Free recycling program kicked off in Henning, 

Battle Lake area this year

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

A new program aimed at promoting recycling throughout Otter Tail County has shown some positive results across the Henning and Battle Lake areas. 

According to Natalee Yates, Public Information and Education Officer with Otter Tail County, Henning and Battle Lake residents who have joined the free single-sort recycling program have accumulated 102.66 tons of recyclable materials since the program launched in January. 

“It certainly is gaining in popularity,” said Yates. “Overall I think it has been a good thing for the county.” 

The program is part of a multi-year plan to bring single-sort recycling to communities with more-than 500 residents and highly populated lake areas in Otter Tail County. The hope is to increase the amount of items that are recycled in the county and cut down on the amount of waste thrown out by residents.

The program launched in January in the southeast corner of the county, which included Henning and Battle Lake, as well as several lakes throughout the area. Free single-sort recycling canisters were delivered to residents who will now have free single-sort recycling twice a month through June 2027. The nearly 30 big blue collection bins remain throughout the county and Yates said there are no plans of getting rid of those as well.

In fact, the program is going so well that organizers are hoping to narrow the original four-year implementation window down to just three years, pending the approval of the Otter Tail County Board. 

“We are going to ask the commissioners if we can combine the last half of the county into one,” said Yates. “That would take us down from four to three (years), but we need to get the plan approved by the commissioners.”

After launching primarily in the Henning, Battle Lake and surrounding lake areas this winter, the program will expand to the Perham lakes area, Otter Tail Lake area, as well as the cities of Ottertail, New York Mills and Parkers Prairie beginning in January.

The single-sort recycling program is part of an extensive process that the county has developed with input from outside companies, garbage haulers and residents across the county. The program picked up steam in 2022 when Otter Tail County Solid Waste was awarded a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grant to develop and implement curbside single-sort recycling throughout the county. The county expects to increase landfill diversion of recyclable materials by 2,000 tons by transitioning to a county-wide single-sort recycling program. As part of the grant the county opted for a hybrid collection model in which Otter Tail County will require licensed haulers to provide curb side single-sort collection to cities with a population over 500. This would also apply to a list of lake shore areas with high population density.

Since the grant provides free recycling for 18 months for each property owner, and not wanting to miss any property owner who may want to be part of the program, Yates said all property owners will receive a free single-sort recycle bin unless they specifically opt out of the program. She said the program was designed that way in order to help with planning for how many canisters would be needed, as well as ensure everyone who may want to try single-sort recycling can do so.

“Overall, I think the big thing is it is an opt out program so if you are in one of the cities over 500 and on one of the more populated lakes you are automatically enrolled, so you have to tell us you don’t want to be in it,” said Yates. “That has been one of the biggest challenges, to make sure people understand.”

Yates reiterated that the county received a grant to start the program and the costs associated with the blue bins and recycling for the first 18 months will not affect taxes, whether a property owner participates in the program or not. She said after 18 months property owners who wish to continue to be part of the program will just need to coordinate their wish with their garbage hauler. 

“If you keep the bin there is no extra fees on your taxes (for being in the program),” she said. 

As far as what can be accepted as part of the new program, all #1-7 plastic, aluminum cans, tin cans, cardboard, office/newspaper/magazine paper, box board and glass. By using a single sort option, property owners do not need to sort their items before hauling the canister to the curb for pickup. All of the items can be put into one cart and hauled to the curb like they would with their garbage pick up each time.