Garbage & Recycling

The cart must be at the curb by 6 a.m. with the handle facing your home. The lid must be closed. Make sure to leave three feet of space around the cart from all obstacles, including mailboxes, other carts, vehicles, and trees. Containers must be placed two feet behind the curb, either in a driveway or the boulevard, not in the roadway. For cart changes or missed pickups, please call ERMU at 763.441.2020.

Contact Republic Services directly at 320.252.9608 for any items that will not fit in your regular garbage cart.

In the City of Elk River, per city ordinance, all residential properties shall be billed and provided trash and recycling collection. The following policy is in an effort to accommodate residents who are temporarily absent from their homes.

A Temporary Stop in Service is available by request only. The Temporary Stop in Service period must be a minimum period of one (1) month and a maximum period of six (6) months. The Temporary Stop in Service may not exceed six (6) months in one full calendar year. A Temporary Stop in Service may be only requested twice per calendar year.



A restart date must be determined at the time the Temporary Stop in Service is requested to receive the appropriate credit. Linked below is a form that must be completed and submitted for approval before the stop period can begin. This policy is a courtesy for residents who do not need residential trash and recycling services for temporary extended periods of time and may be modified or revoked at any time.

Temporary Trash Stop in Service - Residential Garbage and Single Sort Recycling Form Link

Do not dispose of the following items in your garbage container: tires, automobile batteries, motor oil, oil-based paints, construction materials, appliances, yard waste, human waste, or any hazardous waste. Not sure what to do with these items? Contact the city’s Environmental Services department at 763.635.1000 for a list of local recyclers and the items they accept.

Call the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 1.800.450.6140. For more information on local collection events, contact the Sherburne County Zoning Department at 763.765.4457.

Single-sort recycling allows residents to place all recyclable materials in one cart, with no sorting or separating needed. All materials should be loose in the cart with no plastic bags. Recycling is picked up every other week on the same day as the garbage collection. The week of collection will depend on location and hauler. To determine your week, view our territory map and select service based on your location or contact us at 763.441.2020.

As of May 2025, the City of Elk River has joined Sherburne County’s new organics recycling program. All current participants are automatically enrolled in their system. Visit Sherburne County's website to learn more about the program.

In December 2020, Randy's Environmental Services was acquired by Republic Services. They now operate as "Randy's Sanitation, a Republic Services Company." Customers who previously used the Randy’s schedule for Red week pickups can now refer to the Republic Services Gray schedule. Customers who previously used Randy’s schedule for Blue week pickups can now refer to the Republic Services Blue schedule.

• Republic Services Blue
• Republic Services Gray
  

Take the guesswork out of garbage and recycling with the Recycle Coach app. Your personalized calendar can tell you whether it’s your recycling week or if there are any changes because of a holiday, and it will send those reminders directly to your phone. Recycle Coach also provides accurate disposal information for thousands of household items, with drop-off locations in your community, so you can be a better recycler! Learn more about the recycle coach.

If your scheduled collection is on or after an official holiday (in the same week), your service will be delayed one day. A holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday will not affect the service schedule. Official holidays include New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.



2025 Holiday Schedule

Please contact us for additional information about garbage and recycling services.