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Carolyn Collopy, Master Recycler/Composter Coordinator
Email
612-596-0993.
MRC Program
Payback opportunities
Hours reporting form
MRC Facebook group
MRC files
Thank you for your continued efforts to help Hennepin County reduce waste and recycle more! We’re glad you’re part of our outreach and education team!
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Only 30 percent of the construction and building demolition (C&D) waste generated in the Twin Cities in 2013 was recycled, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Despite the presence of several processors that sort and recycle C&D waste, including Atomic, Veit, and Dem-Con, most waste material from building construction, remodeling and demolition still ends up in a landfill. More material could be diverted if it was presorted on-site or if deconstruction techniques to salvage reusable materials were used instead of demolition. Many building materials can be salvaged for reuse, including doors, hard wood flooring, old growth framing lumber, windows, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, and cabinets.
 Learn about building material reuse at the upcoming MRC social hour
Master Recycler/Composter Robin O’Brien recently rehabilitated a house in north Minneapolis that she purchased from the city for $1. Using repurposed, salvaged and reused materials, Robin created a beautiful and inviting home. Read about her project in the Star Tribune. Robin brings the same waste-reduction ethic and eye for design to build functional and unique spaces when working on others' homes. Robin will be sharing her experience at the MRC presentation and social event.
MRC presentation and social hour
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When: Thursday, January 15 from 6 - 8 p.m.
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Where: Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, in the Doty Room
Come and learn more about incorporating reuse materials into home remodeling projects and meet your fellow MRCs. This will be a great learning opportunity for those of you with a rehab project on the horizon and those of you that do waste reduction outreach with the public. Find event details on Facebook.
Hope to see you there!
Applications due February 27
 Know a school that needs help with recycling and organics recycling? Funding is available for projects that implement or improve recycling and organics recycling programs in schools. A total of $200,000 is available. Eligible expenses include recycling bins, sorting stations, supplies, reusable serviceware, bulk food dispensers, water bottle filling stations, and stipends for waste station monitors and recycling education.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2015. Learn more and apply.
Informational meetings will be held on February 4 at the Brookdale Public Library and February 5 at the Southdale Public Library.
For more information, contact Katie Cezo at katie.cezo@hennepin.us or 612-348-6848.
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Reporting your payback hours
MRCs reported 854 payback hours in 2014. Way to go!
Working on your payback? Use our online form to report your hours or feel free to email carolyn.collopy@hennepin.us an update of what you are up to, and we’ll take care of the rest.
For those of you that are already certified already or have logged over 100 payback hours, we now have stickers to add to your name tags. Please let me know if you’d like to receive one. In the future, they will be mailed out automatically as MRCs reach either of those milestones. Additionally, I'll have the stickers on hand at the MRC social event on January 15.
7 more certified MRCs!
Congratulations to the following MRCs on completing their payback hours:
- Ben Simon (fall 2013) helped the Lord of Life Church in Maple Grove set up and maintain their compost pile and helped the Elm Creek Chalet improve their waste signage.
- Dani Schurter (fall 2013) participated in a number of projects and events including helping an apartment complex right-size their service, educating residents at a City of Minneapolis organics drop off site, improving recycling at her work and helping with a waste sort.
- Joe Gellman (fall 2013) completed his hours doing outreach at a number of events including the Faith Mennonite Neighborhood Sustainability Fair, the Minnesota State Fair Eco Experience, James J. Hill Days and the Hopkins Fire Department Open House.
- Laura Burbank (fall 2013) fulfilled all of her hours helping out at Fix-It Clinics.
- Mark Snyder (spring 2014) fulfilled his hours helping the NE Minneapolis Farmers market reduce waste and talking to the public at the Minnesota State Fair Eco Experience.
- Renee Goneau (fall 2012) did outreach at a number of events, educated residents at a City of Minneapolis organics drop off site and was a green team lead at Rock the Garden.
- Robin O’Brien (spring 2012) spent her payback hours rehabbing a house in north Minneapolis that incorporated repurposed, reused and salvaged materials.
You can now sign up to receive an email notification when payback opportunities are added to the MRC payback opportunities web page (www.hennepin.us/MRCpayback). This will make it easier to learn about payback opportunities without needing to check the web page for additions. You can also continue to learn about payback opportunities through the MRC Facebook group.
If you have questions about the email notification, contact Alisa Reckinger at alisa.reckinger@hennepin.us or 612-348-4788.
 25 new MRCs graduated on November 5. Additionally, MRC training was offered in Anoka and Dakota counties this fall.
The next Hennepin County training will be held in Crystal and will start in April 2015. The course schedule and registration will be posted at www.hennepin.us/masterrecyclers.
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