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April 2019
An environmental health newsletter from Ramsey County.
North Oaks Golf Club Diverts More than 16,000 Pounds of Trash
 North Oaks Golf Club, a championship golf course and dining destination, is committed to being good stewards of the environment. The golf club recently worked with BizRecyling to expand their recycling and organics collections.
With over 40,000 diners and 15,000 golfers annually, the club was using large quanitities of beverage cups and to-go containers. So they decided to switch these items to certified compostable products and collect them with food waste and hand towels for organics recycling. With support from a BizRecyling grant, they also updated their recycling and organics collection bins throughout their facilites. They even added bins at every other hole on the golf course.
North Oaks Golf Club now diverts 6,072 pounds of recycling and 10,350 pounds of organics recycling from the trash annually, which is the weight of more than three adult white rhinos! They also decreased their trash service from four to three cubic yards per pickup, saving $200 a month in trash expenses.
BizRecycling works with businesses in Ramsey and Washington counties to improve their recycling and organics collection. Learn more at BizRecycling.com or call 651-266-1199.
Purchase a Compost Bin – Save $20
 Celebrate Earth Day by composting at home! The Recycling Association of Minnesota is selling compost bins for $64, plus tax. Ramsey County residents can receive a special $20 discount when they order online at RecycleMinnesota.org or by calling 651-641-4589 – just use the promo code “Ramsey” to get the discount!
Pre-ordered bins will be available on April 27 in Maplewood. Find additional dates and locations at RecycleMinnesota.org.
Step Up Your Recycling Game
 When it comes to household recycling, most of us focus on the kitchen but forget about other rooms. Think beyond the kitchen by collecting recyclables throughout your home. From shampoo bottles in the bathroom to dryer sheet boxes and detergent bottles in the laundry room, you can recycle more than you think! Visit Recycling at Home for a list of ideas.
Remember to recycle right by placing them loose in your recycling cart or in a paper bag. Do not use plastic bags. If you are in doubt about an item, refer to our A to Z Recycling and Disposal Guide or call our 24/7 hotline at 651-633-EASY.
Spring has Sprung at County Yard Waste Sites
 April 1 marks the first day of extended yard waste site hours, meaning now is the time to spruce up your yard by raking leaves, trimming back dead perennials, and removing any leftover annual flowers and garden plants. But don’t put any of that yard waste in the trash – bring it to one of Ramsey County’s free yard waste sites!
Here’s how to use the sites in 3 easy steps:
- Gather leaves and other plant waste.
- Bring your gathered leaves and plants to a Ramsey County yard waste site.
- Add the waste to the designated pile for leaves and plants. Remember to take your empty leaf bags with you.
Four county yard waste sites also accept tree and shrub waste. When at the sites, please remember to keep this waste separate from other yard waste and place it in the designated piles. If you have questions, ask the yard waste monitor at the site.
If you’ve never been to a Ramsey County yard waste site before, we’ve got you covered!
As a bonus, some yard waste sites offer free compost, fill dirt and mulch, while supplies last. Be the first to know when these items become available by signing up to receive email notifications. Happy spring!
The Life of a Recycled Plastic Bottle
Have you ever wondered what happens to a plastic bottle after it leaves your recycling cart? First, the recycling truck takes it to a recycling facility where it is put on a conveyor belt. Once on the belt, optical sorters send beams of light through items to detect the type of plastic. It detects all colors of plastic, except black plastic. That is why black plastic is not accepted with recyclables - light can’t shine through it to be sorted!
Once the type of plastic is identified, air blows the item into the correct sorting bin, where bottles collect to form a bale. These bales will go to companies who grind them up into plastic flakes. The plastic flakes are sterilized and melted into liquid and then shaped into smooth rice-sized pellets.
These tiny pellets are then sold to manufacturers as raw material to make new plastic bottles or other items like carpet, clothing, the fuzz on a tennis ball or even stuffing in a teddy bear.
Remember to empty and rinse plastic bottles before you toss them into your recycling cart, so the material is clean. Also, do not squish or flatten plastic bottles. They can be missed by the sorters. Visit Recycling at Home to find out what items are recyclable and commit to recycling all you can!
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