ST. PAUL — Trash disposal is up in Minnesota and a state agency says that’s a good sign for the economy.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says historical trends show the amount of materials brought to landfills tend to increase as the economy grows and decrease when the economy contracts. Officials say trash brought to Minnesota landfills and waste-to-energy facilities increased 4 percent this year.

But the state’s recycling rates have remained relatively flat for the past 10 years and MPCA supervisor Mark Rust said not recycling costs money. He said last year 1.2 million tons of recyclable materials were thrown away costing Minnesotans more than $200 million to throw it away. He said it could have been recycled for an estimated value of $285 million instead.