Licensed Trash and Recycling Haulers

The City of Inver Grove Heights licenses trash and recycling collection companies on an annual basis. If you are a new resident, a new business, or would like to change your hauler, please select from one of the licensed haulers listed below and set up your service directly with the hauling company. 

Collection services must occur between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Operations during these hours may also be conducted on Saturdays to accommodate recognized national holidays and special collections arranged between the collector and the customer. Haulers must provide weekly trash and recycling services to residents. 

Licensed Haulers, Contact and Service Provided

Municipal Solid Waste Collection Requirements

• Collectors (City Code 8-6-5): Duties and obligations for haulers can be found City Code 8-6-5: Collector Duties and Obligations. Collector requirements pertain to services rates, hours of operation, recycling collection and equipment condition. Please note: Per City Code 8-6-3E, only businesses that held a license on September 1, 2016 or have been transferred a license held on September 1, 2016 may obtain a trash hauling license with the City. 
• Generators (City Code 8-6-6 & 8-6-7): Collection and disposal requirements for solid waste generators, including residents, businesses, multifamily properties, event sponsors, large venues and more can be found under City Code 8-6-6 (Multi-Unit Residential Buildings and Large Event Venue Requirements) and City Code 8-6-7 (Collection and Disposal Requirements).

Yard Waste & Food Scraps Recycling

One-third of our trash is made of food scraps and yard waste. Learn about local food scrap drop off sites or how to compost at home.

New Food Scrap Drop-Off in IGH is now open. Sign Up Today!

A new food scrap drop-off site is located at Inver Glen Library, 8098 Blaine Avenue. Dakota County residents can bring food scraps to the site for free. Roughly 30% of our trash is yard waste and food scraps. By separating yard waste and food scraps from the trash, we  an create compost - a valuable local landscaping product. All participants receive helpful tips and free compostable bags to use at home. Visit Dakota County's website to learn more and sign up today.

Backyard Composting

Home composting is an easy way to turn much of the waste from your yard and kitchen into a rich material that you can use to improve your soil. Composting happens when microbes break down food scraps, grass clippings and leaves into a soil-like material called compost. Compost is rich in plant food, holds more water than regular soil, and lessens the need for fertilizers and weed killers. Learn how to backyard compost.

Yard Waste Disposal

Please keep branches, leaves and grass clippings out of the trash and city streets. Instead, compost yard waste at home, schedule a yard waste pick-up with your trash hauler, or bring it to a yard waste site. Properly disposing your yard waste helps protect water quality, aquatic plants and animals and prevents flooding cause by clogged pipes. Find a list of local disposal options below:

• Gertens (Inver Grove Heights)
  • 651-450-1501
  • 2475 53rd St. E., Inver Grove Heights 
  • Year-round drop-off is available at the brickyard for brush, yard waste, prunings, logs, sod and soil, and hardscaping.
• Gertens R.E.S. Facility (Eagan)
  • 651-209-3511
  • 805 Yankee Doodle Rd., Eagan
  • Open seasonally for brush, yard waste, prunings, logs, sod and soil, and hardscaping.
• The Mulch Store
  • 651-423-4401
  • 16454 Blaine Ave. E., Rosemount
  • Open year round for yard and wood waste, soil, and sod. Also accepts food waste separately.
• South St. Paul Compost Site
  • 651-554-3260
  • 680 Verderosa Ave., South St. Paul
  • Open seasonally for leaves, grass, sod and garden waste. Does not accept stumps, brush, twigs and branches.

Reduce and Reuse

The average Dakota County resident creates 2,180 pounds of waste each year. Learn how to minimize the amount of waste you generate by reducing your consumption, buying used and more.

Dakota County Reduce and Reuse Map

Try out the Reduce and Reuse Map by Dakota County to quickly find the closest places to donate goods, shop used, rent equipment and repair your stuff. You can select custom filters based on what you need:

• Rent: Search for tents, linens, tools and other equipment rental locations for your next party or home project. 
• Donate/Buy Used: Find the closest location to donate and buy secondhand household goods, books and furniture. 
• Repair: Get items like shoes and jewelry fixed and mended using a local repair business. 
• Sell Used Items: Discover consignment shops that will pay you for your gently used sporting goods and clothing. 
• Drop boxes: Drop-off clothes and shoes using a donation box near you. 

