Compost Site

Compost Site Hours

Drop-off hours are 5:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. daily.  The site is monitored by security cameras. 

Non-County Residents

Materials will not be accepted from non-county residents. If you are not a resident of Sherburne County, visit the Rethink Recycling website to see if your city has a compost facility.

Commercial Haulers

$200 for first registered vehicle & $100 for each additional per calendar year. Gross vehicle weight must not exceed 19,500.

Recycle Your Live Tree at the Compost Sitechristmas-tree-recycle

Curbside Christmas tree recycling is not available through the city’s waste collection companies, however residents wanting to dispose of a live tree after the holidays can do so at the Elk River Compost Site 

The tree does not have to have to be cut up at all, however please ensure that all decorations, including lights, ornaments, and ribbons, are removed and tree is not in any sort of bag prior to drop off.

Accepted Items

  • Yard waste - grass clippings, leaves
  • Sod
  • Brush
  • Branches (6” in diameter or less)
  • Oil, filters, antifreeze

Items NOT Accepted


  • Lumber (2x4's and other dimensional lumber, painted boards, telephone poles, railroad ties, construction site debris, etc.)
  • Stumps
  • Rocks and concrete
  • Plastic or trash
  • Bags – empty and dispose of bags in dumpster or take home to reuse

Accessing the Compost Site

Sherburne County residents will need to provide proof of residency, i.e. valid driver’s license. Passes are valid at all cities that are part of the Sherburne County Municipal Recycling Board (Becker, Big Lake, Elk River, and Zimmerman). Passes are free for the first card; $5 for all replacement cards. If you lose your pass, your old pass will be invalidated when you apply for a new one. The site is gated and will require an access pass. Passes can be obtained at the locations listed below:

Elk River City Hall
13065 Orono Parkway
763-635-1000
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Map		Elk River Maintenance Facility (Compost Site)
19000 Proctor Road NW
763-635-1120
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Map



**Please note, Elk River no longer has compost material available for residents to pick up per the Sherburne County Contractor Agreement.**