Success Stories:
Small Changes for Cleaner Air
Windy’s Collision Center and Heppner’s Auto Body have made the extra effort and investment to improve our air quality and reduce the volume of hazardous waste produced. Both Ramsey County businesses have been part of the hazardous waste inspection program for many years for their solvent-related waste.
With the assistance of a state grant, they were able to convert their painting operations from solvent based to water based paint. This small change does not impact the quality of the work that is being done but allows each shop to reduce its volume of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) by about 500 pounds. In making this shift to water based paint, they’re preventing the equivalent of 250 cans of spray paint (and its air pollutants!) from reaching our atmosphere. We can all breathe better from that! For more information on applying for grants or their painting process, call 651-266-1199.
Environmental Initiative Honors Ramsey County
Three environmental projects Ramsey County is involved with were recently honored at the 25th Anniversary Environmental Initiative Awards.
The county received the Natural Resources award for its work on Rice Creek Commons, the redevelopment at the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant site. The award cited the county’s leadership in sustainable demolition of the vacant munitions factory, removal of tons of hazardous waste, and remediation of soil to residential standards.
The county works with two other initiatives that also received awards:
- The Governmental Solar Garden Collaborative – a joint effort by and for 31 local governments to procure solar garden subscriptions from a single Request for Proposals (RFP) process to offset energy used at public facilities.
- Better Futures Minnesota – provides job training in the deconstruction and materials reuse field to individuals seeking self-sufficiency.
News You Can Use:
Putting Your Organic Waste to Work
Look inside your trash can. What do you see? According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, food scraps and non-recyclable paper, like pizza boxes and napkins, make up 30 percent of our trash. But there’s a better place to put those materials - Ramsey County offers a free organics recycling drop-off program for residents at seven convenient locations throughout Ramsey County.
Thinking of participating? Visit RamseyRecycles.com/organicwaste for information on where to pick-up a free starter kit that includes a kitchen compost bucket, instructions, compostable bags, reminder magnets and a loyalty card to earn a t-shirt.
With the small step of recycling your organic waste, you will help reduce methane emissions that contribute to global climate change. The compost that is created from the organics will also return essential nutrients to the soil and improve soil health.
Focusing on Reuse
Reusing extends a product’s useful life, saves natural resources, conserves energy and saves money. How should the County support reuse activities? If you have ideas, let us know! Go to: ramseyrecycles.com/masterplan, click on "connect with us."
Keeping Your Food Safe This Summer
It’s summertime and you probably have gatherings coming up that involve picnics, potlucks and people grilling. To keep your food safe to consume, follow these four easy steps:
1: Wash hands, food and food preparation surfaces.
2: Use separate plates for raw and cooked food.
3: Cook food to the correct internal temperatures (chicken 165⁰F, hamburger 160⁰F).
4: After cooking, place food in refrigeration. Do not leave food at room temp longer than two hours.
If you have questions, call 651-266-1199.
Did you know?
Did you know that Ramsey County has a food safety program to train managers who work at food establishments? ServSafe is a popular national food safety program that certifies food managers. In the past six years, Ramsey County has trained over 1,000 food managers. ServSave is an ongoing program that requires food managers to be recertified every three years by attending additional training.
For more information, download our PDF or call 651-266-1199. It is recommended that you register three to four weeks in advance of your full-day ServSafe training date.
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