Solid Waste
The Solid Waste Management Plan required by the State, plans management strategies and budget needs to insure proper management. One tool used for management is the county’s Solid Waste Management Ordinance which regulates residential and commercial garbage disposal, recycling and household hazardous waste. In 2003, the County Board re-instated an annual solid waste assessment of $35 per parcel having over $1000 of building value. This fund enables the county to provide free recycling services as well as special collections for problem materials such as Household Hazardous Waste, used oil and filters, fluorescent bulbs, appliances and electronics.
Solid waste collection rates and haulers vary depending on the municipality you reside in. Rural residents can choose one of three options for their solid waste;
- 1) Haul trash to the solid waste transfer station operated by Waste Management of Central Minnesota and located on Hwy 75 North in Ortonville, MN
- 2) Contract individually with a licensed trash hauler for pick up
Recycling
Recycling in Big Stone County is also handled by Waste Management of Central Minnesota. They are contracted by the county to collect and process recyclables. In October, 2008, they switched over to a "single-stream" recycling program which means that sorting is no longer necessary since it is mechanically sorted at the Material Recovery Facility in the Twin Cities. Waste Management provides 96 gallon roll-out totes to curbside residents in all the municipalities except Barry and pick up every other week as indicated by the gold weeks on the 2011 Curbside Collection Schedule. Totes are also provided at a drop-off site in each of the municipalities for rural county residents who don’t have access to curbside service. The County also contracts with Waste Management for commercial recycling services. Any business interested in utilizing this service should contact the regional representative from Waste Management at 763-780-6418.
Where does my recycling go?
Thanks to Kare11 for a great video