Shoreview residents can now use county food-scraps pickup program

Shoreview residents can now enroll in the joint Ramsey and Washington counties Food Scraps Pickup Program, giving households a new way to separate food scraps from the rest of their trash.

The City of Shoreview confirmed the local availability on July 10, 2026. Shoreview is among the municipalities currently included in the phased rollout, but the program is not yet available in every community across both counties.

How Shoreview households can enroll

Residents must sign up through the Food Scraps Pickup Program and use the program-specific bags supplied through the service. The current ordering page lists free orders of 60 bags in either a 6-gallon or 13-gallon size. Households can receive up to two free orders per calendar year, with free shipping under the current program terms.

The program says the 6-gallon bag is the preferred size for most households. Larger households and people who cook at home frequently may prefer the 13-gallon bags. Residents should check the ordering page when they enroll because program terms can change.

How collection works

Participants place accepted scraps in the program bag, tie the bag closed at least once a week, and put the tied bag inside their regular trash cart or dumpster. This is not a separate compost-cart service.

Residents should not place food-scraps bags in a recycling cart, beside or on top of a trash cart or dumpster, or inside another regular trash bag. After collection, the bags are separated from the trash and taken to an industrial compost facility.

What belongs in the bag

All food items are accepted, including meat, seafood, dairy products, coffee grounds, fruits, vegetables, bread, eggs and pet food. The program also accepts certain non-recyclable paper items, small houseplant trimmings and small wooden items such as chopsticks, popsicle sticks and toothpicks.

Some compostable serviceware and similar products are accepted, but only when they are BPI-certified compostable. A store-bought bag or product labeled generally as “compostable” should not be assumed to qualify. The program requires its own program-specific bags, and residents should check the accepted-items guidance before adding compostable products.

Liquids, grease or oil, plastic items, regular food packaging, pet waste, yard and garden waste, and other prohibited materials should stay out of the program bags unless the official guidance specifically lists them as accepted. Recyclable paper and other recyclable materials should go through the normal recycling system instead.

Drop-off sites remain available

Residents who prefer not to use pickup can continue using food-scraps drop-off locations. Ramsey County says its sites are open to Ramsey County residents, while some listed sites also accept Washington County residents. Drop-off sites remain available as the pickup program expands, and they can serve residents in communities that are not yet eligible for pickup.

The broader Ramsey-Washington program is being expanded in phases. The program administrator’s stated target is to make the service available to all residents of both counties by the end of 2027. That is a rollout goal, not a completed expansion, so residents should check the availability information for their municipality before ordering.

Sources

• City of Shoreview food-scraps pickup notice
• Food Scraps Pickup Program participation guidance
• Food Scraps Pickup Program bag-ordering page
• Ramsey County Food Scraps Drop-Off