Todays Hours
Materials Recovery Center
Closed Today
View All Hours

All Hours:

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Thursday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Friday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Saturday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Sunday: Closed

Holidays Closed:

  • New Years Day
  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Presidents Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Indigenous Peoples Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving and Day After
  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Visit Us:

4587 Ridgeview Rd.
Duluth, MN 55803

Questions?

218-722-3336
Email Us
What We Take
Household Hazardous Waste
Closed Today
View All Hours

All Hours:

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: Closed
  • Thursday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Friday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Saturday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Sunday: Closed

Holidays Closed:

  • New Years Day
  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Presidents Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Indigenous Peoples Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving and Day After
  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Visit Us:

27th Avenue West & the Waterfront
Duluth, MN 55806

Questions?

218-722-3336
Email Us
What We Take
Yard Waste Compost Site
Closed for the Season
View All Hours

All Hours:

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Thursday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Friday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Saturday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Sunday: Closed

Holidays Closed:

  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Indigenous Peoples Day

Visit Us:

27th Av. West & The Waterfront
Duluth, MN 55806

Questions?

218-722-3336
Email Us
What We Take
WLSSD Administration Offices
Opening Soon
View All Hours

All Hours:

  • Monday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Tuesday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Wednesday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Thursday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Friday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed

Holidays Closed:

  • New Years Day
  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Presidents Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Indigenous Peoples Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving and Day After
  • Christmas Day

Visit Us:

2626 Courtland Street
Duluth, MN 55806

Questions?

218-722-3336
Email Us
What We Take

Recycle Your Household Food Scraps

Residents in the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District can save money and reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill by recycling food scraps. Food waste in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Food waste that is carefully composted produces a natural, humus-like product that is a valuable soil amendment.

WLSSD’s Free Food Waste Drop sites

Collect kitchen scraps in compostable bags and deliver to several free drop sites located throughout the region. Drop site users find their household trash is greatly reduced (and smells a lot better too).

Free compostable bags are available from WLSSD at the Materials Recovery Center, Household Hazardous Waste facility, Yard Waste Site, and at the Administrative Offices, and most food waste drop sites. You can also purchase bags at many retailers locally.  Just be sure the bags you use are certified compostable and carry the seal of the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). 

     

 

What’s the best set up to collect food scraps in my kitchen? There’s no single right answer, but these tips should get you started collecting food waste:

  • Use a covered container that still allows for air flow, such as an ice cream bucket with loose fitting top or air holes punched in the cover. Many companies make nice-looking, functional compost collectors that sit on the countertop with style.
  • Right-size the container to fit your needs. Food waste should be brought to a drop site or added to your own compost bin regularly to avoid odors and pests.
  • Utilize the refrigerator and/or freezer to store food waste if you can’t get to a drop site before it becomes a nuisance.

What kind of scraps can I put in the residential drop sites?

Our drop sites accept anything that is or was edible: raw and cooked food, meat, fish, small bones, spoiled/moldy food, fruits, vegetables, peels & pits, cheese, breads, dough, pasta, rice, old pet food, tea bags, coffee grounds & filters. We also accept compostable serve ware that has been BPI-certified (see next paragraph); look for the logo on packaging and the product itself. We do not accept food wrappers, pet waste & kitty litter, diapers & hygiene products, dirt & rocks, yard waste, pizza boxes, napkins, paper towels, paper plates and cups, and liquids.

No napkins, paper towels, and paper plates…Oh, why?

We get quite a few questions about dropping off paper products at our food scraps drop sites. We appreciate that residents recognize paper products as primarily biodegradable, but there’s a catch! Paper products and serve ware (and other food contact materials) can contain water and grease resistant chemicals called PFAS, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. These human-made chemicals have been used for decades for a lot of helpful uses including non-stick cookware, fire-fighting foam, tooth floss, shampoo, water-resistant clothing, and so much more. The scientific community is learning more about PFAS—its prevalence and persistence in the environment—and potential health effects with exposure to high concentrations. Therefore, we are doing our best to limit what goes into our compost to food scraps, yard waste, and BPI-Certified products. Why BPI? The Biodegradable Products Institute is committed to only certifying products as compostable if PFAS isn’t used in their formulations. As the science develops, and as new laws banning the use of PFAS in certain products are solidly in place, we will continue to use best practices. Thank you for your patience, and please know these efforts are in place to help us create a high-quality compost.

Do it yourself Backyard composting

Keep your food scraps to mix with yard waste in your own backyard and create your own custom compost!