Verified disposal rules for Hopkins residents — Hennepin's compact inner-ring suburb (~18,000 people). Hopkins organizes residential collection through a single city contract and is home to one of Hennepin County's largest organics drop-off sites at the Hopkins Public Works yard (1010 1st St S). Hazardous waste goes to Hennepin's Bloomington facility.
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Hopkins's residential garbage, recycling, organics, and yard waste are all under one city-organized contract. Uniform citywide rate, predictable pickup, fewer trucks. Find your pickup day at hopkinsmn.com; contact city public works for service questions.
Single-stream recycling: all recyclables in one cart, every other week alongside garbage. Plastic bags do NOT go in the cart — return to a grocery-store bin. Pizza boxes go in recycling if clean / lightly soiled; greasy boxes go to organics or trash.
The Hopkins Public Works yard at 1010 1st Street S hosts one of the largest Hennepin County organics drop-off sites. Free for any Hennepin resident — bring food scraps, paper food packaging, BPI-certified compostables, and yard waste 24/7. No appointment, no fees. Especially useful for apartment residents who don't have curbside organics.
Hopkins residents get one free bulk-pickup item per year as part of city-organized service. Schedule at hopkinsmn.com. Additional items $20-40 each. The city also runs spring + fall cleanup events at the public-works yard where residents drop mattresses, furniture, scrap metal, and yard waste at low or no cost.
Hopkins residents take HHW (paint, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, fluorescent bulbs, lithium-ion batteries, propane tanks) to the Bloomington HHW at 1400 W 96th Street — about 20 minutes south via Hwy 169. Free for any Hennepin resident with photo ID. Brooklyn Park HHW (8100 Jefferson Hwy) is the alternate.
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Check an item in Hopkins →Most disposal rules in Hopkins are set at the county level by Hennepin County. The Hopkins city policies above layer on top of that — for the full rule text, HHW facility list, and county-wide programs, see:
Hennepin County disposal guide →Hopkins Public Works yard at 1010 1st Street S — open 24/7 for organics drop-off. Free for any Hennepin resident. Accepts food scraps (including meat, dairy, bones), paper food packaging, BPI-certified compostables, and yard waste. No appointment, no fees. Especially useful if you live in a Hopkins apartment without curbside organics.
Recycling is every other week alongside your weekly garbage day under the city contract. Look up your specific day at hopkinsmn.com/444/Recycling-Solid-Waste. Most addresses are on a Green Week / Blue Week schedule.
Easiest: use your one free annual bulk pickup via the city-contracted hauler. Otherwise: wait for a spring or fall city cleanup event at the public-works yard (low fee), or take to a Hennepin transfer station ($20-40). Donate stain-free mattresses to Salvation Army or Goodwill for free pickup.
Three options: (1) PaintCare drop-off at Hirshfield's on Excelsior Blvd or Sherwin-Williams — both latex and oil-based free in MN. (2) Hennepin County HHW in Bloomington (1400 W 96th St) — free for residents. (3) Dry latex paint (cat litter + open lid) and put in regular trash. Oil-based paint NEVER trash; HHW or PaintCare only.
Yes — the Hopkins organics drop-off is part of the county Hennepin network and is open to any Hennepin resident, not just Hopkins residents. Bring photo ID with a Hennepin address if asked. Especially convenient if you live in a Twin Cities apartment without curbside organics.
