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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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 We live in a culture where replacement is king. We do routinely fix big-ticket items, like cars and washing machines, but primarily it’s easier and cheaper to go buy something new. There are other reasons to avoid repair, including labels warning that repairing a product on your own will void the warranty, or the lack of access to the information and parts necessary to repair something ourselves. These conditions create a society of product-consumers, not owners. And there’s a difference. Owners are empowered to take responsibility for their purchases — from proper cleaning to repairing, reusing and sharing. Consumers take, make, dispose and repeat — a pattern that is driving us towards ecological bankruptcy.
- Rose Marcario, Patagonia CEO
When an item breaks, do you find someone to fix it, repair it yourself, or figure it’s hopeless and dispose of it? Despite products increasingly being made with flimsy parts and not designed to be repaired, there is a movement nationally to fight back. While much of this movement revolves around DIY (do it yourself) repair and adopting legislation to put pressure on manufacturers, you can participate in your own life by repairing or finding someone to repair your shoes, vacuum, clothing, appliances, electronics, furniture and more. A search online yields dozens of options for tailors, alterations, furniture restoration, computer repair, or small engine repair, and you’ll likely find a nearby business that is ready to help.
If you are a DIYer, basic repair can be surprisingly easy and creative, and there are many resources available. How-to classes and online tutorials on sites such as YouTube can help you improve your sewing, bike or home repair skills. iFixit.com includes a forum where people upload step-by-step instructions on repairing electronic devices, appliances and cars and even sells parts and tools to help do the job. Many Master Recycler/Composters have participated in Hennepin County’s Fix-It Clinics, which are free community events that bring volunteers who like to fix things together with people who have broken items.
According to a 2011 study by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 4,614 repair businesses - not counting the auto repair sector - employ 9,280 people and contribute $532.8 million to the state economy. Tapping into this network of resourceful people can extend the life of your stuff rather than investing in a growth economy based on new consumer goods made in faraway factories.
Have items to repair? Bring them to a Hennepin County Fix-It
Clinic
Upcoming Fix-It Clinics are scheduled for the follow dates and locations:
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Saturday, April 23, noon to 4 p.m. at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rec Center in Minneapolis
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Saturday, May 14, noon to 4 p.m. at Gramercy Park Cooperative in Richfield
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Saturday, June 11, noon to 4 p.m. at Crystal Community Center in Crystal
Spread the word: Download a flyer, social media posts, newsletter article and images to promote the Fix-It Clinics - find resources under recycling and reducing waste, or share the recent feature on Hennepin County's new storytelling website.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195.
 Please join us for the Hennepin County Environment and Energy volunteer appreciation event on Thursday, April 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Gandhi Mahal restaurant in Minneapolis. The event will include a complementary buffet dinner, a presentation on the restaurant’s environmental initiatives, and a tour of their aquaponics operation. RSVP on the MRC Facebook page or to Carolyn Collopy at carolyn.collopy@hennepin.us.
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Working on your payback?
Many of you are doing great things in your communities to further waste reduction in Hennepin County (thank you!) but have not reported those hours. Please use our online form to report your hours or email carolyn.collopy@hennepin.us an update of what you are up to, and we’ll take care of the rest.
2 more certified MRCs!
Congratulations to the following MRCs on completing their payback hours:
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Lucinda Anderson (fall 2014) helped as a low-waste planner and monitor at the May Day Parade and Festival at Powderhorn Park
- Uriel Lewis (fall 2013) tabled at many events, worked with a synagogue to start organics collection, and educated staff and students at an elementary school.
Learn about payback opportunities
Hennepin County and many of our partners are often looking for MRCs to assist with outreach and waste management at events and for special projects. There are two ways to be notified of payback opportunities:
Earth Day clean-up events
Celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up litter in your neighborhood and help protect the health of local lakes and streams.
Community resource fairs and workshops
Hennepin County Environment and Energy staff and volunteers will be at the following events to answer your questions on waste reduction and recycling, composting, land and water, household hazardous waste and more.
Green event resources
Event planners and coordinators seeking to go green and
achieve low-waste events can receive free, customized assistance from Hennepin
County. Staff can help you create waste reduction plans, educate vendors, train
volunteers and provide collection options for your event. Access the following
free event planning resources:
- Portable
recycling containers that can be borrowed for free to add recycling and
organics recycling to events.
- Event recycling
and waste reduction guide with steps to take before, during and after the
event to make your waste reduction and recycling efforts a success.
- Green event
resources including signage and sample letters to send to your vendors and
presenters.
For more information, contact Carolyn Collopy at
carolyn.collopy@hennepin.us or 612-596-0993.
Resources to promote Earth Week
Hennepin County Environment and Energy has developed a
series of social media posts to promote earth-friendly tips during Earth
Week, April 17 - 24. Get our Earth
Week posts and images to share these messages through your own
communication channels. Remember to follow Hennepin Environment on Facebook and Twitter, and check out our
other environmental education resources!
