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Do you wonder what happens to recyclables when they leave your home? This has become an increasingly common question, which is why metro counties are working together to assure you that recycling is no myth. It’s real and it works here.
Minnesota and the Midwest are home to many recycling facilities that collect, sort, process, and manufacture items made from the bottles, boxes, and other containers we put our recycling bins.
Plastic milk and laundry detergent jugs are made into durable decking, fencing and landscaping products in Paynesville, and plastic drink bottles and produce containers are made into new plastic bottles in Wisconsin and Ohio.
Glass bottles and jars are sorted by color in Saint Paul, and the clear glass is sent to Shakopee to make bottles for drinks, pickles, salad dressing and more.
Recycled paper and cardboard are made into cereal and cracker boxes in Saint Paul, while recycled food cans are made into new products like wire, and parts for cars and appliances at facilities in the Midwest.
Our efforts to recycle and reduce waste save energy, protect resources and support local businesses and jobs. About 78,000 jobs in Minnesota are supported by the recycling industry.
You can be proud that recycling works in Minnesota. Learn more at RecyclingExists.com.
 Start the year off right by joining the Plastic-Free Challenge and committing to actions that help create a plastic-free world.
There are many changes you can make that will add up to a big impact, from learning more about plastic waste and recycling to making simple swaps to advocating for changes in your community and sharing your story with others.
The challenge starts tomorrow and runs throughout February, so be sure to sign up now, commit to actions, and encourage others to join you.
Grants for K-12 schools, preschools, universities, and colleges
 Grants are available for schools to start or improve programs to reduce waste and keep recycling and organic materials out of the trash.
Grant funding can be used for staff time and to purchase equipment and supplies including containers, sorting stations, reusable food service ware, and bulk condiment dispensers.
In addition to all K-12 schools, eligible organizations are expanding this year to include colleges, universities, and preschools.
Two-year colleges, Head Start programs, and preschools and K-12 schools with at least 50% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch may apply for grants of up to $20,000 until 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 29. Applications of up to $15,000 from any K-12 school, preschool, college, or university in the county will be accepted March 20 through November 15, as funds remain.
See the school recycling grant flyer (PDF) for a program overview and visit the school recycling web page to learn more and apply.
Grants for multifamily properties
 Grants are available to multifamily properties to start or improve recycling or organics recycling, reduce contamination, prevent waste, and educate residents on recycling and waste prevention. Areas of focus can include purchasing bins and compostable bags, paying for hauling costs, constructing waste enclosures or chutes, managing or preventing the waste of bulky items, and educating residents.
Grants of up to $20,000 are available. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until November 11, as funds remain. See the multifamily recycling grant flyer (PDF) for a program overview.
Visit the apartment recycling web page or email apartmentrecycling@hennepin.us to learn more.
 Learn the ins and outs of recycling and volunteer to reduce waste in your community as a Community Recycling Ambassador!
Community Recycling Ambassadors are trained on waste prevention, recycling and composting, and effective outreach and communication skills through a six-week course, with one class each week taught by industry experts and community leaders. This training program is free.
Once training is complete, participants commit to 30 hours of volunteering putting their skills to work on projects and activities that minimize waste and provide waste reduction, recycling and composting education.
Apply for the spring 2024 class
The spring 2024 class will be held every Thursday from February 15 through March 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. The class will take place virtually via Zoom. Apply for the spring course by Sunday, February 4.
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners heard a board briefing and discussion on Thursday, January 25 on a plan to reinvent the county’s solid waste system. This briefing responds to the resolution passed on October 24, 2023, to develop a closure plan for the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC).
Hennepin County plans to aggressively pursue zero-waste policies, programming, and infrastructure and advocate for policy changes at the state level to move toward zero waste and make meaningful progress toward reducing climate emissions.
The briefing laid out the 12 highest priority zero-waste actions. These include:
- Passing an extended producer responsibility law at the state legislature to require producers of packaging to take responsibility for that packaging all the way from design to recycling or safe disposal.
- Securing adequate funding for zero-waste initiatives by using all revenue from the state’s solid waste management tax on waste management activities.
- Banning recyclable materials, such as cardboard or mattresses, and organic materials like food scraps from landfills.
- Recovering recyclable and organic materials from the trash by developing a recycling recovery facility, which would use a variety of technologies to sort cardboard, metal, some plastics, and organics materials from the trash for reuse or recycling.
A zero-waste dashboard was introduced at the briefing to define the criteria to be met to responsibly close HERC and to identify 22 policies that need to be accomplished by the state legislature to realize this zero-waste future. The four metrics – recycling rate, percent of food and other biogenic materials in the trash, waste generated per capita, and landfill rates – will be tracked and reported on annually.
Review the reinventing the solid waste system presentation (PDF) for more information. Read more about the briefing in the Star Tribune and Sahan Journal.
Repair your stuff at an upcoming Fix-It Clinic
 Get help with your broken stuff and learn valuable repair skills at an upcoming Fix-It Clinic. At the clinic, you’ll get guided assistance from volunteers with repair skills to disassemble, troubleshoot, and (hopefully) fix small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and more.
Clinics are held on the second Saturday of most months from noon to 4 p.m., with the last items accepted at 3:30 p.m. Events are first come, first served.
Upcoming clinics will be held:
- Saturday, February 10 at Wayzata Community Church
- Saturday, March 9 at Champlin Ice Forum
- Saturday, April 13 at Grace Center for Community Life in northeast Minneapolis
Webinar: Brownfields funding for redevelopment in Minnesota
Tuesday, February 27 from noon to 1 p.m.
Learn about grants and loans available from counties and regional and state agencies that help pay the cost of cleaning up contaminated sites, often known as brownfields. Brownfield properties can be cleaned up and redeveloped and are often close to a high-quality workforce, good transportation, and transit.
Register for the webinar.
Resale business development training
Sundays, March 3 and 10, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at North Regional Library in Minneapolis
Reuse Minnesota, a nonprofit supporting the resale, repair, and rental economy, is hosting a business development training for those interested in starting or expanding a resale business, such as a thrift or secondhand store. The training will cover topics such the business basics of resale, product procurement, and growth and expansion. Participants who complete both training sessions and the follow-up survey will be receive a $100 stipend. Learn more and apply.
Green Notes provides a monthly overview of environmental news from Hennepin County. We send numerous other newsletters that dive deeper into specific environmental topics.
Here’s what we offer. Visit the Hennepin County subscribe page in the environment section to sign up!
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Aquatic invasive species early detection: Updates about aquatic invasive species in the county, research findings, training opportunities, and more.
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Apartments recycle newsletter: Resources, recycling tips, funding opportunities, and inspirational projects for property managers and residents in multifamily properties.
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Conservation Connection: Updates on funding and technical support opportunities, resources, tips, and project features related to rural conservation and land management.
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Choose to Reuse: Tips, resources, and events to help you waste less and live better by reusing, repairing, refusing, and renting rather than buying new.
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Environmental education news: Updates on environmental education programs and resources, events, training, networking opportunities, and stories about what others in the field are doing.
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Recycling at Work: Updates on business recycling resources, events, programs, training, and grant opportunities plus tips to improve recycling in a variety of business settings.
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Sustainable schools: Information to help improve sustainability and environmental education in schools, including support and funding available, curriculum, training, and resources.
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Trees and forestry canopy newsletter: Information about planting and caring for trees, including funding opportunities, tree sales, volunteer opportunities, Arbor Day celebrations, and educational resources.
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