Success Stories:
Highland
Catholic School Reduces Lunchroom Waste
Highland Catholic
School serves between 75 and 250 meals a day. Without plumbing to support a
commercial grade dishwasher, the school used Styrofoam™ plates and bowls.
Working with EcoConsilium to create a better waste disposal plan and a BizRecycling grant
to get needed collection bins, Highland Catholic School went all in to make a
positive environmental impact.
By involving parent
volunteers, they implemented single sort recycling collection, compost and milk
carton collection, and switched to compostable plates and bowls.
The program has been
a success. Before, Highland Catholic School’s cafeteria produced 12 large
plastic bags of trash daily. Now the cafeteria generates only two large plastic
bags of trash daily – an 83% reduction in volume!
News You Can Use:
Help
Prevent the Spread of Emerald Ash Borer
Early
May is the start of the flight season for Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive insect
that kills ash trees. This means that EAB adult beetles are emerging from
infested trees and flying in search of new ash tree hosts. The Minnesota
Department of Agriculture (MDA) advises against pruning ash branches or
removing ash stumps or trees from May through September. These activities create tree wounds that can
attract adult beetles and further the spread of EAB.
EAB has spread to 15 Minnesota
counties since its discovery in St. Paul in 2009. The best prevention method against the spread
of EAB is not to move firewood. For more
information, visit www.mda.state.mn.us/emeraldashborer.
Waste Less Food
Did
you know that 40% of all food in the U.S. is never consumed? There are easy
steps you can take to reduce food waste. Do you have picky eaters at home? Get them involved in cooking meals because
people, including kids, tend to like what they make. Find more tips at SavetheFood.com
including how to plan meals, shop smarter, and store foods for maximum
life. When foods do go bad or uneaten,
bring them to an organics recycling drop-off. To learn how to participate, visit RamseyRecycles.com/organicwaste.
Buy a Compost Bin at a Discount
Thinking
about composting in your backyard? You can purchase a compost bin for $64, plus
tax. And Ramsey County residents get $20 off! Go to www.recycleminnesota.org
and enter promo code “Ramsey” or call 651-641-4589. Then pick up your
pre-ordered bin on June 10 in Saint Paul.
Plant Sales in May
The 2017 Ramsey County Plant Sale, hosted by the county's Master Gardeners, will be held on Saturday, May 20 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at "The Barn," which is located at 2020 White Bear Avenue in Maplewood. The sale features hundreds of native plants, perennials for sun and shade, tomatoes, herbs, hostas and more – all grown by expert gardeners. You will also find winning plants from the Minnesota seed trials.
The Volunteers in Corrections flower sale will be Fridays through Sundays from May 5 until May 21. This sale is located at the Ramsey County Correctional Facility at 297 South Century Avenue in Saint Paul (enter off Lower Afton Road). It features a variety of hanging baskets, deck pots, vegetables and herbs. See website for hours.
Did you know?
Since 1991, residents have delivered over 15 million pounds
of paint at Ramsey County household hazardous waste sites! What does Ramsey
County do with all that paint? First, any paint can that is mostly full and
contains good, usable paint is added to the Product Reuse Center for residents
to take for free.
Second, the latex paint cans that are less than half full or
chunky are sent to a paint recycler in Fridley. This paint is reformulated and
sold in stores. Any paint that is not recyclable is either used as a latex
additive in cement or as a landfill cover material.
Oil-based paints that are not reusable are sent to cement
kilns where they are blended with other flammable waste and used as a secondary
fuel for cement production.
To find out where to recycle your paint, go to RamseyRecycles.com/householdhazardouswaste.
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