Green Notes February

Green Notes

FEBRUARY 2017


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GreenNotes covers environmental news, programs and events from Hennepin County.

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Green thinkers, unite! Check out the new Choose to Reuse website

Choose to Reuse website

Keep usable stuff out of the trash and obtain quality items without buying new with the Hennepin County Choose to Reuse website. The website is a gathering space for Twin Cities green thinkers that will help you make sustainable choices for everyday living.

Features of the Choose to Reuse website include:

  • A searchable listing of more than 600 local places to sell, donate, buy, repair, rent, and share items.
  • A Google Maps function to locate reuse resources near your zip code.
  • “Spotlight on Reuse” articles that take a deep dive into reuse topics, such as cloth diapering and the negatives of fast fashion.
  • Local event highlights to keep you in the loop on area Fix-It Clinics, neighborhood garage sales, sustainable lifestyle classes and more.

Choosing to reuse helps us live sustainably by reducing waste, protecting natural resources, conserving energy, preventing pollution, and saving money. Learn more with just a click on your computer or smartphone.  


Registration is open for the Metro Children’s Water Festival

Children's Water Festival 2016

4th grade teachers can register now to bring their class to the Metro Children’s Water Festival, a free, full-day field trip focused on learning about water and actions we can take to protect the environment. The water festival will be held Wednesday, September 27 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul.

Participating schools will be selected through a lottery drawing. Register for the lottery by March 31. The field trip is free, and schools selected to participate from Hennepin County may apply for a bus through the county to cover the costs of transportation to and from the field trip.


Provide feedback on how the state will use settlement funding to protect air quality

The State of Minnesota will receive $47 million over the next 10 years through a settlement with Volkswagen over allegations that the company violated the federal Clean Air Act by selling vehicles that emit air pollution over the legal limit.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is holding a series of public meetings to discuss the settlement and take input on how the state should use the funding. The next public meeting will be held on Monday, March 6 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church, Jackman Room, 1900 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis.

The settlement includes a list of eligible project categories, which includes replacing or retrofitting older heavy-duty diesel engines with cleaner technology and developing electric vehicle infrastructure.
The MPCA will hold additional public meetings and accept public comments until March 31. Comments may be emailed to vwsettlement.pca@state.mn.us.

Hennepin County is involved in efforts to improve air quality as a member of Clean Air Minnesota, a coalition of business, government and nonprofit leaders working to reduce air pollution.


Hennepin County decreasing road salt usage

Hennepin County Public Works road salt

Compared to five years ago, Hennepin County has cut back its salt usage on county roads by about 60 percent. This is part of the county’s effort to continue to keep roads clear while also minimizing the environmental impact of road salt.

The county’s transportation operations department now uses brine, a solution containing water and salt, which has greatly reduced the amount of salt applied to roads. High levels of salt can be harmful to wildlife, pets, lakes, streams, drinking water supplies, and infrastructure, in addition to being expensive. In Hennepin County, 18 lakes, wetlands and stream stretches have unhealthy levels of chloride.

Before installing the brine tanks, the county used 600 to 800 pounds of salt per lane mile. Although each winter is different, the county has reduced salt use to about 200 to 300 pounds per lane mile. And the county continues to experiment with ways to cut back on salt while keeping the same level of service and safety.

For more information, contact Andrew Kraemer at andrew.kraemer@hennepin.us or 612-596-0280.


Discounts available to small businesses that switch to emission-reducing parts washers

Discounts are available to small businesses that switch from a petroleum-solvent parts washer to an aqueous-based parts washer. Switching to aqueous-based parts washers reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute to ground-level ozone or smog.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has partnered with Safety-Kleen to offer a 25 percent discount, and businesses located in Minneapolis can get an additional 20 percent off.

Small businesses are those with 100 or fewer employees, and special consideration will be given to businesses located in environmental justice areas of concern. These are determined using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s EJSCREEN tool.

Businesses are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity soon as it will only be available for a limited time. Learn more, or contact your local Safety-Kleen location or Eric David at the MPCA (eric.david@state.mn.us or 651-757-2218) to participate.


