Community Clean-Up With Purpose: Coon Rapids Recycling Center Expands 2026 Programs

Coon Rapids, MN

As residents across the North Metro begin winter deep cleaning, the City of Coon Rapids is expanding one of its most practical civic resources.

The Coon Rapids Recycling Center has announced a robust 2026 schedule that combines environmental responsibility with community connection. Through new swap events, expanded paper shredding dates, and discounted bulky item recycling, the center is positioning itself as more than a drop-off site. It is becoming a shared civic space where sustainability meets everyday life.

Swap Events Turn Reuse Into Community Practice

New this year is a series of themed Swap Events, offering residents the opportunity to exchange gently used items at no cost. The goal is simple: keep usable goods out of landfills while helping neighbors help one another.

The 2026 swap schedule includes:

• February 21: Puzzle and Game Swap
• May 9: Garden Tools and Seed Swap
• August 15: School Supplies and Kids Clothes Swap
• September 19: Pet Supplies Swap
• September 26: Halloween Costumes and Decorations Swap

City officials say these events consistently reduce waste while easing household expenses, especially during seasonal transitions.

Paper Shredding Returns With Four Secure Events

To support identity protection and safe disposal of sensitive documents, the city has scheduled four free paper shredding events in 2026. Residents may remain in their vehicles while documents are securely destroyed on site. Each vehicle is limited to five boxes.

Scheduled dates are:

• February 7, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• May 2, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• August 1, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• November 7, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

All shredding events are free for Anoka County residents.

Discounted Curbside Pickup for Bulky Items

For residents dealing with large clean-outs or home upgrades, the city has renewed its partnership with Certified Recycling to offer discounted curbside pickup for bulky items such as furniture, appliances, mattresses, and box springs.

For a limited time, the City of Coon Rapids is covering the standard $40 trip charge. Mattresses and box springs of any size can be recycled for a flat fee of $30 per item.

Pickups can be scheduled by calling 952-894-1448 and mentioning the Coon Rapids promotion.

Batteries and Electronics Require Special Care

Center staff are also emphasizing a critical safety reminder: batteries and electronics must never be placed in curbside recycling bins.

Improperly discarded batteries can ignite during collection, causing fires in waste trucks and facilities. The Recycling Center accepts most household batteries and a wide range of electronics during regular hours. Some items carry a small recycling fee, while many computers and towers are accepted at no charge.

E-bike batteries are not accepted and must be taken to specialized hazardous waste sites.

What the Recycling Center Accepts

Free drop-off items include scrap metal, motor oil up to five gallons per day, antifreeze, automotive batteries, cardboard, paper, and glass bottles.

Accepted for a small fee are major appliances, televisions and monitors, small electronics, and clean white Styrofoam packaging without tape or labels.

Not accepted are household garbage, wood, paint, or hazardous waste. Those materials should be taken to the Anoka County Household Hazardous Waste facility in Blaine.

Plan Your Visit

The Coon Rapids Recycling Center is located at 1827 111th Avenue NW.

Winter hours, from October through March, are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Expanded hours resume in April. The facility is self-serve, and residents are encouraged to bring help when unloading heavy items.

More information is available at coonrapidsmn.gov/recycling or by calling 763-767-6485.

A Quiet Civic Success

In an era when environmental solutions often feel abstract, the work at the Coon Rapids Recycling Center remains grounded and practical. It is about fewer fires in garbage trucks, fewer mattresses in ditches, and fewer usable items buried in landfills.

It is also about neighbors helping neighbors, one box, one swap, and one careful decision at a time.

MinneapoliMedia