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Check out the local and national sustainability & build reuse events and conferences coming up! More organizations are recognizing the benefits of sustainable buildings and building material management. Check out the latest news below:
The next MN Quarterly Built Environment meeting is scheduled for September 29, 1pm-3pm.
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Guest speaker: Mycocycle founder Joanne Rodriguez!
About Mycocycle: The New Recycling Economy
Mycocycle is addressing some of the world’s hardest to treat toxic constituents created from plastics and petrochemical. Eliminating a significant strain on our ecosystem our technology diverts materials from landfills, allowing for reuse into other applications.
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Stick around for updates from Better Futures MN as they provide a legislative funding update. Also, we'll provide updates on various program developments on increased sustainability in the built environment in Minnesota and beyond. We'll also provide an opportunity to network with other sustainable built environment professionals around who attend.
Click the link to join the Microsoft Teams meeting
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Meeting ID: 218 154 685 829 (Passcode: mRSdvV)
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Call in/audio only: 651-395-7448 (Phone Conference ID: 261 378 253#)
 Decon + Reuse ‘22 is the largest conference focusing on building preservation and reuse in North America! It's probably no surprise that many of the speakers are from Minnesota, including:
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Emily Barker, Reuse Minnesota: Hosting a building materials collection event
- Melissa Wenzel, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: Ready, set, MAP! A hands-on tool to list or browse organizations in the sustainable built environment
- Natalie Hunt, University of Minnesota: UMN Sustainable Systems Management Building Materials Impact Assessment
- Nicole Witt, University of Minnesota: Sustainable Materials Management in Minnesota's Built Environment
- Tess Holladay, Rethos: Do It Yourself! Community-Centered Reuse
- Victor Krause, U Of MN Duluth/NRRI: Applied research focused on sustainability, circular economy, and life cycle thinking
Conference dates & times: October 18 - 20, 10am-4pm (Central Time)
3 options to for registration:
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Full Conference Pass: Single ticket $175 ($125 Early Bird)
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Bring the Team! Members: $40 per additional attendee (Non-members $60 per additional attendee)
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Student Registration: $15 Includes any type of student. It includes recent grads and those enrolled in any sort of AmeriCorps program.
Early Bird rates are good through 9/23. Click on the registration link to register today!
The Birch Group founder, Petrina Rhines, asks: “What’s the true cost of a standard demolition?”
If you are a Minnesota property owner, a general contractor, or a developer, you might be surprised to learn traditional destruction methods do much more than pulverize an existing property.
According to the EPA, construction material waste accounts for 40% of all solid waste in landfills. 600 million tons of C&D debris were generated in the United States in 2018, which is more than twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste. Building deconstruction is a sustainable alternative. It reduces landfill waste, resource extraction, and C02 emissions. As environmental stewards, we advocate deconstruction to also stimulate green jobs and workforce development. Additional jobs come from processing and reselling salvaged goods within our reuse store Scrapbox Salvage Co.
Birch Group reimagines what it means to deconstruct by providing a cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative to demolition and create new jobs, decrease waste, and keep Minnesota a beautiful place to live.
The foundation of our green mission includes deconstruction project that combat waste and unemployment and provides tax deductions from supporting a Minnesota 501(C)3 Non-Profit Organization.
The Birch Group is driven by its Green Mission Motto: For A Cleaner, More Prosperous Minnesota. To accomplish this mission, Birch Group uses a three-pronged approach, which is reflected in its tagline "Rethink. Reclaim. Reuse." This process involves rethinking the way people approach demolition projects and environmental waste, reclaiming human potential by giving others a rewarding job opportunity, and reusing construction materials by repurposing them for other needs and projects
RETHINK. One building’s trash is another building’s foundation. The Birch Group “Green Mission” to reduce construction material waste by 10% within the next two years. They don’t destroy. They deconstruct.
RECLAIM. The Birch Group is not just about protecting the environment. The organization gives struggling Minnesotans a chance to build a new life. Our team employs a variety of team members from diverse backgrounds who may have been shut out from other job opportunities. Less unemployment, more strong communities.
REUSE. Tomorrow’s opportunities often come from yesterday’s projects. The Birch Group reuse store saves recyclable materials from deconstruction projects and repurposes them for a fresh start and strive to be a part of the circular economy as part of the #ShopReuse Movement.
Are you looking to learn more about the reuse industry and how you can help? The REUSEMN22 Conference is the perfect way to start! The conference is October 3-4, 2022, at the University of St. Thomas / Schulze Hall. Click on the registration link to register.
Want to learn more about the Birch Group? View their website to learn how the Birch Group is leading the efforts for a more sustainable building material management system.
Petrina lives by her inspiring motto: "the future is green. Let’s build it together!"
Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps in Duluth, Minnesota is a non-profit organization that creates pathways for young people entering the historic preservation workforce. Every summer, the organization has several crews of 18-25 year olds that travel throughout Minnesota preserving historic structures and sites.
Through their partnership with RETHOS, a nonprofit organization working towards the nationwide use of old buildings and sites, the Preservation Corps is looking to create a Community Advisory Network. This network would be used by both organizations and communities throughout Minnesota looking for advice or guidance on how to preserve historic buildings, sites, and/or structures.
Enrolling in the Community Advisory Network means:
- Working as a Technical Instructor for Northern Bedrock. Click here to learn more;
- Working with Rethos to teach community classes on topics such as window restoration or how to properly weatherize a building. Click here to learn more about the type of classes RETHOS hosts and;
- Having your information listed as a Historic Preservation Specialist on a publicly hosted website.
To join the Community Advisory Network, click here!
Have questions? Please reach out to Ashley Newton (she/her), AmeriCorps VISTA, Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps.
 At the PreserveMN 2022 conference, historic preservationists tour the Duluth Armory, a building being repurposed for multiple purposes. The building is anticipated to open in 2024.
Here are our top picks for built environment news articles in Minnesota and beyond:
Minnesota built environment news
Equity and justice in the built environment:
Landfill concerns and news
Deconstruction & reuse of buildings, building materials
Sustainable construction & building materials management
Best practices, policy developments
Email us at demo.mpca@state.mn.us. Check out our website.
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