Frequently Asked Questions

The carts are manufactured by Cascade and made of plastic. The standard cart size is 96-gallons. Your new cart is assigned to your address. If you move, it is not to be taken with you. 

The new carts will be green with a yellow lid. 

The last collection day with Republic Services for island residents will be December 18, 2025. Island residents should anticipate to be without a cart for a few days. The last collection day with Republic services for mainland residents will be December 31, 2025. Mainland residents should wait to use their new WM cart until January 1, 2026.

The cart deliveries for all residents will begin the week of December 22-24, 2025. During this week, new green carts will be delivered by WM. Republic Services will retrieve old carts on your last service day. Island residents will have their carts retrieved on December 18, 2025. Following collection, all residents should leave their old cart at the curb until it is removed. Mainland residents will have their carts retrieved starting on December 31, 2025. 

Residents should NOT place items in their new green carts until their old carts have been retrieved by Republic Services. 

Yes. Ensure your Republic Services cart is placed curbside no later than 7 a.m. on your final collection day. Leave the cart curbside until it is removed. It is expected the removals may take up to 5 business days to complete. No items should be put in the cart after your cart has been emptied on the last service day.  The final collection day for island residents is December 18, 2025. The final collection day for mainland residents is December 31, 2025.

Whether you are home or not, a new cart will be delivered the week of December 22-24, 2025. Your old cart will be retrieved after final collection day with Republic Services. Please arrange with a neighbor or family member to assure your Republic recycling cart is at the curb on the final day, if you will not be home. If your old cart is not retrieved and it is after January 9th, you will need to reach out to Republic Services at 952-941-5174 to make arrangements to recover the old cart. 

The recycling fee is $19 per household per quarter. 

Residents receive biweekly collection services. 

No. Mainland residents will continue to have their carts serviced every other Wednesday. Island residents will continue to have their carts serviced every other Thursday. If your pickup lands on a holiday, recycling will be delayed one day. The complete 2026 schedule will be made available online at shorewoodmn.gov/recycling.

The following can be recycled in Hennepin County. Please note that just because an item says it’s “recyclable” does not always mean it is. You may have to take it to a special drop-off location or try to avoid purchasing/obtaining that material in the future.  

• All colors of glass
• Plastic bottles, jugs, and containers (ex. shampoo, milk, detergent, yogurt. Plastics #1, #2, and #5 are accepted.)
• Aluminum, tin, and steel beverage and food cans
• Newspapers, cardboard, paper, paper/paperboard cans, and magazines
• NO plastic bags, plastic film, or polystyrene foam (commonly referred to as Styrofoam™)

For more information and educational materials, visit shorewoodmn.gov/recycling

All resident requests will be handled directly by WM. There are three ways to report requests/contact WM:

• Phone: A live representative from WM is available via phone M-F from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Outside of these hours, residents my leave a contact number to receive a call back. The number is toll free at 888-960-0008.
• My WM mobile app: Residents may download WM’s app on a mobile device to submit requests and track service.
• WM.com: Requests can be directly through WM’s website. 

If residents are unable to reach WM through any of these methods, City staff are available M-F 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at 952-960-7900 or cityhall@shorewoodmn.gov. 

If you had more than one cart prior to November 20, 2025, each cart will be replaced. If you requested a new cart after November 20, 2025, you will need to request an additional cart after January 1, 2026. If your residence does have two Republic Services carts, you should set BOTH carts out to be retrieved on your final service day. 

Residents are allowed up to two carts at no extra charge. Residents wishing to obtain a second cart should reach out to WM directly on/after January 1, 2026. A maximum of two carts will be serviced. 

All residents will receive a 96-gallon cart to replace your old cart. Residents may request a change in cart size after all new 96-gallon carts have been delivered and old carts have been removed. 

Contact WM directly to request an exchange after January 1, 2026.

For Republic Services carts, contact Republic Services at 952-941-5174. For WM carts, contact WM directly to report issues at 888-960-0008.