Albert Lea encourages residents to reduce, reuse and recycle ahead of fall clean-up

By KAALTV
Courtesy: City of Albert Lea

(ABC 6 News) – Autumn crosses in the air and with it comes fall clean-up in Albert Lea. This year, the city encourages residents to reuse and recycle items before turning to the city’s transfer station for waste disposal.

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Minnesotans could recycle, reuse or compost nearly two-thirds of the trash they discard. The MPCA estimates 8 million tons of trash will stockpile landfills over the next 20 years, space that the state could utilize for farming, housing or nature.

The city offers these tips for recycling this season:

  • Recycle paper, plastic, metal and glass
  • Recycle electronics and household hazardous waste
    • Residents can use of the convenient drive-through service at the Freeborn County Environmental Services facility at 2020 Pioneer Trail. The facility collects household hazardous waste and electronics from residents on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at no charge for household hazardous waste and small fees for electronics
    • Otherwise, selling or donating uncared for electronics can reduce the likelihood harsh chemicals could seep into the already at risk Minnesota soil.
  • Compost food scraps and yard waste
    • Want to see gardens grow lush? Consider creating nutrient-rich soil by composting!
    • The Transfer Station also provides brush disposal and yard waste composting. Annual permits for unlimited use of the compost site are available for sale at the Transfer Station or from the Albert Lea Engineering Department, 221 E. Clark St. The permit fee is $13 for city residents, $18.50 for non-city residents, $130 for city businesses, and $185 for non-city businesses.
  • Reuse items whenever possible
    • From turning unwanted clothes to cleaning rags to reusing glass candle jars for storage, finding alternative uses for old items saves money and reduces your carbon footprint.

The Albert Lea fall cleanup will begin on Saturday Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon at the transfer station. With proof of city residency, you may dispose of one load of brush, yard waste, household garbage or demolition debris at no charge; appliances, sofas and mattresses for $10 each; furniture pieces for $5 each; passenger car tires for $3 each.