Green Notes July

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green notes

Save the Earth! Choose to Reuse

Choose to Reuse coupon book cover 2017

The choices you make can help protect the environment and the local economy. Save the Earth by supporting waste reduction and sustainable living through Hennepin County’s Choose to Reuse program.

Through Choose to Reuse, the county has partnered with more than 50 local retailers that rent, repair, resell, consign and exchange used goods to offer coupons valid August 1 through October 31.

You have several options to get Choose to Reuse coupons:

Slash your trash by joining the Zero Waste Challenge

Zero Waste Challenge participant weighing waste

Reducing the amount of waste you and your family creates is a great way to lower your impact on the environment and simplify your life by having less stuff to deal with, but it can be hard to figure out what actions to take and how to fit them into your life.

If you’ve ever wanted to reduce the amount of waste you create, Hennepin County’s Zero Waste Challenge is a great way to learn more and get hands-on help.

The county is looking for 50 households to participate in the eight-month-long challenge that takes an in-depth look at the goods we buy and waste we create to uncover the opportunities and challenges to increasing recycling and reducing waste.

The challenge will go from September 11, 2017 to April 30, 2018. Interested households should complete the online application by Sunday, August 20, 2017.

For more information, contact Carolyn Collopy at carolyn.collopy@hennepin.us or 612-596-0993.

Grants available through Green Partners Grow

Pilot program will support community organizations in educating their audiences about organics recycling

Organics recycling

Hennepin County is conducting a pilot project with the goal of increasing participation in residential organics recycling programs through peer-to-peer outreach. Organizations participating in the Green Partners Grow program will receive training, funding and environmental education resources to conduct a project in their communities.

After attending two days of training to learn about organics recycling, uncover the barriers to organics recycling with their audiences, and develop a project plan, organizations will receive a grant of up to $10,000 and free supplies to engage their audiences in signing up for or increasing participation in organics recycling programs.

Eligible organizations include registered nonprofit organizations and community groups located in cities where a citywide organics recycling program is available to all residents.

Applications to participate in the Green Partners Grow program are due August 11, 2017. Learn more and apply.

For more information, contact Jessica Arika at jessica.arika@hennepin.us or 612-348-3025.

Volunteer opportunities

Become a tree steward

Tree stewards

Learn about the basics of tree care and help take care of trees in your community by becoming a tree steward. Volunteer tree stewards take a three-part class that covers the basics of tree biology, health, planting, watering, and pruning through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on, outdoor field experience.

Volunteers will then have opportunities to practice their skills by helping with various tree projects in the community.

The class will be held Wednesday evenings, September 6, 13 and 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the St. Louis Park Rec Center. Learn more and sign up.

For more information, contact Jen Kullgren at jen.kullgren@hennepin.us or 612-596-1175.

Become a Master Water Steward

Master Water Stewards are trained and certified volunteers who install pollution prevention projects and educate community members about protecting and improving water quality. Master Water Stewards attend 12 class sessions from October 2017 through April 2018 to learn the basics of stormwater management, water policy and community engagement, and then develop a capstone project that protects water in their communities. Applications are being accepted for the next cohort of Master Water Stewards, and several required information sessions are scheduled for August and September.

In the News

Hennepin County considers requirements for organics recycling

Recycling organic materials, which include food and compostable paper, is the greatest opportunity to reduce our trash. Organics make up about 25 percent of the trash, and only 3 percent of the waste generated in Hennepin County in 2016 was diverted to composting. To make organics recycling more widely available, Hennepin County is considering requiring most cities to offer organics recycling service to residents by 2022. The county is also considering a proposal to require businesses that produce a large amount of food waste, such as restaurants, grocery stores, hotels and food manufacturers, to participate in organics recycling by 2020.

These strategies were developed based on feedback the county has gathered so far regarding the development of its Solid Waste Management Master Plan, a draft of which will be available for public comment in the fall. Read more in the Star Tribune.

