Battle Lake and Henning Receiving 18 Months of Free Single-Sort Recycling

Single-sort recycling carts. (OTC)

Battle Lake, MN – Residents of Battle Lake and Henning will be receiving 18 months of free curbside single-sort recycling service starting this January.

Otter Tail County Solid Waste director Chris McConn says the grant-funded pilot program for the southeast quadrant of the county is designed to gather data and resident feedback that will inform the expansion of single-sort recycling to other areas of Otter Tail County. The transition to countywide service is expected to take several years and will be implemented in phases.

“This pilot represents the first phase of our vision to bring convenient, single-sort curbside recycling to residents of Otter Tail County,” said Natalee Yates, Solid Waste Public Education and Information Officer. “We’re building on our county’s strong environmental record and making recycling easier than ever — no more sorting required.”

“This is just the beginning,” added McConn. “We’re excited to learn from this pilot and work toward making convenient recycling available to households in Otter Tail County.”

The pilot program will also extend to Parkers Prairie and lakefront property owners on Blanche, Clitherall, Eagle, East Battle, East Leaf, Middle Leaf, Stuart, West Battle, West Leaf and Silver lakes. Rural residents in the southeast quadrant outside these designated areas can opt into the program by contacting their waste hauler for pricing and service arrangements.

Approximately 3,000 recycling carts have been distributed to eligible households.

Single-sort curbside recycling allows residents to place all recyclable materials — paper, cardboard, plastics, metals and glass — into one bin without separating them. Otter Tail County currently operates a hybrid system, with the cities of Fergus Falls and Perham already enjoying single-sort curbside collection, while most of the county uses source-separated recycling at drop-off sites.

Source-separated recycling drop-off sites (blue metal bins) will continue to operate countywide at no cost to residents. The new single-sort curbside program provides an additional convenient option but does not replace existing free drop-off locations.