compost

Author

JESSIE HOULIHAN

Do It Green! Minnesota

Butter Bakery and Café owner, Dan Swenson-Klatt, on how his restaurant is working to lessen their impact on the environment.

Q: How does Butter Bakery's product differ from a conventional restaurant?

Author

ANGIE TIMMONS

Hennepin County Environmental Services

The average Minnesotan generates more than seven pounds of waste per day or more than a ton annually!

Footnotes/Endnotes

metro county contacts

Anoka County Integrated Waste Management,
AnokaCounty.us/recycle
763-323-5730

Carver County Environmental Services, co.carver.mn.us
952-361-1800

Dakota County Environmental Management,
co.dakota.mn.us
952-891-7020

Hennepin County Environmental Services,
hennepin.us/environment
612-348-3777

Ramsey County Environmental Health, co.ramsey.mn.us/ph
Recycling/Solid Waste Hotline,
651-633-EASY (3279)

Scott County Environmental Health, co.scott.mn.us
952-496-8177

Washington County Public Health and Environment,
co.washington.mn.us
651-430-6655

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, reduce.org
www.recyclemoreminnesota.org
651-296-6300

Author

EUREKA RECYCLING

Doesn't the symbol on the bottom of my plastic mean it's recyclable?

Author

Eureka Recycling

.

Compostable (sometimes called biodegradable) cups, plates, and utensils are emerging on the market as an alternative to disposable plastic items. Most are made from corn, sugarcane, or other plant material. You see them at events; restaurants, coffee shops and co-ops are offering compostable to-go containers; and you can even buy them in stores for use at picnics and parties.

Resources

On the Web!: 

Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative

Act Locally!: 

Eureka Recycling
St. Paul, MN
651- 222-7678
eurekarecycling.org

Author

Unknown

Unknown

Keep a log for one week of everything you “toss”—write each item in one of these categories: “garbage,” “recycling,” “reuse” or “compost.” After the week is over, make a plan for the next week to change ways you can put 50% less in the “garbage” category by reusing, recycling, composting or buying things with less or no packaging. For example, did you know a banana has its own natural packaging? You could maybe even challenge your family members or your friends to a waste-free competition for a week.

Author

Compiled from

REDUCE.ORG and DOITGREEN.ORG.

1. Determine how much food waste you create each day for lunch-measure and track all the food you throw away from your lunch during one week on a chart at home.

2. Brainstorm ways to reduce how much food and trash you are throwing in the garbage by 50% using the tips above.

3. Measure and track your waste after implementing no waste lunch ideas.

4. If you've achieved your goal, pack special no waste treats in your lunch!

 

Footnotes/Endnotes

Ideas for reducing waste at school, work and home, reduce.org

Getting an A at Lunch: Smart Strategies to Reduce Waste in Campus Dining guide. Download informinc.org/getatlunch.php

Success stories including schools in Minnesota
wastefreelunches.org/success.html

Call the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for multiple copies of "Creating Less Waste at School" 651-215-0232 or email clearinghouse@pca.state.mn.us

Author

Ryan North

Twin Cities Green Home Store and parent

Ten Things You can do to Green Up Your Youth Sports Experience

Author

Reprinted from the Oregon Environmental Council

oeconline.org

More and more, people forget the impact they have every day on their rivers. Most clean water regulations focus on reducing pollution from big sources such as factories and sewage treatment plants. Although industry needs to be cleaned up further, it’s time we turned our attention to forestry, agriculture and the behavior of each resident of the watershed.

Rain, Rain, Where Do You Go?

Footnotes/Endnotes

Planting for Clean Water www.bluethumb.org

Friends of the Mississippi River www.fmr.org

Minnesota Associate of Watershed Districts www.mnwatershed.org