Hi all,
Minnesota’s Washington and Ramsey counties have a new Food Scraps Pickup Program that I think you might find interesting. It is a free, voluntary food scrap recycling program that involves collecting food scraps in special bags that go inside your trash cart or dumpster instead of into a compost bin. After they are collected, the food scrap bags are separated from waste using robotic sorting technology and then they are turned into nutrient-rich soil, or, compost.
Why collect food scraps in bags instead of bins or carts?
· Food scrap bags cost ten times less than a system that uses collection carts
· Food scrap bags do not need additional collection days, collection carts, or hauling trucks
· Without the need for a separate cart system, less collection trucks are on the road, which results in less greenhouse gas emissions
· Food scrap bags allow every resident to participate, regardless of their housing type (e.g. apartment dweller), city, or hauler
How is this Food Scraps Pickup Program being funded?
Both Washington and Ramsey counties fund parts of the program through a service charge that they collect. The service charge is included on residents’ waste collection bill.
How can the food scrap bags endure a trip in a garbage truck?
The bags are specifically designed for this Food Scraps Pickup Program. The bags are larger than a typical compost bag and are around three times as thick as a grocery store plastic bag. They also meet special standards for durability. The counties have tested the bags in loads of garbage to make sure they don’t break while in transit. Other compostable bags will not work for this purpose.
If you have questions about this program, you can call their customer service line at 651-661-9393, or visit their website here.
Minnesota’s Washington and Ramsey counties have a new Food Scraps Pickup Program that I think you might find interesting. It is a free, voluntary food scrap recycling program that involves collecting food scraps in special bags that go inside your trash cart or dumpster instead of into a compost bin. After they are collected, the food scrap bags are separated from waste using robotic sorting technology and then they are turned into nutrient-rich soil, or, compost.
Why collect food scraps in bags instead of bins or carts?
· Food scrap bags cost ten times less than a system that uses collection carts
· Food scrap bags do not need additional collection days, collection carts, or hauling trucks
· Without the need for a separate cart system, less collection trucks are on the road, which results in less greenhouse gas emissions
· Food scrap bags allow every resident to participate, regardless of their housing type (e.g. apartment dweller), city, or hauler
How is this Food Scraps Pickup Program being funded?
Both Washington and Ramsey counties fund parts of the program through a service charge that they collect. The service charge is included on residents’ waste collection bill.
How can the food scrap bags endure a trip in a garbage truck?
The bags are specifically designed for this Food Scraps Pickup Program. The bags are larger than a typical compost bag and are around three times as thick as a grocery store plastic bag. They also meet special standards for durability. The counties have tested the bags in loads of garbage to make sure they don’t break while in transit. Other compostable bags will not work for this purpose.
If you have questions about this program, you can call their customer service line at 651-661-9393, or visit their website here.
