Trash Hauling
Trash pick-up for the Villas of Gem Lake is coordinated through the Homeowners Association.
Residents outside of that area may choose their preferred trash vendor. The following are the most commonly used services in the Gem Lake Community.
- Republic Services: 952-941-5174
- Waste Management: 1-866-909-4458
- Gene’s Disposal Services: 651-426-1224
Recycling
Republic Services picks up recycling every other Wednesday. This is the recycling provider for all Gem Lake residents, with the recycling fee as part of annual taxes. There is no need to call and set up recycling, but if you are new to the City and you do not have a bin please call 651-747-2790 and the City Clerk will request one for you.
Please make sure to have your recycling out at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on the day of pick up. Gem Lake is on the BLUE WEEK recycling schedule.
- Recyclables are picked up separately from trash.
- A 95-gallon recycling cart (blue cart with light blue lid) is available to reach Gem Lake residence. Contact City Hall if you do not want a recycling cart.
- There is no need to sort your recycling into paper/cardboard/metal cans/plastic bottles and jugs. Simply place recyclables directly into your cart together.
- All recyclables should be placed in the cart loose.
- Never bag or bundle your recyclables.
- Keep all recyclables free of food and liquid. Empty, Clean, and Dry.
- Any shift in recycling pick up dates due to holidays are reflected on the City recycling calendar.
- Questions regarding City of Gem Lake Recycling? Call 651-747-2790.
Ramsey County Recycling Programs
Disposal of General Household Items
Need Assistance determining how to dispose of an item? View the A to Z Green Guide for Ramsey County Households or call the Recycling & Disposal Hotline 651-633-3279 (EASY) answered 24/7.
Yard Waste
Ramsey County operates seven-yard waste collection sites that are free and open to Ramsey County residents. State law prohibits leaves, grass clippings, brush and other plant material from being mixed with your trash.
View Yard Waste collection site details, hours, and locations.
Household Hazardous Waste
Many household products you use to clean your kitchen and bathroom, maintain your car and home, and control animals and insects contain hazardous materials. If a container has the words caution, warning, danger or poison on the label and still has product inside, it is considered hazardous and does not belong in the trash. Bring these items to Ramsey County’s free household hazardous waste collection sites for safe disposal.All empty containers, except propane tanks, may be placed in the trash.
All propane tanks (full or empty) can be brought to Ramsey County’s free household hazardous waste collection sites for safe disposal. Gas cans and other fuel containers will not be returned at mobile collection sites. Pick them up later at our year-round collection site in Saint Paul or use that site directly when dropping of gasoline.
View Hazardous Waste collection site details, hours, and locations.
Food Scraps
Twenty percent of our trash is food scraps. There’s a better option to manage this waste: collect your food scraps for composting. In six months, the food scraps will become finished compost at an industrial compost facility. The finished compost is used in gardens, landscaping and construction projects. It can help soil hold more water and nutrients, support more living organisms, help control erosion and stormwater runoff, and much more. Get started today!
Bring your food scraps to a Ramsey County collection site for composting. All sites are open to Ramsey County residents.
View Food Scraps collection site details, hours, and locations.
Unwanted Medicine
Safely dispose of unwanted, expired and unused medicines for free at one of five public drop boxes in Ramsey County. Safe disposal of unwanted medicine helps prevent crime, drug abuse and accidental poisoning. Not flushing medicines down the drain or disposing of them in the trash helps protect our environment.
View Unwanted Medicine collection site details, hours, and locations.
Electronic Recycling
Ramsey County is partnering with Repowered (formerly Tech Dump) to offer recycling of televisions, computers and devices that connect to them, such as VCRs, DVD players, keyboards and printers for free. See the complete list of accepted items below.
This partnership is for Ramsey County residents only. Electronic waste (e-waste) from businesses and out-of-county residents is accepted at Repowered under their normal fee structure and is not part of this program. Through this partnership, Ramsey County residents can bring unwanted electronics to Repowered’s Saint Paul location.
View Electronic Recycling accepted items and collection site details, hours, and locations.