The City of Saint Paul has a contract with Eureka Recycling to pick up residential recycling, including apartment buildling recycling. Please put your recyclables out on the street curb by 7:00 a.m. each Monday (for most residences in Union Park). No need to sort the items; all recyclable items can be mixed. For details on what can (and cannot) be recycled, download Saint Paul's Guide to Recycling. If you have any questions about your recycling schedule or missed pickups, please call Eureka Recycling's Zero Waste Hotline at 651-222-7678.

Recycling Changes

The City of Saint Paul has rolled out wheeled carts for recycling!

Weekly collection at all single family and smaller multi-unit buildlings (through 11 units) is now done in 64 gallon wheeled, lidded carts placed where trash is collected. More acceptable materials will be included in this new service, including paper tubes (from paper towels), paper food tubes (Pringles™), refrigerator boxes (like butter boxes).

All multi-unit dwellings have an opportunity to recycle, so talk with your landlord about recycling if your building isn't set up to recycle.

Check out more information about the City's recycling program here at stpaul.gov/recycle. You can also call  (651)-266-6199.

On October 1, 2018, the City launched citywide garbage service, a new coordinated garbage collection system where each street/alley has one designated residential garbage hauler and prices and services are consistent across Saint Paul. For more information, visit their website. Still have questions? Call (651) 266-6101 or email garbage@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

The City of Saint Paul coordinates Citywide Drop-Off Events where residents can dispose of a wide variety of items including appliances, mattresses, construction waste, and more.

If you can't wait for a cleanup, you can call the Ramsey County Solid Waste & Recycling Hotline 24/7 at 651-633-EASY (3279) or visit Ramsey County's helpful website to learn how to dispose of bulky or hard-to-recycle items.  

Rethink Recycling, a guide for waste and recycling in the Twin Cities, has information on reducing waste and recycling a wide range of items at www.rethinkrecycling.com.

Many electronics and small appliance items can be recycled at Tech Dump.

You are also encouraged to sell or give away reusable items on sites such as Facebook, Craigslist, or at our local Goodwill.

The nearest composting site run by Ramsey County is at 1943 Pierce Butler Route, St. Paul, MN 55114.  The site takes both compostable yard waste and kitchen organics.

Union Park residents are encouraged to dispose of household organics at the Macalester-Groveland Organics Recycling Drop-off Site.

If you'd like to collect compost at home, the Recycling Association of Minnesota sells compost bins at low cost each year.  For more information, visit RecycleMinnesota.org.

Storm drains in Saint Paul drain to local lakes and the Mississippi River. The Adopt a Drain program asks residents to adopt a drain in their neighborhood and commit to keeping it clear of leaves and other debris to reduce water pollution.

Visit adopt-a-drain.org to learn more!

Union Park is part of the Capitol Region Watershed District, a local unit of government dedicated to protecting, managing and improving water resources. CRWD works across geographic and political boundaries to protect the health of the District’s wetlands, lakes, streams and river. Through research, planning and action, CRWD helps solve and prevent water-related problems within the 40 square-mile District.

Learn more at www.capitolregionwd.org.

Developed by Freshwater Society in 2013, the Minnesota Water Stewards program is a volunteer program designed to equip community members with the knowledge and skills needed to improve water health at the grassroots level.

Stewards are certified by participating in a broad training curriculum designed by experts in the fields of hydrology, stormwater management and groundwater health, water policy, community-based social marketing, landscape assessment, and installation of clean water practices. At the end of the certification process, all Stewards complete a capstone project that improves the health of local water while involving and educating their community. Stewards then become a point of knowledge and influence in their communities.

Learn more at minnesotawaterstewards.org

Residents may plant gardens in the boulevard areas. There is no permit fee required for these gardens. Residents may also create boulevard rain gardens. Rain gardens require a completed form and may also require permits.

In your yard: A permit is not required for planting trees on private property. However property owners should consider the following when planting a new tree: planting location, tree type, size at maturity, cold hardiness, maintenance requirements, etc. Remember to have utilities located by Gopher State One Call before you dig.

In your boulevard: Property owners are encouraged to plant trees to help beautify Saint Paul. If you apply for a permit to plant a tree, forestry staff will provide tree species and planting location recommendations. A list of suggested tree species is available. Please follow these steps if you would like to plant a tree in the boulevard:

1. Apply for a free permit and submit the permit to Forestry via email, fax, or mail.

2. Consult Forestry: Forestry staff will review the permit, assess the boulevard, and contact you with the planting location and tree species selection information. Requests will be denied if the boulevard does not meet the minimum planting criteria.

3. Locate Utilities before Planting: Contact Gopher State One Call before you dig so that underground utilities can be located. There is no cost for this service.

The city of St. Paul has more information here.

Bees

Learn about bees from the University of Minnesota's Bee Lab.

Pollinator Gardens

Learn more about how your garden can attract bees and other pollinators here.

Have any kind of gardening question? Get it answered by a Master Gardener!

​Emerald ash borers (EAB) are a destructive insect pest that attacks and kills all species of ash trees native to North America. Learn more at the city website.