Green Ramsey Newsletter - November 2016 Issue

Logo Update

Green Ramsey 

An Environmental Health Newsletter from Ramsey County - November 2016

 

  

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, November 19, 2016
Fix-It Clinic, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Wentworth Library
199 Wentworth Ave. E.
West Saint Paul

Saturday, December 17, 2016
Fix-It Clinic, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
401 Concord St., Saint Paul

More information online.

 

RESOURCES

Be Active! Be Green! Recycling Container Grants
Need a recycling container in a park or public building? Our Be Active! Be Green! grant program is available for public entities to purchase recycling containers. Help make recycling easier when on-the-go. Call 651-266-1179.

Recycling Bins for Events
Hosting an event? Call 651-266-1199 for temporary bottles and cans recycling bins and organics recycling bins, or reserve them online.

BizAware
Calling all business organizations in the East Metro! Got a great idea to get other businesses to go green? Use our green to get going

Public Entity Innovation Grants
Do you have an innovative idea to increase recycling through your city, school, park board, library or watershed district? Grants are available to help kick-start your idea! Call 651-266-1199 or email AskEH@co.ramsey.mn.us .

Tours
Waste collected in Ramsey and Washington Counties and beyond is hauled to the Recycling & Energy (R&E) Center to be turned into fuel for energy. The R&E Center is owned by the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board.

 

CONTACT US

Green Ramsey is published by the Environmental Health Division of Saint Paul - Ramsey County Public Health.

2785 White Bear Ave. N.
Suite 350
Maplewood, MN, 55109

651-266-1199

AskEH@co.ramsey.mn.us

RamseyRecycles.com

 

 

 

 

Main Photo


Success Stories:

Luci Ancora Restaurant Takes the Next Step

Luci Ancora restaurant in Saint Paul was already purchasing locally grown foods that were sustainably raised. Owner, Maria Gans, wanted to take the next step and look into recycling, so she contacted BizRecycling and their associates. It was recommended to Maria that she update her collection signage and begin organics and single-sort recycling.

With the new programs in place, Luci Ancora increased their recycling by 75 percent or 33,000 pounds a year! By diverting waste to recycling, the restaurant is also saving $2,300 a year in hauling fees. Recycling not only helps the environment – but your pocketbook! BizRecycling is a program of the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board. To learn more, visit LessTrash.com.

Luci

News You Can Use:

Recycle Your Pumpkins

Now that the trick-or-treaters have come and gone, what should you do with your decaying jack-o-lanterns? You can put them in your backyard compost bin if you have one or bring them to a Ramsey County yard waste site. There are seven sites in the county, and they are free to Ramsey County residents. For locations and other materials accepted, go to RamseyRecycles.com/yardwaste or call 651-633-EASY (3279), which is answered 24/7.

Remember that leaves, grass clippings, brush, and other plant material cannot be mixed with your trash. Contact your trash hauler about a separate yard waste pick-up service (for a fee) or bring them to a Ramsey County yard waste site for free. 

decaying pumpkin

Where to Recycle String Lights

Do you have holiday lights that don’t light up anymore? They’re recyclable! Bring them to Ramsey County’s year-round household hazardous waste site during hours of operation. The site is located at 5 Empire Drive in Saint Paul. All types of cords are accepted. Do not include lights with attached battery packs, electronics or appliances. For hours and a list of other items accepted, go to RamseyRecycles.com/householdhazardouswaste or call 651-633-EASY (3279).

string lights

What Paper Products are Compostable

If you participate in Ramsey County’s organics recycling program, read on to find out what paper products are compostable. Shiny or waxy paper cups, (cups from coffee shops and fast food restaurants), as well as decorative paper plates are usually not compostable or recyclable. Shiny or waxy paper products have a thin plastic (polyethylene) lining to prevent the product from falling apart when it comes in contact with liquid. This is also true for ice cream cartons and tubs. The plastic lining on these shiny or waxy paper products makes them non-compostable and non-recyclable.

Coffee cups and cold cups that are compostable are marked “compostable” and have the BPI or Cedar Grove compostable logo on them. These items have been verified to fully and safely break down in a commercial composting facility, leaving no unnatural byproducts. Shiny or waxy paper food service products that are not clearly marked for compostability should go in the garbage. To verify if an item is compostable, visit www.bpiworld.org and search the product catalog.

Plain paper plates without a shiny coating do not need to be labeled “compostable”. They are accepted in Ramsey County’s organics drop-off program. To learn more about this program and find drop-off locations, visit RamseyRecycles.com/organicwaste or call 651-633-EASY (3279). Free starter kits are still available at the yard waste sites.

BPICedar Grove

Did you know?

Ramsey County Environmental Health has a lead hazard control program that conducts environmental investigations on the homes occupied by young children with elevated blood lead levels. In 2016, 82 homes with children with lead poisoning were assessed to determine the source of the poisoning. In most cases, the source is deteriorated windows painted with lead-based paint.

Ramsey County Environmental Health also completes lead risk assessments on all homes under renovation by various neighborhood rehab agencies throughout the County. In 2015, they completed 117 risk assessments, informing the agency and the homeowner where the dangerous lead is in the home, as well as how to best minimize the lead risk.


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