Green Notes November 2017

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green notes

Board adopts plan to reach goal of zero waste to landfills

Organics recycling

At the end of November, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners adopted the Hennepin County Solid Waste Management Master Plan for 2018 - 2023. The master plan fulfills state statute requiring metro counties to prepare master plans every six years that identify strategies to meet the state’s goal of zero waste landfilled by 2030.

The county has made steady progress toward these goals, diverting 82 percent of waste from landfills in 2016. This is a rate on par with national leaders, but there are opportunities for improvement. A primary focus of the plan is diverting organic materials such as food and non-recyclable paper from the trash by proposing requirements for cities and certain businesses, increasing local capacity to manage organics, and working to prevent food waste. See the master plan to learn more about the proposed strategies and next steps.

For more information, contact Dave McNary at david.mcnary@hennepin.us or 612-348-5906.

Grants available for projects that prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species

AIS lake surveys

Local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, institutions and companies in Hennepin County can apply now for funding to implement projects that prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Funding in the past year was used to expand inspections at public accesses, empower volunteers to conduct monitoring and early detection efforts, install boat cleaning stations, research management methods and pathways of spread, and increase education and outreach. See the 2017 accomplishment reports for more information about these projects.

Applications for this round are due by January 12, 2018. Learn more and apply.

For more information, contact Tony Brough at tony.brough@hennepin.us or 612-348-4378.

More than 1,000 trees planted throughout Hennepin County this fall

Tree planting

    Hennepin County foresters had a busy fall working with partners and volunteers to transplant more than 1,000 trees from the county’s gravel-bed nursery to sites in 17 cities throughout the county.

    The trees were planted for a variety of reasons, including to enhance and diversify the tree canopy, mitigate for impacts of the emerald ash borer, restore ecosystems, and produce fruit to donate to those in need. Highlights from the planting season include:

    • More than 500 trees were planted along county roads to enhance the tree canopy and replace ash trees. These projects often involved community volunteers and partnerships with cities.
    • Plantings at county facilities and libraries will help enhance the tree canopy, proactively replace ash trees, and restore ecosystems.
    • Fruit tree orchards were planted at two schools and a park with the help of students and community volunteers. The fruit from these orchards will be donated to people in need.
    • About 345 trees were planted on three conservation easements as part of ongoing efforts to restore ecosystems.

    The county’s Sentencing to Service program has been an important partner, with crews providing helpful assistance at nearly every planting. In addition to improving the environment, using trees from the gravel-bed nursery and working with partners and volunteers saved the county at least $170,000 this planting season.

    For more information, contact Dustin Ellis at dustin.ellis@hennepin.us or 612-348-2259.

    County teams up with Minneapolis health inspectors to encourage food donation

    Commercial food rescue

    Food waste is a big problem in the United States – as much as 40 percent of food produced for people to eat is wasted along the food chain. Grocery stores, restaurants and institutions are responsible for about 40 percent of this waste. Meanwhile, 11 percent of Minnesotans don’t have a steady supply of food to their tables.

    All of this makes donating surplus food an important way to prevent wasted food and address hunger issues. To help businesses donate food, Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis recently developed food donation guidelines for licensed food facilities. Minneapolis health inspectors will hand out the guidelines when they visit businesses. The guidelines have also been distributed more widely through the Minnesota Department of Health's networks.

    For more information, contact Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@hennepin.us or 612-348-9195.

    Installation of best practices along roadways help protect water

    Over the past year, the Hennepin County Transportation Operations and Environment and Energy departments have partnered to reduce water quality impacts along county roads. Incorporating best practices for sediment and erosion control, salt reduction, vegetation management and drainage into design, construction and regular maintenance helps reduce both current and future impacts.

    Ditch improvements

    Improvements recently made to the ditch along the east side of County Road 83 (Halgren Road) in Maple Plain is a good example of the work being done. Tied concrete matting was placed in the ditch to slow water and prevent erosion. The matting still allows vegetation to grow, which will further slow the flow of water and help filter sediment and other pollutants out of the water.

