St. Cloud Compost Site Opens for Season as Area Cities Follow Suit

(KNSI) – Spring cleanup season is here, and compost sites across the St. Cloud area are opening their gates.

The St. Cloud River Bluffs Regional Park compost site opened Monday for the 2026 season, kicking off what will be an eight-month window for residents to drop off grass clippings, leaves, brush and tree waste. The site, located at 522 33rd Street South, will remain open through November 21st.

A permit is required to use the compost site and can be purchased at City Hall, online through the Accela portal or by mail. Permits are not sold at the site itself.

The city’s curbside yard waste pickup also began Monday and runs through November 23rd. Residents on city garbage service can set out specially marked City bags, which run $15 for a pack of 10, on Mondays through the spring and fall. No other bags will be collected.

Elsewhere in the area, Waite Park’s yard waste site is already open daily. The automatic gates are accessible by keycard. New keycards cost $30 and renewals run $20, available at city hall, which is temporarily located at 670 17th Avenue South at the Public Works Facility.

Sauk Rapids and Sartell open their compost sites on Monday, April 13th. Sauk Rapids is going with a gated, unattended system this year, requiring a QR code for access. The site will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with reduced hours expected around mid-October.

Sartell’s site also uses an automatic gate. Permits are $37 for city residents and $84 for residents of neighboring communities, including St. Cloud, St. Stephen, LeSauk Township, St. Wendel Township, Brockway Township, Watab Township and Sauk Rapids Township.

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