Volunteer opportunity: become a tree steward

Tree planting

If you're interested in learning about proper tree care then helping to care for trees in your community, Hennepin County has a few spots left for tree steward volunteers. Participants will take a full-day tree-pruning workshop and then have opportunities to help care for trees with partner organizations.

The workshop will be held Saturday, March 18 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Rockford Road Library, 6401 42nd Ave N in Crystal. The cost is $25 per person.

The workshop will cover tree identification, tree biology and proper pruning techniques through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on, outdoor field experience. The class is open to the public, and no experience is needed. The University of Minnesota will provide the pruning tools and safety equipment.

Learn more and register by March 3. For more information, contact Jen Kullgren at jen.kullgren@hennepin.us or 612-596-1175.


In the News

Compostable plastics makes organics recycling easier

Serving food in compostable plastics can make it easier for customers to sort their waste correctly because rather than trying to clean out recyclable containers, they can throw everything into organics recycling. Businesses are increasingly offering organics recycling, in which food waste and compostable products are sent to a composting facility, as a way to reduce trash. But there are still challenges, including the availability of organics recycling programs and composting facilities and the cost and performance of compostable products. Learn more on Minnesota Public Radio.

Data drop: digging into why landfilling has increased in the Twin Cities

Although state law prioritizes waste-to-energy over landfilling for managing the trash left over after recycling and composting, the amount of trash in the Twin Cities sent to landfills has doubled since the early 1990s. Waste-to-energy is preferable to landfilling because it generates more energy, produces fewer air emissions, has better air pollution controls, recovers metal for recycling, and creates more, higher-skilled jobs. Despite this, landfilling has increased for several reasons, including that the majority of waste is collected by private haulers who decide where waste is disposed and a growing population in the Twin Cities.

The good news is that waste generation per capita has decreased since the 1990s and recycling has increased slightly despite the weight of recyclables getting lighter. And organics recycling programs that divert food and other compostable materials from the trash will further reduce the garbage that needs to be managed in landfills or waste-to-energy facilities. Read more in the Star Tribune.


Events

Natural resources partnership forum on the emerald ash borer

The next Hennepin Natural Resources Partnership meeting will focus on managing the emerald ash borer. The meeting will cover legislative efforts, tips and steps for dealing with the invasive tree pest, and table discussions about policy, partnerships and creative ideas.

The meeting will be held Tuesday, March 21 from 1 – 3 p.m. at the Ridgedale Library.

Fix-It Clinics

Fix-It Clinic

Stop by one of the upcoming Fix-it Clinics to repair your broken household items, reduce waste, and learn valuable repair skills. Fix-It Clinics are scheduled for the following dates:

  • Saturday, March 11 from noon to 4 p.m. at Burroughs Elementary School in south Minneapolis
  • Saturday, April 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Plymouth Creek Center in Plymouth 
  • Saturday, May 13 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Bloomington Center for the Arts

Volunteers with repair or mending skills are critical to the Fix-It Clinics’ success. For more information or to volunteer, contact Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195.


Green Tip: Take steps to extend the life of your snow blower

Snow blower

Investing in high-quality stuff and then taking steps to properly fix and maintain your things is an important way to reduce waste. For example, as winter winds down, it’s important to take the following steps to ensure your snow blower will continue to work winter after winter:

  • Add only enough gas needed for the last uses of the snow blower, and run it out of gas or drain the gas for other uses before storing.   
  • Check the oil. If it’s dirty – or thick and dark in color – drain it into a container and recycle it. If it’s clean – or relatively clear in color – top off the level as needed.  Make sure the drain plug is tight and there are no leaks.
  • Lubricate and grease the drive and chassis as needed.  
  • Remove the spark plug and squirt some fogging oil in the top of the engine through the open spark plug hole. This lubricates the pistons and cylinders assuring their do not rust or corrode before the next season.
  • Check the bottom of your snow blower to see if any parts need to be replaced. Snow blowers have sacrificial surfaces that are meant to take the brunt of wear over time.

These and more reuse tips can be found in the Spotlight on Reuse section on Hennepin County’s revamped Choose to Reuse website.