It’s a new year, and we’ve got a few things up our sleeve at the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility. Our facility strives to provide the best service and quality products for our customers, which is why we implement new offerings each year to better serve the community.
Committed to being a good neighbor and good steward of the earth, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) partnered with Scott County to launch a Household Organics Recycling Program in May 2021. The program allows Scott County residents to drop off food waste—free of charge—to be repurposed into high-quality compost. Since the inception of the program, more than 500 people have signed up, bringing with them 10 tons of residential food waste to be composted. By collecting and composting food scraps from your kitchen, the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility—with your assistance!—is helping to reduce greenhouse gases and create nutrient-rich soil amendments.
Interested in joining the Household Organics Recycling Program? Sign up here! Upon registering, residents will be eligible to pick up a free starter kit that includes program information, one food waste collection bucket, and 25 compostable food waste bags. Together we can keep organics out of the trash—and put this waste to better use!
Not a Scott County resident? No problem—the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility recently added a residential food waste service option for surrounding counties. We now offer a place for residents of surrounding counties to drop off their organic food waste for only $5/load (a load of material is equivalent to one trip to our facility). To drop off, simply check in with the scale attendant, head over to the designated area, and ditch your scraps.
Speaking of dropping off materials, the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility restructured the pricing for residential drop-offs this year. In the past, the facility charged $20/load, no matter the size of the load. We now offer three different pricing options depending on the load size: small ($10/load), medium ($20/load), or large ($25/load). We hope that our new pricing structure will better suit our customers and their drop-off needs. The facility accepts yard waste, brush/trees, and sod/dirt—visit our residential page to see the full list of accepted materials.
In addition to dropping off yard waste and organic materials at the facility, now is a great time to start brainstorming your landscaping plans for the warmer months ahead. The SMSC Organics Recycling Facility offers compost and mulch products to both residential and commercial customers. As you prepare your spring yard care plans, consider adding top dressing to your lawn. Our top dressing is a finely screened compost that adds nutrients and increases the water holding capacity of your soil, allowing you to water your grass less. We recommend renting a manure spreader to spread out a thin layer on top of your lawn, or you can use a shovel and rake to spread it over your grass. This will give your lawn the nutrient boost it’s been missing all winter long.
Whatever your plans, the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility is ready to help you with all of your outdoor projects and landscaping needs! Let’s work together to increase your home’s curb appeal this spring.
