Green Notes May 2017

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green notes

Reducing waste in Hennepin County - how low can we go?

Hennepin County is developing its 2018 Solid Waste Management Master Plan to reach the goal of recycling 75 percent of waste by 2030. In 2016, 44 percent of waste generated in Hennepin County was diverted to recycling or organics recycling. The recycling rate in the county has increased steadily but slowly over the past few years; however, significant changes in behavior and waste management methods will be needed to achieve our recycling goals.

Provide input on the future of recycling and waste reduction

Hennepin County is gathering input on the future of waste reduction and recycling from residents, businesses, cities, schools, haulers and other partners. If you are a resident of Hennepin County, take our survey to provide your feedback. 

Recycling grants available for businesses and organizations

Applications due June 15 

Business recycling

The commercial sector generates more than half of the total waste in Hennepin County, and nearly two-thirds of the waste created at businesses and non-profits is recyclable. A strong recycling program conserves natural resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, can help the bottom line, and demonstrates commitment to sustainability and the community.

Businesses, organizations and institutions looking to improve recycling, start organics recycling or reduce waste can get funding to purchase recycling containers, start hauling services, or improve onsite recycling infrastructure. Grants of up to $50,000 are available, and applications are due June 15. Learn more and apply.

For more information, contact Andre Xiong at andre.x.xiong@hennepin.us or 612-543-1316.

New Environmental Partners recognized

Hennepin County recently recognized six businesses and non-profit organizations as new Environmental Partners for their efforts to recycle and reduce waste. In addition to recycling the traditional plastic, glass, metal and paper, some of these organizations divert organic materials for composting or offer collection of hazardous items like electronics, batteries and light bulbs. And some go a step further in their green efforts by conserving energy and water.

The newly recognized businesses and organizations are Chateau Student Cooperative, Church of Incarnation, Church of St. Albert the Great, Fabulous Catering, International Village Apartments, and Wendel. Check out these and the other Environmental Partners, and learn what it takes to be recognized.

Hennepin County seeks state funding to permanently protect natural habitat

Conservation easement

The Hennepin County Board recently directed staff to apply for a $5 million grant through the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council to help the county establish conservation easements and restore natural areas. Conservation easements are placed voluntarily on a property by the landowner and restrict development and certain activities to preserve the land's conservation value. They are one of the most effective tools for permanently preserving natural habitats located on private land.

The county recently completed work to map and identify the county’s remaining natural areas and established a conservation easement program in 2016 that puts in place procedures for the evaluation of potential easement opportunities.

The grant would facilitate protection of unique and important natural areas in the county, including remnant Big Woods forests, tamarack bogs and native tallgrass prairies. The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council will make funding recommendations in December 2017, and, if successful, the grant would take effect after approval by the legislature in the summer of 2018.

For more information, contact Karen Galles at karen.galles@hennepin.us or 612-348-2027.

Internship opportunities in the environmental field

Environmental education and outreach internship with Hennepin County

Hennepin County is hiring an Environmental Education and Communications Intern to help with environmental education and outreach projects. Candidates should be a recent graduate or current senior level student. The internship will go from July through December 2017, working 29 hours a week in downtown Minneapolis. Learn more.

Minnesota GreenCorps accepting applications

Applications are being accepted for the Minnesota GreenCorps program, which is a statewide initiative coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to preserve and protect Minnesota’s environment while training a new generation of environmental professionals. Members work about 40 hours per week at their host sites for 11 months, from mid-September 2017, through mid-August 2018. Hennepin County will be hosting two Minnesota GreenCorps members focusing on energy conservation and urban forestry. Learn more.

Hopkins wins state and advances to national Envirothon competition

Envirothon Hopkins 2017

After winning the metro competition in April, Hennepin County’s own Hopkins High School won the state Envirothon on May 15 at Ironwood Springs Ranch in Stewartville, Minnesota. The Envirothon is a natural resources competition that tests students’ knowledge of aquatics, forestry, soils and wildlife. The winning Hopkins team will now go on to compete for college scholarships in the national Envirothon held in Maryland in July. Good luck to Hopkins, and congratulations to all of the teams that participated in the Envirothon this year!

In the News

Wood Lake Nature Center battles invasive goldfish

Wood Lake Nature Center

Staff at the Wood Lake Nature Center have seen the water quality of their marsh ecosystem degrade over the past few years due to an invasion of goldfish. The fish, commonly released into waters as unwanted pets, disrupt plant life and outcompete native fish for food, resulting in a decline in biodiversity and degraded ecosystem. Through an aquatic invasive species prevention grant from Hennepin County, the nature center plans to release bass to eat the goldfish and launch a campaign to educate residents about the proper way to get rid of unwanted fish. Learn more on Kare11 and the Star Tribune.

Cities take action removing and preserving ash trees

As the emerald ash borer – an invasive tree pest that attacks and kills ash trees – infests more trees throughout the metro area, cities are starting to take action by removing or preserving trees. Hennepin County is removing some ash trees, preserving high value trees, replanting with a diversity of trees, and encouraging landowners with ash trees to make a plan now for how they will manage their trees. Learn more in the county’s emerald ash borer brochure, and read more in the Star Tribune.

Fix-It Clinics build a community focused on repair

Fix-It Clinics

Hennepin County Fix-It Clinics help to reduce waste, teach valuable repair skills, and build community. Volunteer fixer Dave Blackburn described how he’s helped participants fix antique fans, old clocks and even Christmas decorations. See the schedule of upcoming Fix-It Clinics, and learn more on WCCO.

