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County solid waste staff urge clearer recycling guidance after contamination examples
Summary
Goodhue County Solid Waste presented to the Cannon Falls City Council on Nov. 18, describing contamination in local recycling streams, limits on accepted plastics (#1 and #2 only), examples of nonrecyclables found in paper bins, and a roughly $538-per-week operating cost; staff asked the city for targeted outreach to reduce contamination.
A representative from Goodhue County Solid Waste briefed the Cannon Falls City Council on Nov. 18 about recycling contamination, collection volumes and operational costs, and requested city help with public education.
The presenter said local recycling collection is limited to certain plastics (primarily #1 and #2) and that many residents place nonaccepted items in containers, creating contamination that increases processing costs. The presenter showed photos of nonrecyclable items recovered from the newspaper compartment, including auto brake rotors and used adult incontinence products placed in gray bags, and said those items added to processing burdens.
The presenter estimated the county’s local weekly collection cost at about $538 and said Cannon Falls and Pine Island each contribute roughly one-third of overall volume, making those two locations significant contributors to the system’s load. He described a prior targeted-signage test that reduced weekend processing needs within about three weeks and suggested city-led marketing and signage as a low-cost intervention.
Council members asked clarifying questions. Staff confirmed only #1 and #2 plastics are accepted and that milk-type cartons are not recyclable in the current system. Councilmembers discussed whether cameras could help identify repeat offenders; staff said the fair board had occasionally captured problematic instances and posted them to social media but there is no continuous Wi‑Fi camera monitoring at the recycling site.
The presenter requested that the city consider targeted communications to reduce contamination at the local collection site; councilmembers responded positively to the idea.
