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We want to hear from you! Participate in developing Hennepin County’s Zero Waste Plan by telling us about your experiences in recycling, composting and ideas to reduce waste on our new engagement site. Residents who register on the website can engage with other community members, post ideas, and stay informed as the plan progresses.
Our vision for zero waste
Hennepin County’s zero-waste vision is a system where all materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Our definition of zero waste is preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated. |
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About the Zero Waste Plan
The Zero Waste Plan will complement the county’s newly adopted Climate Action Plan and provide the foundation for the 2024 Solid Waste Management Master Plan. A draft of the Zero Waste Plan will be presented to the county board in November 2022. For more information, contact Carolyn Collopy at carolyn.collopy@hennepin.us.
Sharing the engagement site
Please promote the engagement site through your channels and to your partners and participants. You can share this article with them, promote organically through your own words, our share posts from our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). The first social media post promoting the site is being posted at 1 p.m. today (April 14).
Earth Day 2022: Take climate action
This Earth Day, we are focusing on how we can take action to address climate change as individuals and as a community. Climate change is solvable, we know the solutions, and we’re in this together.
The Earth Day 2022 webpage contains a variety of programs and resources available to help you take action including media kits with newsletter articles and social media posts in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali, a list of ways to celebrate Earth Day, and a map of Earth Day and Arbor Day events throughout the county.
Visit the Climate Action website to learn more about the most impactful ways we can take climate action:
- Get around in a sustainable way
- Switch to renewable energy and conserve energy
- Avoid wasting food and eat a more plant-based diet
- Live a low-waste lifestyle and practice thoughtful consumption
- Be a good steward of our natural resources
- Talk about climate change and get involved in your community
Promote climate action
Download resources, social media graphics, and newsletter articles to promote climate action in your community:
Earth Day and Arbor Day events
Earth Day and Arbor Day are just around the corner in April, with many local events to celebrate our community, trees, and the environment. We have events listed on our website along with a locater map. Get outside and enjoy!
To submit events to include on the map, please email christina.schmitt@hennepin.us.
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Green Partners grantee Earth Day events
Tangletown Neighborhood Association’s Earth Day event: Explore Solar Virtual Panel
Thursday, April 21 at 7 p.m.
Have you been solar-curious but not known how to make it work for you? Join the Tangletown Neighborhood Association for their Explore Solar Virtual Panel. Register at tangletown.org/solar.
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Unchained: Celebration of liberation, spring, Earth Day & Gaia Democratic School's Birthday
Friday, April 22 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Join Gaia Democratic School for an outdoor event with art, environmental education, entertainment, free seeds, plants, and prizes. Learn more on the Facebook event page.
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Off the Blue Couch featuring Rusty & The Crew: gardening and community clean-up event
Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Join Off the Blue Couch featuring Rusty & The Crew for an Earth Day Clean Up event. For more information, go to: rustyandthecrewisu.com and Rusty & The Crew - Home | Facebook.
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Friday, April 29, is Arbor Day! This Arbor Day, we’re celebrating the important role that trees play in fighting climate change and getting to net zero carbon emissions.
Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store carbon in their wood. The older the tree, the more climate benefits it provides. The shade from trees also reduces the need for cooling in buildings, which reduces carbon dioxide and other pollutants from power plants.
Learn more about trees, climate, and activities and resources for teaching about them on our Climate Action website.
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Image Credit: How to Save a Planet
Climate change is a big problem that requires big solutions. Acting together can help bring about the changes we need.
When starting conversations on climate change, remember that most people are concerned about the issue, and you may find more areas of agreement than you expect. Finding commons interests and areas of concern, speaking to shared values, and connecting to what people care about – hobbies, family, faith, community, jobs, etc. – are the important foundations of effective climate conversations. Learn more tips for having climate conversations.
Understanding the science of climate change makes people more concerned about the issue, more likely to support action, and more confident in talking to others. Teaching about climate change can be complicated, but educators don’t need to generate curriculum themselves. Many educational resources already exist, including full curriculum programs, individual activities, downloadable games, and digital interactive tools.
Remember, climate change is a broad issue, so addressing the climate crisis will require a lot of different people putting their skills and talents to work in a lot of different areas. Learn more about how best to focus your climate action.
Green Partners environmental education grants
Funding is available to support organizations in educating and motivating residents to become environmental stewards and take environmentally friendly actions.
The county recently awarded eight grants totaling $117,562 to prevent and slow the spread of aquatic invasive species. Some of the work these projects will accomplish include:
- Develop online courses for Hennepin County pet stores and garden centers.
- Conduct observation and analysis at five Mississippi River water accesses.
