday and Saturday from 12-1 p.m. now through September 29. It’s free! See their website for details.

You can also sign up for the Ramsey County Master Gardeners’ quarterly e-newsletter "Through the Seasons" for seasonal garden advice and recommendations on local garden events and resources.

Ramsey County Master Gardener volunteers are trained by the University of Minnesota Extension program and educate the public about a variety of horticulture topics. This program is in partnership with Ramsey County Environmental Health.

Lead fishing tackle endangers wildlife

Over the past three years, more than 20 swans have died at Sucker Lake in Vadnais Heights. It is suspected that most of these deaths were due to lead poisoning from fishing tackle such as lead sinkers and jigs. Lead anywhere in the environment is harmful, but when fishing tackle ends up at the bottom of a lake, it is particularly deadly to swans and other waterfowl. They can pick up lead tackle at the bottom of a lake when gathering pebbles to aid in their food digestion.

Help keep lead out of the environment and protect wildlife by participating in Ramsey County’s free lead tackle exchange program. Just bring lead tackle to a Ramsey County household hazardous waste collection site. Staff will exchange it for lead-free sinkers and tackle. The exchange is intended to promote lead sinker disposal and provide one three-piece set of tackle for exchange per household, per visit – while supplies last. 

This summer, Ramsey County staff and Recycling Ambassadors will visit busy fishing nooks at Sucker Lake and other lakes in Ramsey County, offering lead-free tackle to the public. They will also hand out lead-free tackle at select Saint Paul Public Housing locations.

You can also purchase lead-free fishing tackle at many sporting goods stores and bait and tackle shops or online. Look for alternatives made from tin, bismuth, steel, glass, tungsten, stone or metal composite.

Learn more about alternatives to lead tackle.

New Food Scrap Collection Program Highlighted in
Star Tribune

The Star Tribune recently published an article on the food scrap collection program that will launch in Ramsey and Washington counties beginning in late 2022. Read the article here and get excited about this new service coming to you!