Multi-unit residential properties can play a large role in reducing waste. Recycling in multi-unit buildings, including apartment buildings, condos and townhomes, is required in Minnesota’s seven-county metro area under the Commercial Recycling Law.
Challenges
Recycling in apartment buildings is unique due to the number of people and amount of waste generated, the complexity of residential waste, illegal dumping and tenant turnover. Common challenges include:
- Recycling bins are contaminated with non-recyclable materials.
- Haulers reject contaminated loads and/or charge fines.
- Recycling areas are not accessible, safe or clean.
- Tenants do not know what is recyclable.
- Move-in and move-outs increase waste and dumping.
- The surrounding community dumps hard to manage materials at property waste areas.
- It is difficult to manage materials like mattresses, furniture and hazardous waste.
Best Practices
To improve recycling at your apartment building, consider the following:
- Maintain adequate weekly recycling capacity for tenants.
- One 95-gallon cart per 6 residents; or
- Provide best practice trash, recycling and food waste bin set-up in interior and exterior common areas.
- Ensure recycling and trash dumpsters are located next to each other and are clearly labeled.
- Provide residents with recycling education materials within 30 days of move-in and provide recycling rates to all residents each year.
- Distribute in-unit recycling bins and transport totes to new and existing tenants.
- Provide a rent incentive or stipend to a resident champion who will educate residents and monitor waste areas for contamination and misuse.
- Include a rental agreement clause requiring recycling participation.
- Monitor waste and recycling containers and areas for material contamination, cleanliness and container overflow. Provide feedback to tenants based on the results.
- Offer reuse areas for tenant exchange of usable household items or provide donation collection arrangements.
Order free labels, signage and in-unit recycling totes for your property here.
Food Scraps Pickup Program
Ramsey and Washington counties are bringing residents a new way to recycle food scraps from home —the Food Scraps Pickup Program. The program is rolling out to Ramsey and Washington county residents in phases over multiple years.
This program is free and will be available to all residents, regardless of housing type and trash hauler. To participate, residents collect food scraps in county-provided, compostable bags called food scrap bags. Food scrap bags are placed in the same dumpster or bin as trash. After collection, the food scrap bags are separated from trash bags and brought to an industrial compost facility. This program will not impact the cost or schedule of trash services at multi-unit buildings. No additional dumpsters are necessary.
Visit FoodScrapsPickup.com or call 651-661-9393 for more information.
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