- Examine data collected from self-serve waterless cleaning systems installed at county-maintained water accesses.
- Survey water access sites on Lake Minnetonka for starry stonewort.
- Install a self-serve waterless cleaning system (CD3 Outpost) at the City of Deephaven’s Carson Bay public access on Lake Minnetonka.
- Assess the role of an AIS prevention ambassador at five public accesses.
- Provide randomized watercraft inspection and boater education throughout the county.
- Create 15 art sails that highlight aquatic invasive species issues.
For more information, contact Tony Brough at tony.brough@hennepin.us or 612-348-4378.
Get in touch with trees lesson from Project Learning Tree
Set up a multi-sensory environment with natural objects to allow your young students to focus on their sense of touch. In the “Get in touch with trees” lesson from Project Learning Tree, children will build their tree vocabulary, listen to stories, make bark rubbings, create art with tree-textured paint, sort and count seeds, and play with wood and sandpaper.
Learn more and download the free resources.
Help create a free online hub for watershed and water resources
The University of Minnesota extension invites you to take a survey to inform the creation of an online hub for watershed and other water education resources. This new hub will include materials that fall into the following categories:
- Informational materials that can be shared with your audiences.
- Resources to help with outreach and engagement.
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Plan a river cleanup with the Adopt-a-River toolkit
 Freshwater Society has guidance on river cleanup events in their new Adopt-a-River Toolkit. The toolkit walks you through the steps of organizing a cleanup, as well as the cleanup event itself. It will give you the knowledge you need to have a fun and effective cleanup. You'll find links to other resources throughout the toolkit and have a chance to report your cleanup details at the end. Whether you're new to cleanups or a returning cleanup volunteer, this toolkit will propel you toward a richer connection with water. Contact Karyna Kloude at Freshwater with questions.
Become a Master Recycler/Composter volunteer
Bite-sized learning: effective hybrid meetings
Thursday, April 28 from noon to 1 p.m.
Effective hybrid meetings provide equal opportunity for the roomies (those attending in-person) and the zoomies (those attending virtually) to engage in the meeting, connect with other participants, and share their unique viewpoints and expertise. In this session hosted by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, we’ll explore the technology, psychology, and strategy supporting this goal.
Cost: free
Learn more and register
NAAEE 2022 conference call for presentations
Deadline: Friday, April 29
The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) seeks presentation proposals for their 2022 conference and research symposium being held from October 11 to 15 in Tucson, Arizona. Presenters my present in-person or virtually at the conference. Learn more and submit a proposal.
Free backyard composting webinars
Gathering Partners: University of Minnesota Extension conference
Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22
Join University of Minnesota Extension’s 2022 Gathering Partners conference at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Welch, MN. This annual event is a favorite for friends of Minnesota’s natural resources, including volunteers, landowners, citizen scientists and advocates. From phenology to climate change, wildlife watching to invasive species management, you will spend your days learning about Minnesota’s ecology in your choice of virtual or in person conference sessions.
Learn more and register.
The following organizations received a Hennepin County Green Partners grant. The Green Partners grant program supports the county’s goals of promoting environmental stewardship, engaging communities, enhancing quality of life, and protecting the environment for current and future generations. The grants provide training, support, and funding to organizations to implement projects that engage residents to protect and improve the environment.
Rethos hosts free home weatherization workshops
Rethos, a regional nonprofit that advocates for the reuse and repair of old buildings, will be offering six free home weatherization and energy efficiency workshops (PDF) to residents of Hennepin County in 2022. Workshops will teach homeowners, renters, and caretakers of old buildings how to maximize energy efficiency in their residences, saving money and prolonging the life of their homes.
Upcoming virtual workshops:
Off the Blue Couch and Rusty & the Crew offers waste station setup for BIPOC community members
Saturday, April 16 from 2 to 5 p.m.
Get on board and recycle today! Sign up to request a waste station set up with Rusty and The Crew. The Crew are recycling experts. They host workshops and works with residents in their home to set up a waste station for recycling and organics recycling (where available). The Crew provide tools that are needed to get started recycling and organics recycling.
Learn more and request a waste station setup on the Rusty & Crew Facebook page.
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Gaia Democratic School engages students in learning about pollinators
Gaia Democratic School hosted a LOVEBRUNCH with GREEN JAMboree and Spa Day in February that focused on environmental and community education. The event featured an indigenous grains and waffle demonstration, talent shot, meditation, and environmental education presentations by students.
 Students learning about plants for pollinators while dressed up as flowers.
They are hosting an Earth Day event on Friday, April 22 from 2 to 3 p.m. Learn more about the event.
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