David Haeg feels like he's pretty wired in to his Minnetonka community, so when he noticed a new charge for organics recycling on his trash bill, he was confused.

"I follow local issues pretty closely," said Haeg, who described himself as an environmental advocate. "When I looked at the bill I thought there had been a mistake."

He's not alone. There is widespread confusion and frustration across many Hennepin County communities after new charges for organics recycling — a more environmentally friendly way of handling food scraps and other waste — started appearing on garbage bills for residents who never signed up to participate.

The surprise new charges are tied to a 2018 mandate by the County Board that all cities offer curbside organics pickup by 2022. There's also a recent interpretation by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) of a 1991 state law that says trash haulers cannot charge people who recycle more than those who don't.

"It's sort of opaque to me," Haeg said of the new $7.50-per-month charge. "There seems to be very little in terms of communication for a program we are mandated to have and are all being charged for."

Some county and local leaders reluctantly agree, saying they should have done better explaining the new organics recycling program to residents — especially because it's a key part of the county's plans for a zero-waste future.

"I think between the county, the cities and the waste haulers, we all could have done a much better job," said Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde. "We have to do a better job if we want people to adopt organics recycling."

Why everyone is being charged

When the County Board updated its recycling ordinance in 2018, all cities had to provide curbside organics pickup by 2022, either through a citywide service or by requiring trash haulers to offer it.

All single-family houses and multifamily residences with up to four units were eligible. Smaller communities of fewer than 10,000 residents could offer drop-off sites instead.

Tim Pratt, recycling manager for Brooklyn Park,said some cities "really took the bull by the horns" when it came to creating citywide organics pickup programs. Others waited and largely relied on garbage haulers to implement a system.

After the mandate went into effect, some trash haulers were charging all their customers for organics while others were only billing those who participated. After county leaders learned of the discrepancy, they got a clarification from the MPCA in 2023 that organics should be treated like other recyclables.

To recoup their costs, trash haulers moved to charge everyone for organics pickup, since they couldn't just charge customers who were participating. But there wasn't a thorough effort by the haulers, the county or cities to notify residents about the reason for the new charges.

"Some haulers alerted customers, others just put the charge on the bill. It has caused a lot of confusion," Pratt said. "We've been getting a lot of calls from folks."

Pratt noted that city and county leaders, along with trash haulers, are now working to provide more information to residents. A county mailer is expected to go out to households later this spring.

Mike Moroz, president and CEO of Walters Recycling & Refuse, said organics pickup is an extra expense for trash haulers. They have to provide bins to customers, put dedicated trucks on the road and hire more drivers.

Haulers also have to deal with different rules in different communities, Moroz said. For instance: Residents in Ramsey and Washington counties can put organics in special bags with their other trash and it is picked out later by a machine.

"There's a little bit of the Wild West going on," Moroz said. "We're all trying to figure it out."

How organics recycling works and why it's important

Recent "trash audits" by Hennepin County and the MPCA found organic material like food waste, soiled paper and other household items make up roughly 25% of the waste stream. When that material goes to a landfill it takes up a lot of space, and as it breaks down it releases greenhouse gases like methane.

Instead, organic material can be broken down at a composting facility or anaerobic digester, where greenhouse gases can be captured and nutrients can be used as fertilizers.

It's a practice Haeg has adopted since discovering the new charge on his trash bill. He still thinks government leaders need to do more to get the word out.

"I would love to see this program succeed and thrive," he said. "It's a small change, it is not hard and I can see the benefit."

Keeping organic waste out of the trash is an key part of Hennepin County and the state's long-term solid waste plans. Residents need to create a lot less waste in order to close controversial trash incinerators and send less to landfills.

In January, Hennepin leaders abandoned plans to build an anaerobic digester, citing the expense and growing number of commercial options available. Instead, the County Board is focused on constructing several advanced sorting facilities that would remove recyclables from the trash stream.

Building, operating and maintaining those facilities could cost as much as $500 million over the next decade or more.