    Before this project, about two tons of sediment was being carried through the ditch annually to Painter’s Creek, which eventually feeds into Jenning’s Bay of Lake Minnetonka.

    For more information, contact Kirsten Barta at kirsten.barta@hennepin.us or 612-543-3373.

    Volunteer for watershed district or other citizen advisory board openings

    Hennepin County is seeking volunteers for 24 citizen advisory board openings, including a vacancy on the Lower Minnesota Watershed District Board.
    The watershed district board coordinates the management of water and related land resources in the watershed that drain into the Minnesota River. This volunteer opportunity is open to Bloomington, Chanhassen, Eden Prairie and Minneapolis residents who live within the district.

    The ideal candidate would have background in water conservation, development, law, engineering, environment or public administration. Members serve three-year terms. Learn more and apply online.

    Events

    Hennepin Natural Resources Partnership Forum

    The next Natural Resources Partnership Forum will be an opportunity to hear from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources about an audit they recently completed of Hennepin County conservation services, and then engage in a discussion about how the county can best implement recommendations from the audit .

    The forum will be held December 7 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Rockford Road Library in Crystal. RSVP to Stacey Lijewski at stacey.lijewski@hennepin.us or 612-348-9938.

    Green Tip: 5 going green tips for the holidays

    This time of year, many of us are focused on finding gifts, putting up decorations and planning celebrations. With everything going on, the holiday season can become an extra wasteful time of year. But with a little thoughtful planning, there are many things you can do to lessen your impact on the environment.

    1. Green your gift giving

    Local gifts

    First, check in with your family and friends about how they want to approach gifts. Most people say they value time spent with others, food and celebration during the holidays, so they may be ok with less emphasis on gifts.

    For the gifts you do buy, consider lower waste alternatives: shop secondhand, shop local, give experiences, give memberships or subscriptions, volunteer your time or donate to someone’s favorite cause, or make homemade treats or crafts.

    2. Green your gift wrapping

    Most gift wrap is not recyclable. But fortunately there are many alternatives that are fun, attractive and better for the environment.

    Green gift wrapping

    Consider reusable packaging, like baskets, bags, decorative boxes or fabric scraps. Or use recyclable wrapping such as old maps, newspaper, or packing paper from online purchases (to add a fun activity, tape crayons to the box and challenge the person receiving the gift to draw you a picture before they can open their gift). Reduce waste even more by saving greeting cards to use as gift tags.

    3. Host green gatherings

    Low-waste meal setting

    Plan ahead to reduce waste! Figure out how many people are coming and build your meal plan around that to avoid wasted food. Look for local or organic food when possible, and make sure you have containers on hand to pack up leftovers.

    Be sure to avoid disposables and use reusables as much as possible, including for dishes, silverware, napkins and linens. Provide clearly labeled recycling and, if possible, organics recycling containers for your guests. And because a crowd tends to heat up the room, turn the thermostat down a few degrees before everyone arrives. See the green party planning checklist for more ideas.

    4. Put up greener decorations

    Holiday lights

    If you’re buying new lights, purchase LEDs to maximize energy efficiency, and put your lights on a timer to avoid wasting energy.

    If you’re planning to get an artificial tree, look at secondhand stores for a used tree first – this will save you money and extend the life of the tree! And once you have an artificial tree, be sure to reuse it year after year to help offset the impact of manufacturing it. To reduce your impact if you’re going with a real tree, look for one that is organically grown or consider decorating a living, potted plant or tree.

    Thrift store Christmas decorations

    Also think about any centerpieces or other decorations you’ll be putting up – things that are reusable or compostable are best. Remember that thrift and secondhand stores are a great place to find new-to-you decorations.

    5. Green your cleanup

    Once the holidays are over, be sure to take some time to dispose of things in the greenest way possible. You can recycle all those cardboard boxes at home, while items like string lights and electronics can be recycled at drop-off locations. And check with your city or hauler about special options for disposing of Christmas trees. Find the best disposal option for items you need to get rid of after the holidays on the Green Disposal Guide.

    Contact us

    612-348-3777

    environment@hennepin.us

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