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1. How do I get started?

Collect organics in a BPI-certified compostable bag. These bags can be purchased at retail locations such as Ace Hardware, Lunds & Byerlys, Target or Whole Foods. Remember, only bags labeled "BPI Certified Compostable” that meet ASTM D6400 standards may be used. People typically line an old ice cream pale or small trash can with the compostable bags and collect organics that way. 

Once the bag is full, tie it up and place it in your organics cart. Organics carts are picked up weekly on your trash day. 

2. What are the benefits of organics recycling?

• Reduces trash. Organic materials make up the largest portion of our trash, roughly 25 percent.
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions. As organic materials decompose in landfills, they generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Diverting organics to composting helps to reduce landfill methane emissions.
• Improves soil and protects water. When added to the soil, it reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides. It also helps the water retention of soils, which reduce runoff and erosion that can pollute our water and helps to conserve water.
• Supports a local economy. About 700 jobs are supported by Minnesota’s composting industry, which produces $148 million in gross economic activity per year. The composting industry supports four to eight times more jobs on a per ton basis than landfilling operations.

3. What can I recycle in my organics cart?

• All food: fruits and vegetables; meat, fish and bones; dairy products; eggs and eggshells; pasta; beans and rice; bread and cereal; and nuts and shells.
• Food-soiled paper: pizza boxes from delivery, napkins and paper towels and paper egg cartons.
• Certified compostable products: compostable paper and plastic cups, plates, bowls, utensils and containers (look for the term “compostable” or the BPI logo on certified products).
• Other compostable household items: coffee grounds and filters, hair and nail clippings, cotton balls and swabs with paper stems, houseplants and flowers, tea bags and wooden items such as chopsticks, popsicle sticks and toothpicks.

4. How much does this program cost me?

The monthly price per household is $5.50. The fee will show up on your quarterly utility bill.

5. How often is my organics cart picked up?

Vierkant picks up organics recycling every week on your regular trash day. If your cart collection is missed, call Vierkant at 612-922-2505.

6. Can I change the size of my organics cart?

Residents may request to change the size of their cart – after a review of the materials in the cart (no yard waste is allowed) – one time in a 12-month period by calling Vierkant at 612-922-2505.

7. Can I use regular plastic bags to collect organics?

No. Plastic bags are not compostable and are a contaminant. You risk turning an entire load of compostable material into garbage if you use plastic bags. Use bags labeled “BPI-certified compostable.” These bags can be purchased at retail locations such as Ace Hardware, Lunds & Byerlys, Target or Whole Foods.

8. How is organics recycling different from backyard composting?

You can compost more materials with organics recycling than in your backyard compost bin. Large-scale commercial composting facilities maintain higher temperatures than backyard compost bins. These temperatures are needed to kill bacteria and break down items that cannot be composted in a backyard compost bin, including meat, bones, dairy products and compostable plastics. Backyard composting is still a great option for recycling fruit and vegetable scraps and yard waste into a soil amendment that you can use at home.

9. Who will collect my organics recycling?

Vierkant Disposal signed a contract with the service based on their low price and reputation as a trash hauler. They can be reached at 612-922-2505. 

10. Where do my organics go?

The organics collected curbside are taken to a commercial compost facility in Shakopee and recycled into compost, a nutrient-rich material that is used in landscaping and road construction projects to improve our soil.