Recycling communications win two awards

Ramsey County’s 2021 Recycling Guide recently received an award in the Northern Lights contest from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators. The annual guide has information for residents about our recycling programs, including household recycling, food scraps collection, yard waste and household hazardous waste. It is mailed to all households in March each year.

The guide, which took home a bronze in the multipage publication category, was completely redesigned in 2021 by Ramsey County’s marketing firm, Metre. They rebranded the guide with topics color coded and more images added throughout, to make the guide more user-friendly and to better represent the diversity of county residents.  

In partnership with Hennepin County, Washington County and Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy, Ramsey County also received a bronze award in the public information project category for a 2021 battery disposal campaign.

Fires caused by batteries are a growing concern for waste and recycling facilities. The campaign was designed to educate residents on proper battery disposal, to increase the number of batteries brought to drop-off sites and decrease batteries in the trash and recycling.

Thanks to all our partners who shared the messages from this campaign, which ran throughout 2021. All three counties saw increases in battery collection following the campaign.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Join us in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), by considering the many ways Hispanic and Latine communities have contributed to the protection, restoration and appreciation of our environment.

• Learn about the historical and present place and presence Hispanic and Latine communities have in Ramsey County. The West Side Flats neighborhood along the Mississippi River was a thriving Mexican-American cultural and economic hub (alongside other immigrant groups), before the community was displaced to make room for an industrial park in 1964. The community continues to live in the surrounding area today in District del Sol in Saint Paul.
• Many Latine groups in Minnesota and beyond work to make the outdoors accessible and welcoming to all communities. Groups include GreenLatinos, Outdoor Latino Minnesota, and BIPOC Outdoors Twin Cities.
• Learn about and celebrate Hispanic and Latine environmentalists.

We proudly celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and acknowledge the important contributions Hispanic and Latine communities have made to protect and improve our environment in Ramsey County.

Learn before you burn

With cooler evenings ahead, you may be planning to enjoy a backyard fire. Before you burn, be aware that certain wood fires can cause excess smoke and harmful pollution for you and your neighbors. Follow these tips to enjoy safe fires this season:

• Don’t burn plastic, garbage or yard waste.
• Let your neighbors know when you will be burning.
• Don’t burn on bad air quality days.

For more tips on how to burn responsibly, visit EPA.gov/BurnWise.

Best by dates

Did you know that food is often safe to eat beyond “best by” dates? Many consumers misunderstand the purpose and meaning of the date labels that often appear on packaged foods. Confusion over date labeling accounts for an estimated 20 percent of consumer food waste!

These dates are not federally regulated, and, except for infant formula, are not related to food safety. Proper food storage is what’s most important when it comes to food safety. Use your senses (sight, smell) to determine if food is good to eat. Learn more here.

Fix your stuff and fix the world

All are welcome to join the MN Tool Library's FIX-IN events this Fall. Dare to repair that item that's on the fritz instead of tossing it in the dumpster!

Bring in your small household items, tools and textiles that need some love and together we'll get to fix'in! MTL will have tools and expertise on-hand to help troubleshoot and teach you how to repair your items!

No registration required. Our Community Fix-In is open to the public and participation is FREE. Learn more. 

AskEH: Plastic bags and plastic wrap disposal

Q: What's the best way to get rid of plastic bags and plastic wrap? Why can't I put them in my recycling bin?

A: Plastic bags, wrap and film are not recyclable and cannot be put in your curbside recycling bin. They can cause problems in recycling facilities by getting wound around the equipment.

Plastic film includes the following examples:

• Plastic bags.
• Newspaper, produce and bread bags.
• Zip-top food storage bags.
• Dry cleaning bags.
• Cracker and cereal box liners (no paper or metallic liners).
• Plastic shipping envelopes (remove labels), bubble wrap and air pillows.
• Wrap from household products, like paper towels, toilet paper, beverage cases, napkins, diapers and female sanitary products.
• Water softener and sidewalk salt bags.

Do not use a plastic bag to collect your recyclables. Plastic bags, wrap and film can be put in your trash or brought to a drop-off location for recycling. Please make sure that bags you drop off are clean and dry.

Plastic bags can often be reused.

Do you have a question about recycling and disposal and can’t find the answer in our A to Z Recycling & Disposal Guide? Call our Recycling & Disposal hotline at 651-633-EASY (3279) or send us a message.

Recipe round-up: Ugly vegetable pasta

Garden produce going bad? Don't toss your limp, bruised and disfigured veggies just yet. Save the Food's ugly vegetable pasta is the perfect fall dish to use up those less-than-perfect vegetables.