 |
|
The second annual report provides descriptions and data related to the achievements of energy conservation activities in Minneapolis in 2016, renewable energy consumption, and overall energy consumption in the City. The report contains eight sections, which correspond to eight metrics that were approved by the Partnership Board as being critical areas of measurement in tracking progress toward Partnership goals. Also, see maps that show how your neighborhood compares to others in use of energy efficiency programs.
Click here to view the report on the Minneapolis Clean Energy Partnership website.
|
Minneapolis greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from citywide activities decreased 17.8% in 2015 compared to the 2006 baseline, exceeding the reduction goal of 15% by 2015.
GHG emissions decreased 10.7% in 2015 compared to the previous year, driven primarily by milder, near-average winter months, which resulted in a decrease in natural gas consumption. An increase in emissions from wastewater was offset by decreases in emissions from electricity consumption, natural gas consumption, on-road transportation, and solid waste.
Learn more about the City's greenhouse gas emissions tracking here.
|
Businesses are taking advantage of the City's Green Business Cost Share Program to reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past five years, 74 businesses have put $6 toward every $1 invested by the City to cut 116,253 pounds of harmful pollutants and 16.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
For more information on the City's Green Business Cost Share Program, see the Minneapolis Health Departments webpage.
|
|
 |
Renewable*Connect is a program that allows customers
to voluntarily sign up to pay slightly more on their electricity bill to
receive some or all of their energy from a mix of wind and solar energy.
The average resident can power their home with 100% clean energy from Renewable*Connect for just $5 - $7 additional per month.
Open enrollment closed on May 24. To learn more and sign up for the waitlist, click here.
 Heating and cooling account for about 55 percent of the energy used in Minnesota homes. But you can trim those energy costs by simply resetting your thermostat when you are asleep or away from home.
A programmable or smart thermostat lets you do this automatically, with no worries about forgetting to turn it up or down.
Programmable thermostats often provide enough energy savings to pay for themselves in a year. Set your thermostat high in the summer (around 78 degrees), and low in the winter.
Smart thermostats operate essentially the same way as programmable models, with one significant difference: They “learn” your routines and preferences and adjust temperatures accordingly.
Because many homeowners with programmable thermostats actually fail to “program” them, a smart thermostat may be a better and more convenient option to achieve energy savings.
CenterPoint Energy's programmable thermostat rebate helps you save up to $50 on one of the easiest ways to save energy and money. To watch a video on operating a programmable thermostat, visit ENERGY STAR web resources.
Interested in learning more ways to save energy and money? Check out the U.S. Department of Energy's webpage for more tips.
Back to top of page.
|
Solid Waste & Recycling is proud to share that it’s been a full year since organics recycling program was rolled out citywide. As of Monday July 10, 2017, over 45,000 households or 42.56% of Solid Waste and Recycling customers have signed up to participate in the program. In its first year full year, participating residents diverted just under 4,000 tons of organics from the trash for composting – that’s 175 pounds of organics per household!
Even more exciting is that less than one percent of what residents are placing in carts is unacceptable material. In March and June, Solid Waste & Recycling staff along with several fantastic volunteers, sorted four loads of organics to evaluate what contamination is found and how much contamination was present. The most common contaminants found during the sorts were plastic-lined paper products. This includes items like decorative paper plates, boxes from frozen pizza and other frozen foods, take and bake pizza trays, paper ice cream tubs, milk cartons, non-compostable to-go containers and coffee cups, Chinese take-out boxes, butcher paper, and butter wraps.
Solid Waste and Recycling would like to thank all residents participating in organics for diverting food scraps, non-recyclable paper, and other compostable items from the trash. Their efforts allow organic material to be put to a better use through composting. Solid Waste & Recycling customers who have not signed up to participate in the program may do so at any time by visiting: www.minneapolismn.gov/organics
If curbside collection of organics is not currently offered in your community, you can still reduce waste by composting in your backyard or bringing your organics to a drop-off location.
Minneapolis organics drop-off sites: Minneapolis residents can drop off organics at Armatage Park, Audubon Park, Pearl Park, Van Cleve Park and the South Transfer Station. Learn how to sign up.
|
|
 |
With National Night Out coming up on Tuesday, August 1, it’s
time to start thinking about how you can make your block party low waste. Reducing waste is easy, it just takes a little planning. Here
are some tips to help you plan a successful low-waste NNO:
-
Serve food and beverages in reusable,
recyclable or compostable containers. If you can’t use
reusable plates and cups, several locations sell compostable and recyclable
versions. Grocery stores and big box retailers sell un-lined paper plates
like Chinet and other brands (decorative and lined, shiny serving ware are not
compostable). Food co-ops and specialty event stores like Moss Envy and Litin’s Party & Paper also sell
compostable serving ware.
It’s important that any lined paper product be certified
compostable. You can check to verify if a product is certified
compostable by visiting BPI’s website. Products are listed by
manufacturer.
