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ABOUT GREEN NOTES
GreenNotes covers environmental news, programs and events from Hennepin County.
Please take a few moments to read our stories. Share your feedback and ideas for protecting the environment.
Also check out archived issues.
Recycling Specialist
Hennepin County Environmental Services is seeking a Recycling Specialist to assist businesses and schools with developing and improving waste reduction, recycling and organics recycling programs, as well as evaluating program effectiveness.
The best candidate will have good interpersonal and communication skills, organizational and project management abilities, and resourcefulness and persistence in working with businesses and schools to establish and enhance recycling efforts. Contract management and analytical skills will be required to help administer grant agreements and report on program outcomes.
Applications are due by September 4. See the job posting (scroll to Recycling Specialist) for more information.
Please forward this email to interested individuals and encourage them to sign up.
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Register now for the fall 2013 class
 Join fellow waste reduction enthusiasts and become an advocate for the three Rs in your community as a Hennepin County Master Recycler/Composter. Master Recycler/Composters are trained volunteers who work to reduce waste generation and increase public awareness of opportunities to recycle and compost.
The fall course will be held on Tuesday evenings, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and November 5 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Three Rivers Park District Administrative Center, 3000 Xenium Lane North in Plymouth. Optional field trips will be held on Friday, October 11 and Friday, October 25. Learn more and register now!
For more information, email Carolyn Collopy or call or 612-596-0993.
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 Are you looking to buy clothing, furniture, appliances or sports equipment? Consider shopping reuse, which gets you great deals on quality products, supports local businesses and protects the environment. Choosing to reuse is a key way to reduce the more than one million tons of waste that is generated in Hennepin County each year.
To get you started, Choose to Reuse coupon books with discounts at 80 local reuse retailers will be available October 1 through November 30. Participating retailers include local businesses and organizations that rent, repair, resell, consign and exchange used goods.
Coupon books can be pre-ordered online and will be available for free at participating retailers, Hennepin County Service Centers and Libraries and Three Rivers Park District locations. Also new in 2013, we’ve partnered with Chinook Book to make Choose to Reuse coupons available on your smart phone or tablet. Just download the free Chinook Book app from your app store and create an account in the Twin Cities Market.
For more information, email Kristin Pierskalla or call 612-348-4787.
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Funding is available through the Environmental Response Fund (ERF) for environmental assessment and cleanup activities at contaminated sites where the added environmental costs hinder site improvements or redevelopment. After cleanup, properties that receive ERF grants are put to a variety of productive uses such as public space, housing or economic development. Applications are due November 1. See Applying for an ERF grant for more information.
ERF grants help to spur economic growth, create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods and leverage private and public investment. The nearly $45 million for 307 grants that have been awarded since 2001 have resulted in the creation or retention of 9,500 jobs and property value increase of more than $437 million for completed ERF-aided projects compared to pre-assessment and cleanup values. Learn more about the impact of ERF.
For more information, email John Evans or call 612-348-5714.
In a continued effort to reduce waste during peak student move in and move out times, the University of Minnesota ReUse Program is partnering with the Salvation Army to offer pick-up and drop-off services of reusable items both on and off campus. The items collected will be available at the U of M ReUse Program free store on September 7.
During the Pack & Give Back program’s initial pilot in May, nearly 50,000 pounds of reusable material was recovered. Materials accepted include furniture, storage shelves, lamps, bicycles, shovels, tools, decorations, dishes, books, small appliances in working condition and more.
The Pack & Give Back program is a partnership of the University of Minnesota, Hennepin County, City of Minneapolis, Bridging and The Salvation Army.
For more information, email Carolyn Collopy or call 612-596-0993.
On August 27, the Hennepin County Board awarded funding to eight organizations through the Green Partners program to implement projects that will empower residents to take actions to protect the environment.
The following organizations received funding:
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Center School, Inc. in south Minneapolis will engage students and staff in recycling, reducing waste and protecting water.
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The Freshwater Society will support Master Water Stewards in the implementation of rainscaping and community engagement projects
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Will Steger Foundation will mentor five high school environmental clubs and support student-led action projects.
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Eden Prairie Early Childhood Family Education will engage families in reducing toxicity, increasing recycling, protecting water and conserving energy.
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Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Team Teenworks will engage youth workers and park users in waste reduction and recycling.
