Success Stories:
Household Hazardous Waste Collection on the West
Side
With
nearly 400 participants (up nearly 50 percent from last fall), the household
hazardous waste collection on May 13 was a great success. Ramsey County brought
its mobile household hazardous waste collection truck to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Church and provided a free drop-off site for residents living on the West Side
of Saint Paul. The one-day collection event has become an annual tradition for
residents to clean out harmful chemicals from their home and then safely
dispose of them at the free collection site.
Recycling Guide Receives Communications Award
The
2016 Ramsey County Recycling Guide was recognized in May with the Bronze Award
at the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators’ 35th
Annual Northern Lights Awards. This is the second Northern Lights award for the
Environmental Health Division. Last
year, we received the top award for our Ramsey Recycles campaign.
Connecting Value to Waste for 30 years
The Recycling & Energy Center celebrated its 30-year
anniversary on June 22. Waste from homes and businesses in Ramsey and
Washington counties is shredded at the center and then transported to power
plants in Red Wing and Mankato, where the shredded waste produces electricity
to power approximately 20,000 homes a year. Since it opened in 1987, the center
has processed an amount of waste that would have otherwise consumed landfill
space equivalent to 75 four-story deep football fields.
News You Can Use:
Borrow Our Recycling Containers
Have
you been to an event and felt disappointed that you couldn’t recycle your empty
cans and bottles? If you’re hosting a gathering
this summer, set out your recycling cart for guests to use, or borrow a
temporary recycling container from Ramsey County by visiting RamseyRecycles.com/EventRecycling. Interested in trying organics collection? We
have organics recycling containers available to borrow, too!
Recycle at the Ramsey County Fair
Visit
the free Ramsey County Fair July 12-16, a family
tradition since 1913! While you enjoy the sights and sounds, check out the
recycling and organics containers. Many
food vendors are now using compostable containers! You’ll find green bins in
the picnic area to place compostable paper boats, napkins, forks and any leftover
food. Remember to place plastic cups, bottles and cans in the blue recycling
bins.
Give Us Your Input On Waste and Recycling
This spring, Environmental Health assembled the Solid Waste Advisory
Committee (SWAC), which included 25 individuals representing residents, cities,
waste industry firms and other businesses in Ramsey County. The SWAC met
to discuss policy direction and strategy development for three topic areas for
the upcoming Solid Waste Management Master Plan:
- Source reduction and reuse.
- Reduction of food waste and management of organic waste.
- Management of construction and demolition waste.
In early August, a draft
copy of the Solid Waste Management Master Plan will be available for additional
resident feedback. Read it at RamseyRecycles.com/masterplan or at a Ramsey County library, then send us your feedback.
Did you know?
Ramsey
County began its pre-demolition inspection program in 2008. Before a building
is demolished, staff work with demolition contractors to properly identify hazardous
materials and items, and ensure that these contractors get the right waste to
the right place for recycling or disposal. The pre-demolition inspection focuses on major appliances, asbestos,
demolition waste, electronics and hazardous waste. There is also a reuse component. Materials, such as trim, wood flooring,
cabinets, plumbing and electrical fixtures, and structural lumber, that are in
good condition are used again. Since
2008, staff have inspected over 1,200 residential, commercial and industrial
buildings, with over 80 percent of those structures containing asbestos.
Sign up to receive Green Ramsey in your inbox each month.
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. |
