Environment
Yard and tree waste disposal
Yard waste — such as grass clippings, leaves and branches — is a valuable resource that can add nutrients back into your yard or be recycled into compost.
It is illegal to put yard waste in your household garbage.
Options for managing yard waste are listed below. Note: Hennepin County does NOT operate a yard waste drop-off site.
Curbside pick-up by your waste hauler
Contact your waste hauler or city for information on options and material preparations. Find your city recycling contact.
Bag yard waste for pickup in compostable bags, which include paper bags or certified-compostable plastic bags (identified with the BPI compostable logo).
City residents only yard waste drop-off sites
Call before visiting these businesses for hours, materials they accept, requirements and fees.
Note: Hennepin County does NOT operate a yard waste drop-off site.
Golden Valley yard waste events
Parking lot at Brookview Park, south of Highway 55 at Winnetka Avenue
763-593-8030 Golden Valley schedule of events
City of Medina yard waste site
Medina City Hall 2052 County Road 24 Medina, MN 55340
763-473-4643 Medina and Loretto residents only. Open every day 7 a.m. - 7p.m. Brush/compost site access card required for entry. Request a card and review accepted materials on Medina's compost and brush disposal page.
City of Minnetonka yard waste site
Minnetonka Public Works 11522 Minnetonka Boulevard Minnetonka, MN 55305
952-988-8400 Minnetonka residents only. Open April to November.
City of Plymouth yard waste site
14900 23rd Avenue North Plymouth, MN 55447
763-509-5940 Plymouth, Medicine Lake, Wayzata and Long Lake residents only. Open April to November.
St. Louis Park brush drop-off site
6215 Cedar Lake Road St. Louis Park, MN 55416
952-924-2562 St. Louis Park residents only Open seasonally. For hours, call or visit the St. Louis Park website.
Yard waste drop-off sites
Call before visiting these businesses for hours, materials they accept, requirements and fees.
Note: Hennepin County does NOT operate a yard waste drop-off site.
Ceres Mulch
3825 85th Avenue North Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
Contact
- 763-488-5621
- Ceres Mulch website
Visiting information
- Open to the public
- April 1 to October 31 - Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- November 1 to March 31 - Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- May and June, open Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Accepted: Tree logs and branches
- NOT accepted: Dirt, leaves, and rocks
Maple Grove Yard Waste Site
10300 Maple Grove Parkway Maple Grove, MN 55369
Contact
- 763-420-4886
- Maple Grove yard waste website
Visiting information
- Open to residents of Maple Grove, Champlin, Brooklyn Park, Dayton, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, and New Hope residents at no charge
- Residents of Rogers need a City Hall permit to dump
- Site open to residents of other cities and commercial customers for a fee
- Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (April 1-November 30)
- Accepted: Dirt, leaves, rock aggregate under 2 inches in diameter, tree logs and waste under 10 inches in diameter
SKB Malcolm Avenue Transfer Station
630 Malcolm Avenue Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55414
Contact
- 612-331-4610
- SKB Malcolm Avenue Transfer Station
Visiting information
- Open to the public
- Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (year round)
- Saturday 7 a.m. to noon (April-November)
- Fees vary
- Accepted: Leaves, tree branches and logs
- NOT accepted: Dirt, rocks
The Mulch Store
Locations
- Burnsville, 952-890-9375 Open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Minnetrista, 952-446-1056 Open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Shakopee, 952-445-2139 Open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays, closed.
- Learn more at The Mulch Store website
Visiting information
- Open to the public
- Accepted: Dirt, leaves, tree branches and logs
- NOT accepted: Rocks
*Updated 9/16/2024
Composting at home
Composting is an easy way to turn much of the waste from your yard and kitchen into a rich organic material that you can use to improve your soil.
Leave grass clippings on your lawn. This practice will add valuable nutrients and can reduce the need for fertilizer.
Ash tree waste
All ash trees in Hennepin County are threatened by the emerald ash borer, a destructive tree pest that attacks and kills ash trees. To prevent the spread of the emerald ash borer, a quarantine is in place for Hennepin County and surrounding counties that prohibits hauling ash tree waste out of the quarantine area.
Disposing of ash tree waste
Ash tree waste should be taken to the closest disposal site to minimize the spread of the emerald ash borer. Some yard waste haulers and sites cannot accept ash tree waste. See the list of ash tree waste disposal sites.
Preventing the spread of the emerald ash borer
Take these steps to help prevent emerald ash borer from spreading:
- Don't transport firewood. Buy firewood locally from an approved vendor, and don't bring any extra wood home with you.
- Watch for signs of infestation in your ash trees. The earlier that emerald ash borer is found, the sooner it can be addressed. Learn more about the signs if emerald ash borer infestation and management options for ash trees in our emerald ash borer brochure (PDF, 3MB).
- Only prune ash trees during the season when emerald ash borer is not active, which is from October 1 to April 30. Remember to dispose of any ash tree waste at the closest disposal site.