Garbage

Except for residents in Ellendale, which contracts with one hauler to provide garbage service to their community, Steele County has an “open hauling” system of garbage collection, where residents and businesses can choose the garbage hauler they wish to use. Look in the phone book yellow pages under “Garbage & Refuse Collection.” for a list of haulers. The Steele County Landfill also allows people to self haul garbage to the landfill. Click here for more information about the Steele County Landfill. There will be a charge for disposal.

If disposed improperly, garbage can cause pollution of air, soil and drinking water. Since citizens are liable for the clean up of environmental damage cause by “regular” trash, they should make certain it is disposed properly by contracting for service with a licensed garbage hauler or bringing garbage to the landfill for disposal. Over half of household garbage is recyclable, so recycling as much waste as possible will reduce garbage generation and costs as well as conserve natural resources, save energy and provide good paying U.S. jobs. Click here for more information about Steele County’s Residential Recycling program.

Garbage and Recycling Hotline

The Steele County Recycling Hotline answers disposal questions about garbage, recycling and composting. Call the Hotline at 507-451-5443. Some information can be obtained by listening to the taped message and voice mails can be left if more information is needed. Calls will be returned during weekday business hours of 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday.

Gas Bottles

Some gas bottles can be refilled. Propane gas tanks and cylinders are accepted by many propane and LP gas distributers. Look under “gas” in the phone book yellow pages for a distributer near you. Steele County does NOT accept propane cylinders in its residential recycling program.

Disposable gas cylinders may be thrown in household trash for burial in the Steele County Landfill.

Gasoline

The best way to get rid of leftover gasoline, lamp oil or white gas is to use it up. For small engines that use an oil/gas mixture, buy only the amount you will need at the time. Buy unleaded gasoline for small engines so you can use leftover gasoline in your car.

Old, unwanted or unusable gasoline from Steele County homes can be brought to either the Steele or Rice County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facilities for free, proper disposal. Click here for more information about theses HHW facilities.

Businesses that have unusable gasoline or kerosene should treat these wastes as hazardous. See “Hazardous Waste.”

Glass Bottles and Jars

Glass food and drink bottles that are brown, green, blue or clear are recyclable in Steele County’s Residential Recycling program. Click here for more information about the County’s Residential Recycling program.

Labels do not need to be removed from glass bottles, but the glass bottles should be rinsed and have the caps or lids removed. Glass may be recycled with all other types of recyclable cans and bottles; they do not need to be separated. Metal caps or lids may also be recycled if placed loosely in the recycling bin with cans and bottles, however, plastic caps belong in the garbage.

Grass

Leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing is easy and healthy for your lawn, unless the grass is unusually long and matting would suffocate the grass still growing on the lawn. In fact, leaving clippings on the lawn for an entire summer gives your lawn the equivalent of one fertilizer application.

The Owatonna Yard Waste Compost Site accepts grass and other yard waste for a fee. Click here for more information on Owatonna’s Compost Site. Contact your city office for information on other community compost sites in Steele County.

Grass clippings may also be composted at home. Grass clippings, leaves, vines, garden wastes, sticks and other organic materials turn into a beneficial natural soil amendment over time when placed in a pile, exposed to moisture and turned periodically. Compost improves drainage and soil texture in clay soils, improves moisture holding capacity and soil texture in sandy soils and increases utilization of plant nutrients in a soil with poor organic content. For information on building and maintaining a home compost pile, call the Steele County Recycling Hotline at 507-451-5443

State law prohibits large amounts of grass clippings (i.e. a 30-gallon bag) from being buried in a landfill, so grass clippings cannot be placed in household garbage.