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Minnetonka Early Childhood Family Education will educate families about recycling, worm and at-home composting, and toxicity reduction.
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Noble Academy in North Minneapolis will engage students in designing and implementing environmental behavior change projects with their families.
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Robbinsdale Early Childhood Family Education will educate and engage families in reducing waste, recycling and reducing toxicity.
Learn about the organizations and their projects.
For more information, email Patience Caso or call 612-348-9352.
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On August 27, the county board awarded funding totaling $55,916 to four schools for projects that will improve recycling, introduce organics recycling and reduce waste.
The following schools received funding:
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Banaadir Academy in Minneapolis will establish recycling and organics recycling programs.
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Bloomington Public Schools will expand recycling to three athletic facilities in the district.
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De La Salle High School in Minneapolis will improve recycling, introduce organics recycling and reduce waste through the purchase of reusable silverware and plates.
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North Education Center, Intermediate District 287 in New Hope will being organics recycling.
Find out more about the schools that received funding and their projects.
For more information about implementing recycling in schools, including resources and assistance available from Hennepin County, email Andre Xiong or call 612-543-1316.
 Experience is a great teacher, which is why Hennepin County awarded funding in 2012 to five organizations in North Minneapolis to engage urban youth in hands-on, experiential learning about the environment. Activities implemented by the organizations this summer include:
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Beez Kneez brought bees to Elizabeth Hall Elementary where 60 2nd graders put on beekeeper suits and learned about bees, pollination and our food system. Beez Kneez also continued their bee care and honey extraction summer program with the McKinley Flower Team.
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The Minnesota Internship Center High School and Spark Youth Action Labs worked to create a Sustainable Urban Education Farm that features aquaponics and vermicomposting systems.
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The Renewables Research and Policy Institute taught students at North High School about gardening and aquaponics.
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Phyllis Wheatley Community Center offered a variety of classes involving 120 youth and worked with students to plant two community gardens. Youth from the organization will be giving presentations at the State Fair and the University of Minnesota’s Driven to Discover Insect Fair.
- Hennepin County, the University of Minnesota Extension and Beez Kneez are developing a Teacher’s Academy that will provide curriculum instruction to educators on how to maximize the potential of schoolyard gardens within the classroom.
Learn more about the organizations and projects being funded.
For more information, email Mary Karius or call 612-596-9129.
Hennepin County is loaning $500,000 to the Surly Brewing Company to cleanup petroleum-contaminated soil at the site of its planned brewery, restaurant, beer garden and event center in Minneapolis. Funding comes from the Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund, which the county administers with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for environmental cleanup of hazardous waste and petroleum contamination. Surly Brewing has previously received a $450,000 grant from the Hennepin County Environmental Response Fund for the project, as well as cleanup funding from the Metropolitan Council and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The redevelopment project will result in an estimated tax-base increase of $200,000 per year and 122 new jobs.
For more information, email John Evans or call 612-348-4046.
Do you work with a school, community group, congregation or other non-profit organization that is interested in engaging its audience to take action to protect the environment? You can receive free activity supplies, including non-toxic cleaner spray bottles, reusable tote bags, literature and environmental education learning trunks, as well as training and support from environmental experts through the Green Partners Seed Group. Groups may also take an environmental education field trip with a county-provided bus service.
Applications are accepted at any time. Since 2012, 20 organizations have engaged more than 3,800 people in environmental education activities through the Green Partners Seed Group.
For more information, email Sarah Goodspeed or call 612-348-9850.
 Minneapolis residents have dramatically increased the amount they recycle with the switch to a one-sort recycling system, which allows residents to put all recyclables into one cart. About 58 percent more recycling was collected in July, the first full month that all Minneapolis residents had one-sort recycling carts, compared to July 2012 when most residents were still required to sort their recycling into multiple categories. This increase brings the city’s overall residential recycling rate up to 24.4 percent, compared to 16.4 percent before one-sort.
The city hopes to double their recycling rate by 2015, which aligns with Hennepin County’s goal, outlined in the Solid Waste Management Master Plan, of recycling half the waste generated in the county by 2015. The county partnered with Minneapolis in implementing the one-sort recycling program and developing promotional materials and signage.
Learn more about recycling in Minneapolis.
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 This summer, the Three Rivers Park District implemented a green camping program at Baker Campground. Composting and recycling are now available at the campground. Each camping group was given a blue bag for recyclables, a green bag for organics and a green camping guide with information and educational activities. The program is funded in part through the Hennepin Green Partners program.
