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R&E Center Hauler Newsletter - Summer 2024
August 5, 2024
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To celebrate 37 years of successful partnerships with community waste haulers, we’re hosting a catered lunch at our facility.
DETAILS
Who: Drivers, owners, supervisors, managers and employees
Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
Time: Come anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Location: R&E Center Admin Building Parking Lot
100 Red Rock Road Newport, MN 55055
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R&E has appointed Trista Martinson as its first executive director after a competitive national search. Martinson, a seasoned leader with extensive experience in military, nonprofit and government roles, is committed to advancing R&E’s mission of responsible waste management, increasing recycling and protecting our communities’ health and environment. She will assume her role at R&E in early August.
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If thrown in the trash or recycling, batteries may catch fire and pose a threat to people and property. This is also why airlines require travelers to place all electronics containing rechargeable (i.e., lithium) batteries in their carry-on bag instead of putting them in checked luggage stored below deck on the airplane. Some batteries also contain toxic metals, such as cadmium, lead or mercury, which can pose a threat to health and the environment.
To mitigate these dangers, encourage your residential customers to responsibly dispose of their batteries at a county drop-off facility. For more information and downloadable resources, visit our website: Battery Disposal Resources.
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Starting October 1, 2024, the Food Scraps Pickup Program will expand to 19 new communities, adding approximately 28,000 eligible households.
Communities currently eligible: Cottage Grove, Grey Cloud Island, Landfall, Maplewood, Newport, North Saint Paul, Oakdale, St. Paul Park and Woodbury
Communities eligible starting October 1, 2024: Afton, Bayport, Baytown Township, Birchwood, City of St. Mary’s Point, Dellwood, Denmark Township, Grant, Lake Elmo, Lake Saint Croix Beach, Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, Mahtomedi, Oak Park Heights, Pine Springs, Stillwater, Stillwater Township, West Lakeland Township and Willernie
Haulers servicing residential areas, multi-unit complexes and senior living communities in newly eligible communities will haul directly to the R&E Center starting October 1, 2024. Collection routes and processes will remain the same. When haulers arrive at the R&E Center, they will be directed to a new tipping floor to enable food scrap bags to be sorted from trash using AI sortation technology.
We recognize the crucial role that haulers play in engaging residents, and we courage you to promote program participation in eligible communities. The program will continue to roll out over the next several years and will eventually be available to all residents of Ramsey and Washington counties. We will keep you informed of future program expansion and appreciate your involvement in implementing this program.
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Thank you for informing your customers that infectious waste may not be placed in your dumpsters. While we’ve seen a significant decrease in such waste at the R&E Center, we are still seeing an occasional load with infectious waste in it. When these loads arrive, we have been directed by state agencies to either redirect the entire load to an approved infectious waste facility or have a qualified contractor recover and manage the infectious waste from the load, both of which are very costly for haulers and their customers. Proper management by healthcare customers can prevent this entirely.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)'s fact sheet provides guidance on how to properly manage infectious waste. Contact us if you need further resources for your customers. Thank you again for your attention to this important matter and prioritizing the health and safety of your staff and ours!
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State funding now available for heavy duty on-road replacement grants
The MPCA is offering $4.4 million in grants to help you replace older diesel vehicles with cleaner, zero-emission models, significantly reducing emissions and improving air quality. Apply now for up to 75% funding on electric vehicles or 25% on low-emission vehicles—deadline is October 16, 2024.
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