Waste Reduction

Reducing Garbage
The average household generates 1 tons of solid waste every year. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as throwing garbage "away." Waste can be moved, compacted, buried or burned-but there's always something left. That's why it's important to reduce the amount of garbage you generate. Here's how:

• Buy minimally packaged items. Avoid individually wrapped items.
• Choose products in packaging made from recyclable materials (i.e. eggs in paper cartons) 
• Buy items in recyclable packaging.
• Buy long-lasting and reusable products, rather than disposables.
• Ask clerks not to bag small purchases. Instead, take the receipt and put the item in your purse, pocket or cloth bag.
• Reuse bags and packages whenever you can. Use glass jars and resealable plastic containers to store small items.
• Use paper bags to collect recyclables or hold garbage. Small plastic bags and cereal box liners can be used to hold table scraps or take along when you walk the dog.
• Have a garage sale or share used items rather than throwing them away. Give magazines to friends or nursing homes.
• Donate household items to charitable organizations (some will pick these items up from your home).
• Check out www.twincitiesfreemarket.org. This web site allows you to give away or get free items.

Arc Pick-up Service
Arc’s Used Goods Pickup Service drives through St. Louis Park neighborhoods collecting donations of clean clothing, accessories, house wares & small appliances, linens & crafts, toys, books, magazines, music & movies, home décor & accessories, art and collectibles. This is a free service with no cost to the donor. These donations are sold to a for-profit donation purchaser. Proceeds from this revenue support Arc Greater Twin Cities programs and services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Visit their website to find information about scheduling a free, convenient curbside pickup of gently used clothing and household items.

• Arc Pick-up Service (Blue Trucks)

Eco-more, Paper-less
Americans throw away enough office paper each year to build a 12-foot high wall stretching from New York to San Francisco—that's 10,000 or so sheets per person!

With the launch of its statewide office paper reduction campaign, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will show businesses how to break down that wall, while also positively impacting the bottom line and the environment.

MPCA wants to empower Minnesota businesses and organizations with a toolkit of resources to cut down on paper use and paper waste around the state.

Check it out.

Where Does Your Garbage Go?
We've heard that some of our MN garbage ends up in other states like Wisconsin. But in Hennepin County our residential garbage goes to the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), a waste-to-energy facility. Bulk items collected from our city residents that are not able to be recycled or burned at the HERC are land filled within Hennepin County. Waste that isn't burned is landfilled in Sherburne or Dakota Counties

At the HERC, the garbage is burned and converted to electricity that is sold to Xcel Energy, Inc. The HERC produces enough electricity to power 25,000 homes each year. 11,000 tons of ferrous metal are recovered and recycled from the garbage each year. For more information about the HERC, go to www.hennepin.us and search HERC.

According to Green Guardian, in MN

• 40% of our garbage is recycled
• 32% is processed at waste-to-energy facilities for electricity (this is what our county does)
• 26% is land filled in MN and other states
• 2% is specially managed because of its hazardous nature

For more info about this topic, see www.greenguardian.com.