Natural resources grant project protects water in Diamond Lake

Over the past two years, Metro Blooms and the Friends of Diamond Lake have worked with residents to install practices in their yards that protect the water in Diamond Lake. Through the Diamond Lake Blooming Alleys for Clean Water project, 29 homeowners have installed over 50 new features, including permeable pavement systems, rain gardens, vegetated swales, and native plantings. Metro Blooms received a Hennepin County Natural Resources Opportunity Grant for this project, and the county and other project partners were recently recognized by the Friends of Diamond Lake for the successful partnership. Learn more on the Friends of Diamond Lake blog.

Events

Green Partners networking meeting: environmental education for youth

Youth environmental education

The next Green Partners networking meeting will continue the conversation about the future of environmental education for youth.

The meeting will be held Tuesday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to noon (with optional networking from noon to 12:30 p.m.) at the North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry Ave N in Minneapolis.

The meeting will include:

  • A presentation of the results from the Envisioning the Future of Environmental Education for Youth conversations and survey that were conducted in fall 2016. This will include an overview of how the county and our partners collectively define environmental education, what the most important benefits of and barriers to environmental education are, and what strategies should be pursued.
  • An interactive opportunity to provide feedback on the results and next steps.
  • Networking with fellow environmental educators.

Networking meetings are open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP to Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.

Volunteer to plant trees in Plymouth

Tree planting

Join the City of Plymouth for a tree planting on Sunday, June 4 at the Northwest Greenway from 8 a.m. to noon. The tree planting will help to beautify the new walking and biking trail that will run from Lake Camelot on the east to Wayzata High School. Remember to wear long pants and close-toed shoes, and bring work gloves and a shovel if possible. Learn more, or contact Jackie Maas at 763-509-5230 or jmaas@plymouthmn.gov to sign up.

Find upcoming reuse events on the Choose to Reuse website

Garage sale

Hennepin County’s new Choose to Reuse website includes a listing of local reuse events happening throughout the county. These may include clothing swaps, garage sales, used books sales, Fix-It Clinics and more. Checking out these events is a great way to find high-quality, new-to-you items and build a community of green thinkers.

Events coming up in June that are currently featured on the site include:

Have your own reuse event coming up? Submit your event to be listed on the Choose to Reuse website.

In addition to events, the website allows users to look for opportunities to sell, donate, buy, repair, rent or share a variety of items and features stories that a deeper dive into reuse and waste reduction topics. Learn more on CCX media and the Southwest Journal.

June hazardous waste collection events

Hennepin County will be hosting two hazardous waste collection events in June. Collection events provide residents a convenient opportunity to get rid of a variety of household hazardous wastes. Material accepted at the event include mercury-containing items, auto and fuel wastes, aerosols, paint, and more.

Events are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on:

  • Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10 at the St. Louis Park Middle School, 2025 Texas Ave S (enter off W. 22nd St)
  • Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 at the Minneapolis Public Works Department Snelling Ave. site, 3607 E. 44th St (enter off 44th St between Hwy 55 and Snelling Ave)

Additional events are planned for later in the summer and fall. See the full list of accepted items and additional event dates.

Green tip: take steps to fight food waste

Food waste is major issue in the U.S. – on average, we each throw away nearly 300 pounds of food every year. Cutting back on food waste not only helps the environment, it also helps your wallet. Luckily, reducing the amount of food you waste can be as easy as using your fridge correctly, understanding date labels, and planning ahead to use up the food you have.

Refrigerator insider: how to organize your fridge

Refrigerator insider

Following these tips of where to store items in your fridge can extend the life of food:

Top shelf: The top shelf maintains a more consistent temperature than rest of the fridge, so store your butter, cheese, and cooked meats here.

Door: The door is the warmest place in the fridge, so keep condiments and hard to spoil items here.

Bottom shelf: This is the coldest area of the fridge, so store eggs, milk, raw meat, and perishable items here.

Crisper drawer: This area controls humidity better than any other area of the fridge. Use low humidity for fruits and veggies and high humidity for lettuce.

Freezer: The freezer isn’t only for frozen goods; use it for freeze now/use later items. If you won’t be able to eat bread, meat, or fruit before they go bad, stick them in the freezer and use them later.

And remember to keep your fridge at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

Best if used: understanding date labels

Ensure that you’re not throwing out food early by understanding food date labels. The two date labels that show up on products are “Use by” and “Best if used by”, which mean the following:

  • “Use by” indicates that the product should be consumed by the date listed on the package. 
  • “Best if used by” describes product quality. After that date, the product may not be at peak flavor but is generally safe to consume. Remember to use your senses as they're the best measure of whether or not food is safe to consume.

Use up your food

Using up the food that you have seems simple but can go a long way in reducing food waste.

  • Practice meal planning by deciding what meals you will have for the week and basing your grocery list off of that.
  • Before shopping, use a recipe generator to use up the food that you already have.
  • Prepare food in advance, such as pre-chopping or slicing vegetables, to be used for cooking later.
  • Store food in clear containers so you can easily see what’s in them.
  • Create an “eat first” bin in your fridge for food that needs to be used up.
  • Write the date that an item is opened on the packaging.

Learn more at Save the Food.

Contact us

612-348-3777

environment@hennepin.us

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