Author: Winneshiek Waste

Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of hosting the incredible 5th graders from St. Benedict Catholic School for tours of both the Winneshiek County Sanitary Landfill and the recycling center! We were so impressed by their enthusiasm and throughtful questions about waste management and sustainability. Thank you again for visiting, and we hope to see you all again soon!

Speaking of waste management, did you know that tomorrow is National Clean Up Day? If you’re out for a walk on a trail or spending time in a park this weekend, please consider bringing gloves and a trash bag and help keep our planet clean. Every little bit counts!

Have a great weekend!

Did you know that small items like tiny pieces of aluminum foil or metal bottle caps are sometimes difficult to recycle? These small materials can fall through the cracks on our conveyor belt or fall out of bales when materials are compacted. To ensure your smaller recyclable items make it through the process, place them inside a larger recyclable container of the same material.

For example, if you have aluminum bottle caps, try wrapping them inside a larger sheet of aluminum foil to hold them all together or place them inside an aluminum container and seal it. You can also put smaller metal items in the scrap metal bin at the drop off shed.

Thank you for helping us make recycling more efficient!

Good Afternoon all,

As we mentioned previously, purchasing a reusable water bottle is a great way to cut back on plastic waste. We can also cut back on waste production by purchasing products that come with less packaging and/or come in packaging that can be recycled. If you have a choice between purchasing an item that contains a #1 hard plastic or an item that is made up of a #6 hard plastic, please choose the #1 plastic, as we can accept this material at our recycling facility. The #6 plastic would have to be placed in the garbage. Learn more by exploring our website.

One of the best ways you can reduce plastic waste is by purchasing a reusable water bottle or reusable cup. This is also a great way to save money! By taking your own water bottle with you, you’ll reduce your chances of buying more expensive beverages on the go, and this will limit the amount of single use plastics consumed. If you need to purchase a bottle of water, please ensure it is empty before you recycle it in Winneshiek County. Have a great day!

This cardboard was found in one of the “Plastics and Metals” bins today located at the 48-Hour Lot next to Decorah City Hall. Although we appreciate that recyclable materials are being placed in the bins, it’s important that they are placed in the correct containers. When sorting cardboard at all collection sites, if you come across a full bin, please look around for other cardboard containers that still have space. Please also ensure that all boxes are broken down before you toss them in the bins. This will prevent the roll off containers from filling up too quickly. Thank you!

Attention Winneshiek County residents:


We have been noticing more scrap metal pieces in our roll off containers, expecially at our Locust site. Scrap metal pieces must be dropped off in our scrap metal bins in the drop off shed at the recycling center.
When larger scrap pieces are placed in our roll off bins, they end up mixed in with our smaller items that go on the sorting line. The larger items damage our belts as they are pushed to the line. This is why it is essential to keep them separated.


In the pictures below, you can see that there is part of a washer that has been disassembled. We take washers for free during business hours at the recycling center. These should not be placed in the roll off bins. We also found a humidifer in this pile. Humidifers can also be dropped off at the recycling center for free during business hours. Please ensure you speak with a staff member when you bring electronics or appliances. There is a $20 fee for appliances containing refrigerant and televisions and computer monitors.


Thanks for helping our team here at the recycling center!

Did you know that the recycling center cannot accept soft plastic? They are known as tanglers and get caught in our equipment. One way to cut down on the amount of plastic waste we create is by switching to reusable grocery bags. Just like a reusable water bottle, you may already have a reusable grocery bag, but it’s easy to forget them at home when we head to the store. Try writing “BAGS” at the top of your shopping list or keep them in your back seat so you remember to use them.

We wanted to remind everyone that ALL ELECTRONIC AND APPLIANCE WASTE MUST GO TO THE RECYCLING CENTER AND MUST BE GIVEN TO A STAFF MEMBER DURING BUSINESS HOURS. DO NOT LEAVE THESE ITEMS AFTER HOURS. The recycling center is open from 6 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday.

*A $20 fee per unit applies for televisions, computer monitors, or appliances containing refrigerant.

*Payments must be made with cash or check only and cash transactions for the exact amount owed.

The Winneshiek County Sanitary Landfill NO LONGER ACCEPTS ELECTRONICS OR APPLIANCES.

Questions? Please visit our “What do I do With” page and click on Appliances or Electronics.

Thank you, and have a great weekend!

Today is International Plastic Bag Free Day! Did you know that we can’t accept soft plastic at our recycling center?

The bags tangle and damage our machines and slow down the team that does the sorting. We can’t take plastic bags even if they have a number on them. For this reason, reusing your bags is a great way to cut down on soft plastics being sent to our landfill.

At this time, we can only accept hard plastics that are stamped with a #1 or #2. If they contain a #3,#4,#5,#6,#7, or they are not marked with a number, we cannot take them.

Caps should also be removed from bottles when they are recycled. This allows more bottles to fit in a bale and can save on transportation costs.

As we celebrate the 4th of July tomorrow, let’s do our best to limit the amount of waste we create. Have a great week!