Mankato's utilities include garbage and recycling.

See the recycling guide.

For all single family and duplex households in the city of Mankato that receive a monthly water bill, garbage and recycling collection includes:

• Collection
• Unlimited co-mingled recycling
• One provided refuse cart, 64-gallon or 35-gallon (see utility rates)
• Fall leaf pick-up
• Spring clean-up (includes appliance and electronic recycling) the first four Saturdays in May
• Christmas tree recycling

Garbage and recycling is picked up on the same day between Monday and Friday in Mankato. To find out what day residential garbage/recycling is picked up, either call 311 or 507-387-8600 or click here for a map.

 Holidays

• New Year's Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

Holiday schedule

If a collection day falls on or the day after one of these holidays throughout the week, residential garbage and recycling pickup will be one day later. The schedule will resume as normal the following week.

Sample holiday schedule for residential garbage and recyclables.  If the holiday falls on Monday:
--Monday's garbage and recyclables are collected Tuesday
--Tuesday's garbage and recyclables are collected Wednesday
--Wednesday's garbage and recyclables are collected Thursday
--Thursday's garbage and recyclables are collected Friday
--Friday's garbage and recycleables are collected Saturday

Where to place carts and recycling for collection

• Residents who live in an area with "on street parking," need to place the cart at the driveweay's entry way.
• Please do not place the cart within three feet of telephone poles, garages, street signs, trees, recycle bins or vehicles.
• The collection point for a recycle bin is the same area the cart is located. Please remember to set the cart and recycle bin apart by a minimum of three feet.

What to do if you have more garbage than fits in your cart
Additional garbage bags can be placed by purchasing tags at any of the local grocery stores. The price of the tag covers the cost of disposing one bag of garbage. Tags cost $2 each.  Place one tag on each 35-gallon garbage bag set out.

Garbage bin replacement
Customers may replace broken garbage bins at no cost. Typically, the replacement bin is delivered within seven business days. Contact city staff at 311 or 507-387-8600 to request a replacement or complete a customer service request.

Recycling–there is less separation

• Place non-paper in one recycle container or bag (examples: aluminum, tin cans, plastic, glass). Plastics numbered one through seven are accepted. See the recycling guide for additional information.
• Put paper in another recycle container or bag (examples: newspaper, magazines, paperboard such as egg cartons and boxes such as cereal, cracker, cookie, shoe and cake).
• Corrugated cardboard should be flattened into three-foot pieces and set next to the recycle bin.
• No limit. There is no limit on the amount of recycling Mankato residents put curbside each week for pickup.
• Reminder–please make sure at least one of the recycle containers is a green city of Mankato recycle bin. This is an important communication tool that residents are customers of Mankato's curbside recycling program.

Recycling bins

New construction typically gets one recycling bin at no cost. Replacement recycling bins cost $2.15 (includes tax). They are available at the Intergovernmental Center, 10 Civic Center Plaza, or by calling 311 or 507-387-8600.