Recycling

Acceptable items

The following materials are accepted for recycling curbside:

  • Glass bottles and jars
    • empty and rinse
    • Discard caps in the trash
  • Aluminum and steel cans
    • empty and rinse
  • Plastic containers #1, 2, and 5
    • Empty, rinse and replace caps
  • Paper
    • Mixed paper, newspaper, magazines and flattened cardboard
  • Food and beverage cartons
    • Empty, rinse and replace caps
    • Do not flatten
    • Accepted: milk and juice cartons, juice boxes, and soup, broth and wine cartons

Unacceptable items

  • Pizza boxes
    • Discard in trash or compost
  • Loose bottle caps
    • Discard in trash
  • Plastic bags
    • Return to retail stores (or reuse for pet waste pickup or as a garbage can liner)
  • Clothing or linens
    • Use donation programs
  • Tanglers (hoses, wires or chains)
    • Discard in trash
  • Batteries
    • Discard alkaline varieties in trash; all others should go to a hazardous waste facility
  • Food or liquid
    • Compost or discard in trash
  • Styrofoam
    • Discard in trash
  • Shredded paper
    • Discard in trash (or reuse as animal bedding, mulch or packing material)
  • Oil and oil filters
    • Many full-service auto centers accept used oil. Many places that sell oil filters will also recycle them for a fee.

  1. Cart sizes available

    Northfield residents have a choice for the size of the cart that best suit their disposal needs.

    Cart options20 gallon35 gallon64 gallon96 gallon
    Image20 gallon or 35 gallon cart20 gallon or 35 gallon cart64 gallon cart96 gallon cart
    Width19''19''24''26''
    Depth22.7''23.75''27''34.5''
    Height32.5''37.5''41.5''46''
    Service availableGarbageGarbageGarbage, recyclingGarbage, recycling, yard waste

Billing rate

  1. Rice County residents’ households have a $40 per year fee on their property taxes. Dakota County residents have a $3 per month fee on their utility bill. The fee is the same regardless of container size (64 gallon or 96 gallon). Pick up is every other week.

  1. Start or change service

    Contact the city to set up service and order your carts. Charges for garbage and yard waste collection services appear on monthly utility bills. 

    Fill out a Start or Change Service Request Form

  1. Time of pickup

    Place your carts out on your curb before 7 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day. Do not wait for the truck to pass by.

  1. Placement of carts

    Place your carts (garbage, recycling and yard waste) on opposite sides of your driveway on the curb. Do no place carts in the street, or near mailboxes, trees, basketball hoops or other obstacles.

  1. Pickup day

    Garbage is picked up every week. Recycling is picked up day every other week on the same day as your garbage. Northfield follows the Gold Week on the calendar.

    Search pickup day by address

  1. Missed pickup

    The garbage, recycling and yard waste services are contracted through Dick's Sanitation, Inc. (DSI). Please contact them for a missed pickup and general service questions.

    Dick's Sanitation, Inc. (DSI)
    952-469-2239

  1. Holiday schedule for pickup

    DSI observes the following holidays:

    • New Year's Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Independence Day
    • Labor Day
    • Thanksgiving Day
    • Christmas Day

    Service will be delayed one day starting on the holiday of that week.

    View DSI holiday schedule

More information

Rice County Recycling Center

Dakota County Green Guide

Recycle MN

Dick’s Sanitation, Inc. (DSI)