Housing demolition materials head to a new home

Reused cabinets

To reduce the amount of construction and demolition waste sent to landfills and support a social service organization, Hennepin County contracts with Better Futures Minnesota to deconstruct homes and recover materials for reuse and recycling.

In a typical home demolition, about 80 percent of the materials end up in a landfill. But through deconstruction, Better Futures Minnesota, a non-profit that employs formerly incarcerated men, carefully dismantles a house and finds recycling or reuse opportunities for most of the building materials. Although this process takes longer, about 85 percent of building materials, including sheet rock, pavers, shingles, doors, windows, cabinets, appliances, and wood flooring, are repurposed for sale or recycled. Read more in Finance and Commerce.

Events

Purchase a compost bin

Backyard composting

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 $50.

You must pre-order a compost bin for pick up at a distribution event. Distribution events are scheduled for:

  • Monday, September 11 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Plymouth Maintenance Facility
  • Thursday, September 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Urban Research and Outreach Engagement Center in north Minneapolis
  • Saturday, September 30 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Valley View Middle School in Edina

Compost bins are also for sale at the Hennepin County Drop-off Facility in Brooklyn Park during regular facility hours; no pre-order needed.

For more information, contact Kira Berglund at kira.berglund@hennepin.us or 612-596-1498.

Fix-It Clinics

Fix-It Clinic

Attend an upcoming Fix-It Clinic to get free, guided assistance from handy volunteers to disassemble, troubleshoot, and fix household items including small appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more. The clinics build community and reduce the number of repairable items that are thrown in the trash while teaching valuable skills that can be used at home.

Upcoming Fix-It Clinics:

  • Saturday, August 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at St. Anthony City Hall
  • Saturday, September 9 from noon to 4 p.m. at Southdale Library in Edina
  • Saturday, October 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at Faith Lilac Way Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale

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 Partners networking meeting: trees and forestry field trip

Tree planting

The next Green Partners environmental education networking meeting will be an opportunity to learn about all things trees during a tour of tree planting and forestry sites. Join Hennepin County foresters and fellow environmental educators to learn about tree planting, tree care, tree identification, emerald ash borer and more.

The field trip will take place on Tuesday, August 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tour will start and end at Fort Snelling State Park with stops at the Jordan Tree Orchard and the North High School gravel-bed nursery in north Minneapolis

Bus transportation to and from Fort Snelling State Park, light breakfast refreshments, and lunch will be provided. Free parking will be available at Fort Snelling State Park with a Hennepin County Green Partners sign provided at the meeting.

RSVPs are required. RSVP to Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.

Household hazardous waste collection events

Household hazardous waste

Hennepin County will be hosting three more hazardous waste collection events in 2017 to provide residents a convenient opportunity to get rid of a variety of household hazardous wastes. Materials accepted 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, August 11 and Saturday, August 12 at the Anthony Middle School, 5757 Irving Avenue South in Minneapolis (enter off Sunrise Drive)
  • Friday, August 18 and Saturday, August 19 at South High School, 3131 19th Avenue South in Minneapolis (enter off 21st Avenue South)
  • Friday September 22nd and Saturday September 23rd, City of Shorewood Public Works Site, 24200 Smithtown Road in Shorewood

Green Tip: Prevent food waste by donating your harvest

Garden produce

As peak growing season in Minnesota brings an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies, you may be struggling to avoid wasting food grown in your garden or that you get from a community agriculture (CSA) program. Fortunately, you can help out your friends and community by donating produce you can’t use or preserve for later.

There are many options for donating your excess food, including:

  • Check with your local food shelf; many hunger-relief agencies will accept your fruits and vegetables.
  • Offer to family, friends, or neighbors. Social media like NextDoor or Facebook can be a great way to quickly spread the word.
  • Start or add to a “free table” or sharing space at your workplace.

When donating produce, try to donate it as soon as you can after you harvest or receive it. Donate food that you would eat, avoiding bruised, overripe, or insect-infested produce, and wipe off any excess dirt.

Find more tips for donating the harvest on Choose to Reuse.

Contact us

612-348-3777

environment@hennepin.us

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