Subscribe to County Environmental Charge (CEC)
What is the County Environmental Charge?
The County Environmental Charge (CEC) is a fee assessed by licensed haulers to Ramsey County residents and businesses. The fee is based on the amount of trash that each resident and business produces. The intent of the CEC is to provide a more visible and direct inventive to reduce waste, and increase recycling, composting, and other waste reduction methods. The "County Environmental Charge" should appear on your garbage bill as a percentage of the cost of trash services. In 2010, the residential CEC rate is 28%, and the non-residential CEC rate is 53%.
The CEC applies only to those costs related to trash services, which can include waste collection and disposal, container pick-up fees, fuel surcharges, and account start-up or cancellation fees and other admnistrative fees.
The CEC does not apply to the cost to manage construction and demolition waste, medical/infectious waste, certain types of industrial waste, and organic materials collected for composting. The CEC also does not apply to other taxes or government fees.
Your trash service provider is responsible for remitting the CEC to Ramsey County. If you do not pay for trash services directly, the CEC may be included with rent or other charges from your landlord or property management company.
Services Funded by the CEC
The CEC largely pays for waste handling at the Ramsey/Washington County Resource Recovery Facility, where most of the garbage from Ramsey County is delivered and processed into fuel for generating electricity in Minnesota. The CEC also supports County waste management programs like household hazardous waste and yard waste collection, and waste reduction education.
More CEC Information
CEC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs; pdf) | AskEH | 651.266.1199
CEC Information for Businesses
Don't Get Charged the CEC on Your Construction or Remodeling Waste | Ramsey County Solid Waste Ordinance (pdf) | CEC Information for Waste Haulers
Return to Businesses | Return to Trash Collection