-
Offer containers for guests to recycle and
compost. Make sure to have recycling and organics containers paired
with your trash container. Bring your organics, recycling and trash
carts out on the street for the event: Place receptacles together to form
a waste station. Consider lining the organics cart so organics can be
placed directly in it. (Cart liners can be 33-gallon paper lawn and leaf bags
or compostable plastic bags. Paper lawn and leaf bags can be found at all
hardware stores and compostable plastic liners can be found at some hardware
stores or can be purchased online.)
-
Clearly label recycling, organics and trash
containers. Having well-labeled containers is a key step to making
recycling at your event a success. You can download and print free signs
for your event at www.hennepin.us/business/recycling-hazardous-waste/recycling-at-events
-
Organize waste station monitors: If you
have a large block event, try to have volunteers stand by sorting stations to
help attendees recycle correctly.
For
more ideas on reducing waste at your event, visit Hennepin
County’s Event Recycling webpage.
 |
|
See first-hand how people and equipment work together to sort
your single-sort recyclables back into the various commodities (paper, cardboard,
plastic, glass, steel, and aluminum). Tours are offered on the third
Tuesday of each month and are limited to groups of less than 10 people.
For tour dates and times, visit our website at www.minneapolismn.gov/recycling/tours
To sign up for a tour, email laura.horner@minneapolismn.gov or
call 612-673-3318. Pre-registration is required.
Watch a virtual tour
of Eureka Recycling's facility by watching their Story of a Cereal Box video
|
|
Clothes and textiles that can’t be reused or donated due to tears, stains and other damage can now be recycled at Hennepin County drop-off facilities. This is an important way to keep even more waste out of the garbage.
Items accepted include clothing, shoes, accessories, bedding, curtains, pillows, towels, table cloths, and stuffed toys. Find out more on the Green Disposal Guide. And remember, you can find donation options for clothing, textiles and shoes in good shape on the Choose to Reuse website.
|
|
 |
Check out the Green Disposal Guide before you toss out these common household products!
Back to top of page.
 |
|
With our lakes, creeks, waterfalls and the Mississippi River, we
pride ourselves on the natural waters of Minneapolis.
A big part of protecting our waterways is right on our streets.
Leaves, dirt, garbage and anything that gets left on the street can wash down
storm drains and go untreated into our lakes and the river.
When it rains, stormwater carries grass clippings, leaves,
cigarette butts, pesticides, fertilizers, antifreeze, paint, gasoline, motor
oil and animal waste directly into our lakes, creeks and the Mississippi River.
- Sign up for the Minneapolis Adopt-A-Drain program, and commit to
clearing leaves and trash from your storm drains regularly.
- Never put anything down a storm drain. It’s for rain and melting
snow only.
- Be a champion and spread the word with your neighbors.
Learn more or sign up by calling 311 or going to www.minneapolismn.gov/AdoptaDrain.
|
Back to top of page.
There are many reasons to shop at the farmers markets. Purchasing food from local farmers supports the local economy and helps farmers to retain their livelihood. Farmers markets provide the opportunity to connect with the local families who planted and harvested the food. Local produce is nutritious and affordable. Farmers markets dramatically reduce the journey that food takes to your table and avoid costly, wasteful packaging and emissions. Most farmers markets are accessible by foot or bicycle, providing another way to reduce climate change.
Find farmers markets near you using this interactive map.
The Mobile Market bus brings fresh produce, meat, and groceries to 33 stops throughout the Twin Cities. Find the stop and time nearest you with this link.
Back to top of page.
The City of Minneapolis is looking for community members to be a part of the City of Minneapolis Southern Green Zones Task Force.
The Task Force will develop an action-oriented Work Plan specific to the Southern Green Zone, which includes the greater Phillips community and Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. The Work Plan should identify actions that promote health and economic well-being using environmentally-beneficial strategies.
The Task Force will meet at least once per month from September 2017 through January 2018 to develop the Work Plan. Workgroup members will be responsible for attending meetings, reviewing materials between meetings, and making a recommendation to City Council in the first quarter of 2018.
Applications are due by July 26, 2017.
For questions, contact Kelly Muellman at Kelly.Muellman@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-3014.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is placing a gypsy moth-infested area in the Lowry Hill Neighborhood of Minneapolis under quarantine beginning July 1 after a neighborhood resident reported a large insect population. The quarantine will be in place until early next summer.
Learn more about the quarantine here.
MPRB Seeks Input on Ecological System Plan
How do you connect with nature in Minneapolis Parks? What is most important to you?
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) are working together to create the Ecological System Plan. This plan will set a vision for making parks and public lands more friendly to the environment. Ecological System Plan topics include Air Quality Issues, Biodiversity & Habitat Quality, Habitat Connectivity, Carbon Sequestration, Stormwater Runoff, Sustainable Energy Generation, and Urban Heat Island Effect. To learn more, visit the project website.
Please consider contributing input through this short survey.
For questions, contact Ellen Kennedy at ekennedy@minneapolisparks.org or 612-230-6577.
Back to top of page.
|