A waste sort conducted on July 22 to assess the success of the program found that campers recycled 32 percent and composted 10 percent of all the waste generated at the campground for a total diversion rate of 42 percent, exceeding the program goal of a 35 percent diversion rate.
For more information, email Patience Caso or call 612-348
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Events
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Get your stuff fixed for free and learn valuable repair skills at an upcoming Fix-It Clinic.
Gather up your household goods in need of repair and join us on:
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- Saturday, September 14 from noon - 4 p.m. at the University of Minnesota ReUse Warehouse
- Saturday, October 12 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the McRae Park Rec Center in Minneapolis
- Saturday, November 10 from noon – 4 p.m. at the Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield
Additional clinics are scheduled monthly through February.
Volunteers needed
If you can troubleshoot repairs for broken items, consider volunteering at the Fix-It Clinics! Volunteer fixers who have skills in soldering, electronics repair, electrical repair, sewing, wood working and general tinkering are essential to making the clinics successful. Read more about volunteering for Fix-It Clinics in the Star Tribune.
For more information or to volunteer, email Nancy Lo or call 612-348-9195.
Hennepin County and its partner cities are hosting a series of community collection events for county residents to safely and properly dispose of their unwanted hazardous wastes. The following collections are scheduled: |
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- September 12 – 14 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the University of Minnesota Parking Lot C66, 2904 Fairmount St. SE, Minneapolis
- October 3 – 5 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Hennepin County Public Works Orono Shop, 3880 Shoreline Drive, Orono
Materials accepted include household, lawn and garden products, electronics, mercury-containing items and auto wastes. Visit www.hennepin.us/collectionevents for a full list of materials accepted and maps to the event sites.
Visit the Eco Experience building during your visit to the Minnesota State Fair to learn ways that you can protect the environment. The exhibit includes displays on recycling, renewable energy, green building, protecting water, sustainable landscaping, local food, reuse and more.
You can also see a presentation from Nancy Lo, Hennepin County Fix-It Clinic organizer, on Sunday, September 1 at 10 a.m.
Zane Avenue in Brooklyn Park will be transformed into an avenue for active transportation on Saturday, September 21 from noon to 5 p.m. as part of La Vida Zane, organized by the African Career, Education & Resource, Inc. (ACER) and the City of Brooklyn Park. Zane Avenue between 68th Avenue and Brooklyn Blvd will be closed to automobile traffic and open for biking, walking, dancing and other activities. ACER will be sharing information about their Green Partners environmental education project called “Don’t Waste Our Future” during the event.
Participate in hands-on activities and learn how to be more sustainable at the Bloomington Sustainability Fair on Saturday, September 28 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., sponsored by Bloomington Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Center for Energy & Environment in collaboration with The Bloomington Sustainability Coalition and Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs). Be sure to stop by Hennepin County Environmental Services’ table to find out how to reduce waste and recycle more!
Green Tip
Going back to school may mean buying new stuff, including school supplies, clothing and electronics, and getting back into old routine, such as packing lunches. All of that can generate a lot of waste!
Follow these tips to green up your back to school routine:
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Shop reuse: Look for clothing and school supplies at a local thrift store – you can get great stuff and save some money! Search the Choose to Reuse Directory for retailers. Also be sure to donate any clothing or supplies you no longer need.
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Reduce waste and buy recycled: Before shopping for school supplies, take an inventory of the stuff you already have to avoid buying more than you need. Look for school supplies, including paper, pencils and pens, that are made with recycled content. When packing a lunch, use a reusable lunch box, buy food in bulk and use reusable containers.
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Recycle your electronics: One-quarter of students plan to purchase a tablet or smartphone in the next six months, according to a recent survey. If you’re buying new electronics for the school year, make sure to donate or recycle your old electronics. Electronics contain hazardous materials and don’t belong in the trash.
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Recycle at school: Nearly 80 percent of school waste is recyclable or compostable! Hennepin County offers funding, expert assistance and training, and free container labels to help school start or improve recycling programs.
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Teach others about the environment: Hennepin County has a variety of environmental education resources, including funding and supplies for environmental education projects, learning trunks, toolkits with activity ideas, environmental factsheets, and experts available to give presentations or share information at events.
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