Residents may haul their own waste to the R&E Center for disposal. From Red Rock Road, take the west access road (follow signs for deliveries). Stay to the right to pull up to the scale house. Attendant will direct you.
Rates
Click here to see current rates. There is a minimum of $20 per load.
Note that Ramsey County assesses a service charge of 28% on residential waste generated in Ramsey County, and Washington County assesses a service charge of 35% on residential waste generated in Washington County. Click to learn more about the Ramsey County Environmental Charge and the Washington County Environmental Charge.
Unacceptable Waste
The R&E Center does not accept the following items:
All trash is local. This means that the type of trash service can vary from city to city. The cost of trash service includes containers, collection vehicles, transfer stations, processing facilities, fuel, staff, insurance and much more.
In general, the East Metro is a user-fee based system, with waste generators (residents, businesses) paying haulers for the services provided, and paying state taxes and county charges on that service. Some residents pay their city for trash collection, and the city contracts with a hauler or haulers to provide the service.
Generally, the cost of trash service has two distinct parts: collection and disposal. Local and national studies show that about two thirds of the cost comes from the collection and transportation of waste, which includes things like the cost of trucks, maintenance, fuel, labor, insurance and so on. The other one third is for disposal – the “tipping fees” that haulers pay to deposit waste at a transfer station, landfill, or processing facility such as the Recycling & Energy Center (R&E Center).
All trash generated in Ramsey and Washington counties is, by law, required to be delivered to the R&E Center, where it is processed to recover value. Haulers pay a per-ton fee for disposal of waste at a transfer station, landfill, or processing facility. For waste delivered to the R&E Center (or to one of the approved transfer stations serving the facility), the tipping fee that haulers pay is set by the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board to cover the cost of handling that trash.
What is a “tipping fee”?
This is the fee a waste hauler pays to deposit trash at a disposal site, which could be a transfer station, landfill, or processing facility like the R&E Center. It is usually charged by weight, on a per ton basis.
What is the tipping fee at the R&E Center?
In 2024 the fee is $121 per ton.
What does the tipping fee pay for at the R&E Center?
The money collected from tipping fees covers the full cost of operations at the R&E Center. This includes labor, equipment, transporting and marketing recyclables and refuse-derived fuel, landfilling what can’t be recycled or used as fuel, maintenance and insurance.
Are trash fees regulated, like other utility charges?
No – trash fees are not considered a utility fee. In cities with organized collection, in which the city contracts with one or more haulers to provide residential service, fees are set in the contract with the city. In other cities with “open” collection service, and for most commercial accounts, the charges for trash service are set by the hauler and are negotiable.
How much of my bill is related to the R&E Center?
Studies show that about one third of a trash bill is for disposal costs. On average, a household produces about one ton (2,000 pounds) of trash each year. The 2024 tipping fee is $121 per ton, so the disposal cost per household is about $121 per year, or $10.08 per month. There are additional taxes and fees on the disposal cost and on the cost of collection and transportation.
What makes up my trash bill, and why are there so many charges on my bill?
Trash bills can vary by hauler, but most include similar charges, including the hauler’s cost of providing the service (labor, equipment, insurance, etc.), fees that haulers may put on the bill (fuel surcharge, environmental fee, administrative charge), the County Environmental Charge, and state (and sometimes local) tax. These are further discussed below.
What is the Residential Service Charge on my bill?
This charge is referred to by different names depending on the hauler. In some cases it refers to the cart size (e.g., 60-gallon service), and other times it may appear as “removal service.” This is the basic charge for trash removal, and often depends on how often trash is collected (e.g., weekly, twice weekly, etc.) and container size.
What is the County Environmental Charge on my bill?
The County Environmental Charge (CEC) is the service assessed by counties. It applies to trash collection and disposal service, fuel surcharges and administrative fees. It does not apply to recyclables separated from the trash. In Ramsey County, the rate is 28% for residential customers and 53% for non-residential customers. In Washington County, the rate is 35% for residents and businesses. The fee supports waste management efforts, including household hazardous waste collection and yard waste collection, in the counties.
What is the Minnesota Solid Waste Management Tax on my bill?
The Minnesota Solid Waste Management Tax is a mandatory charge that haulers must, by law, put on your bill. It is equal to 9.75% of the “sale price” for residential trash service, including any administrative or hauler-specific fuel/environmental fees. Commercial customers pay 17% of the “sale price” for trash service, including fees.
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