Additionally, Do It
Green! Minnesota is offering free handout kits featuring a Food
Print Guide, Home
Water Audit Checklist, and Seed Saving
Guide, as well as handouts on energy, pesticides and reducing trash. Some
handouts are also available in Spanish. Past issues of the Do It Green!
Magazine are available for free distribution as well. If you are interested in a Do It Green! Minnesota Earth Day
Kit or distributing guidebooks at an upcoming event, please contact Kristine
Kvamme at kristine@doitgreen.org.
 The Minnesota Health Nurse Practitioners Clinic in Minneapolis will be improving their recycling program with the help of a Hennepin County business recycling grant.
Business recycling grants awarded
Hennepin County recently awarded grants to 22 businesses and organizations to start or improve recycling and organics recycling programs. A variety of businesses and organizations received grants, including an airline, apartment building, college, several congregations, a grocery store, a hospital and several clinics, various non-profit organizations, several commercial properties, and a few restaurants.
Applications for the next funding round are due by June 15, 2016. Learn more about the funding guidelines and application process.
For more information, contact Andre Xiong andre.x.xiong@hennepin.us or 612-543-1316.
Businesses recognized for their recycling efforts
Hennepin County recently recognized 15 businesses for their successful recycling and waste diversion efforts. The newest members of the Hennepin County Environmental Partners program recycle materials like paper, metal, plastics and glass, compost organic waste or donate leftover food to food rescue agencies or animal feed programs.
The additional businesses represent a variety of industries:
- Restaurants and food retailers: May Day Café, Pow Wow Grounds, Uncle Franky’s
- Congregations: Plymouth Congregational Church
- Health and beauty services: Jodi Baglien Wellbeing and Wisdom, Osseo Chiropractic Clinic, Twin Cities Natural Care Center, Stormy Lee Salon
- Retailers: Antique Alley, Osseo Savitt Paint, Sue’s Country Cottage
- Other businesses, non-profits and services: Celia Studios, Dante Computer Revolution, North Hennepin Area Chamber of Commerce, Second Harvest Heartland
See all of the participating businesses on the Environmental Partners map. If you know of a business that deserves recognition for their recycling, waste reduction or organics recycling efforts, encourage them to become an Environmental Partner. For more information, contact Amy Maas at amy.maas@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195.
To help partners educate others about environmental issues, Hennepin County provides factsheets, brochures and handouts covering a wide variety of environmental topics at no charge. The following pieces have been recently created or updated and are available at www.hennepin.us/environmentaleducation.
 New: How to Get Rid of it Guide available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali
The How to Get Rid of it Guide provides a general overview of reducing, recycling, and disposing of yard waste and hazardous waste and is available in English (PDF), Spanish (PDF), Hmong (PDF) and Somali (PDF).
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New: Articles on a
variety of environmental topics
Articles on a variety of topics are available to
download and share with your communication channels. Topics include: recycling
and waste reduction, disposing of and reducing hazardous waste, organics
recycling, composting and disposing of yard waste, protecting land and water
and current campaigns. Download
an article.
New:
Create your own recycling sorting activity
Interested in teaching your group or
organization more about recycling? Create your own customized sorting activity
with Hennepin County’s new do-it-yourself Recycling Sorting Activity guides.
Groups can use the activity to sort through waste and deicide which items are
recyclable, compostable or trash.
See all of the environmental education learning trunks available.
 Interested in backyard composting but don’t have a compost bin? Now is the time to get one! Hennepin County is selling compost bins to help you start composting your fruit and vegetable scraps and yard waste in your backyard. Bins are 3’ x 3’ x 3’, made of cedar and wire mesh, and cost $45.
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Pre-order a compost bin online and pick it up at one of the following compost bin distribution events scheduled for the following dates and locations:
- Saturday, May 14 at the NE Minneapolis Tool Library
- Saturday, May 21 at the Midtown Farmers Market
You can also purchase a bin at the Hennepin County Drop-off Facility in Brooklyn Park during regular facility hours.
Spread the word: Download a flyer, social media posts, newsletter article and images to promote the compost bin events (find resources under current campaigns).
For more information, contact Kira Berglund at kira.berglund@hennepin.us or 612-596-1498.
 Hennepin County organizes collection events to give residents more convenient local options for disposing of household hazardous wastes. Materials accepted include unwanted automotive wastes, household, lawn and garden products, batteries, mercury-containing items and more.
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Collection events are held Thursday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Upcoming hazardous waste collection events are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
- May 12 – 14 at the Public Works Department in Minnetonka
- June 2 – 4 at the Public Works Garage in Minneapolis
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June 16 – 18 at St. Louis Park Middle School in St. Louis Park
Visit www.hennepin.us/collectionevents for more details including directions to each event and a full schedule of events for 2016.
Spread the word: Download a flyer, social media posts, newsletter article and images to promote the hazardous waste collection events (find resources under current campaigns).
In the News
On
April 1, 2016, the Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance to ban the use
of plastic bags that will go into effect in April 2017. Learn more about the
recent plastic bag ban from CBS news or Fox 9 news.
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