What is made with your recycled material?

Nov. 15 is America Recycles Day! In Ramsey County, each household recycles an average of 1,031 pounds of material each year. Do you know what becomes of the materials you put in your recycling cart?

• Aluminum cans can be made into new aluminum cans in as little as 60 days!
• Steel/tin cans can be made into new cans, metal beams, wire, cars and appliances.
• Glass bottles and jars can be made into new drink and condiment bottles and fiberglass.
• Cartons can be made into paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, office paper, ceiling tiles and wall boards.
• #1 plastic (PET), like pop and water bottles, can be turned into new beverage bottles, recyclable food containers, carpet, backpacks, clothing and insulation for ski jackets and sleeping bags.
• #2 plastic (HDPE), like milk jugs and detergent bottles, can be turned into new bottles, buckets, containers, patio furniture and irrigation pipes.
• #5 plastic (PP), like yogurt tubs and lids, can be turned into plastic paint cans, car parts and other durable plastic goods.
• Paper can be made into new paper, egg cartons, kitty litter, newspaper, paper towel rolls, toilet paper, tissue, napkins, sheetrock and building insulation.
• Cardboard boxes can be made into new cardboard and paper bags.

Do your part and pledge to recycle more! Visit the America Recycles Day webpage.

Do your part: Buy recycled goods

Putting recyclable items in your recycling cart is just the first step. Keep doing your part by buying products made of recycled materials. This keeps the markets for these recovered materials strong.

Many Minnesota manufacturers make quality products of all kinds from recycled materials. Search the Minnesota Recycled Products Directory and support Minnesota recyclers. There are many more recycled products made outside of Minnesota, too. From home and office supplies made from recycled paper to lawn, garden, and building supplies made from recycled plastic, you’re sure to find something that meets your needs!

Public-private partnership adds more electric vehicle charging stations in Ramsey County

Last year, the cities of White Bear Lake and Shoreview, both Minnesota GreenStep Cities, worked with Cummins, Inc., a global commercial and industrial equipment manufacturer, to advance the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in their cities. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. EVs, which are becoming more widely available, help reduce those emissions. EV charging stations allow users to recharge their vehicles and increase the distances they can travel. Charging stations also increase awareness of EVs in the community.

This partnership was facilitated by the Great Plains Institute, which brings different entities together to solve energy related problems. Cummins wanted to focus more on environmental work through their community involvement program. Cummins chose to work with the cities of White Bear Lake and Shoreview because they own facilities in these two cities. Cummins employees worked with city staff every step of the way, leading them through the decision-making process about what type of chargers to use, where to put them, and how to advertise them. Representatives of both cities and Cummins said  the project was valuable and they enjoyed the collaboration.

Read more about this project on the Great Plains Institute blog.

Bringing household hazardous waste collection to the Latinx community

In an effort to gain more participants from the Latinx community, Ramsey County brought their mobile household hazardous waste collection truck to Saint Paul’s West Side neighborhood in September. The event was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Saturday, Sept. 12. The church has a high number of parishioners from the Latinx community and is close to many Latinx businesses and gathering spaces.

Nearly 300 households dropped off unwanted household hazardous waste like paint, used oil, fluorescent bulbs, batteries and many other items that cannot go in the trash. Participants also had the chance to meet La Raza 95.7 FM radio personality, El Corre, who broadcasted live from the event over the lunch hour. El Corre promoted the collection and even interviewed a few participants who encouraged listeners to be responsible with their health and their families’ health by disposing of household hazardous waste items safely.

Need to dispose of household hazardous waste items? Learn more about our year-round collection site.

Read this article in Spanish.

Lea este artículo en español.

Compost your Halloween pumpkins

When you're ready to dispose of  your Halloween pumpkins, bring them to one of our yard waste sites for composting. Remove any candles and decorations.

When you're at the site, please put your pumpkins in the leaf pile, not the food scraps dumpster. Thank you!

Find a yard waste collection site.

Ramsey and Washington counties working together to manage waste

Did you know that Ramsey and Washington counties work extensively together to reduce and manage waste? Much of this work is done through Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E). The counties and R&E offer programs to help reduce waste in the community, such as the popular BizRecycling program. Additionally, R&E owns and operates the Recycling & Energy Center in Newport, where all trash from residents and businesses in the two counties is delivered.

At the Recycling & Energy Center, trash is processed to recover high-value recyclables and to generate a fuel that is used by Xcel Energy Center to generate electricity. By working together through R&E, the counties are maximizing resources and supporting health and the environment in our communities.

Learn more about R&E and its impact.

Business Pollution Prevention Program offers increased support for businesses

As many businesses have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are facing economic hardship, the Business Pollution Prevention Program is now offering increased support to dry cleaning, auto body, and painting businesses for adapting to safer and more efficient technology. The program offers financial support for up to 75% of project costs, up to $50,000, for businesses to upgrade equipment to reduce pollution and improve the health of workers, communities, and the environment. For more information, contact Christina Vang at cvang@environmental-initiative.org.