You do more than save money when you make your stuff go the extra mile or score unique items at a secondhand store. By reducing and reusing instead of buying new, you’ll spend less money, keep your home organized and simplify your life while helping the planet. 

Donate and Sell Online 

You can go beyond brick-and-mortar stores to find what you need and get rid of what you don’t. Use online outlets to save the planet and your wallet.

• NextDoor.com – look in the “For Sale” section
• Facebook.com - for neighborhood buy/sell groups and Marketplace
• Craigslist.com
• Ebay.com - choose “used” as a filter option
• Amazon.com - choose “used” as a filter option
• thredUP.com - for women and kid clothing and accessories

Safe Swap

Use the IGH Safe Swap located at the Inver Grove Heights’ Public Safety building in the customer parking lot to exchange items in person. More information can be found here.

Prevent Wasted Food and Save Money

It takes a lot of water, energy and fuel to get food to our plates, yet we trash 40 percent of the food in the U.S. See how well you are at not wasting food. Dakota County offers helpful tips and tools to save money and reduce food waste.

Fix-It Clinics

Do you have an items that needs to be fixed or mended? Bring it to a Fix-Clinic to have it fixed for free. Find more information here.

Recycling Resources for Multifamily Properties, Businesses and Schools

All commercial properties, including multifamily, in Dakota County are required by law to recycle the items listed on the Recycling, Trash, & Hazardous tab on this webpage. Find recycling resources for multifamily properties, businesses, and schools below.

Multifamily Recycling Requirements & Assistance

Multifamily properties with four or more attached residential units and a common waste contract must meet recycling requirements of Dakota County Ordinance 110 and City Code 8-6-6. View recycling requirements and free recycling program resources for multifamily properties here.

Free resources are available to help set up or improve recycling collection in multifamily properties. To sign up for free recycling resources or ask questions, please call 651-604-8511. Free resources available include:

• Recycling containers for common areas up to $10,000 in value,
• Trash and recycling labels, posters, and recycling and disposal informational brochures,
• Educational presentations for residents and staff,
• Assistance setting up or improving your recycling program,
• Recycling tote bags for residents, and more! 

Business Recycling Requirements & Assistance

Dakota County Ordinance 110 and City Code 8-6 include recycling and waste management requirements for businesses designed to reduce waste going to landfills, improve the quality of materials recycled, and make progress toward the state's goal to recycle 75 percent of waste by 2030. You can find additional recycling and disposal information for Dakota County businesses here. 

Dakota County offers funding up to $10,000 to eligible businesses and organizations to start or improve waste management practices, including waste prevention, recycling and food waste prevention and food scrap collection for food donation or composting. Learn more about the funding assistance here.

School Recycling Assistance

Grants are available to help prevent wasted food, reduce waste, improve recycling and food scrap collection, and educate students and staff. Request free recycling education performances, field trips, container labels and activity guides.

Environmental Education Resources

Businesses, residents, schools and organizations are welcome to use free article templates, handouts, activity kits and more to educate about recycling, food scraps, household hazardous waste and waste prevention.

Events

Special recycling and waste collection events are provided to residents with assistance from solid waste abatement grant funds. Recycling resources for private events are also available to rent.

Community Collection Events

The city hosts the following special collection events for IGH residents. Find details on all upcoming collection events here.

• Spring Confidential Paper Shredding Event
• Annual Clean-Up Day
• Outdoor Winter Clothing Swap
• DEA Notional Medication Take Back
• Pumpkin Collection

Recycling Requirements at Events

Festivals, parties, and events can create a lot of trash. As of 2021, event centers, community festivals, fairs, sporting events, and concerts hosted in Dakota County are required to recycle. Certain large events with food scraps will need to collect food scraps from non-public areas starting in 2024. More information on the requirements for recycling at events can be found on Dakota County's website.

Free Event Recycling Help

Dakota County offers free resources for events to help meet the recycling and compost requirements. Free resources include recycling, food scraps, and trash containers, signs and bags. Contact Liz Kramer at 651-604-8511 to borrow event containers from the City of Inver Grove Heights. View additional event resources available to rent from Dakota County on their website.