Master Recycler/Composter course manual October 2018 Introduction PAGE 1 3 Chapter 1 | Solid Management 9 Chapter 2 | The Process 23 Chapter 3 | Food and Organic Waste

Chapter 4 | Residential Waste: 30 Consumption and the Three Rs

Chapter 5 | Home Composting and 41 Preventing Food Waste

Chapter 6 | Household Hazardous Waste 46 and Problem Materials

Chapter 7 | Commercial Waste Reduction 53 and Recycling

62 Chapter 8 | Recycling at Events

Chapter 9 | Engaging the Public and 71 Motivating Behavior Change Introduction

Welcome to the Master Recycler/Composter (MRC) program. As an MRC, you will play an important role in preventing and reducing waste, increasing recycling and composting, and conserving resources in Hennepin County.

Waste reduction, , recycling, and composting help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy and natural resources, create jobs and economic development opportunities, and protect our environment and quality of life. Although we have made some progress in diverting waste, many recoverable resources are still being sent to waste-to-energy facilities and , and the recycling and organics recycling rate has only increased slightly over the past decade.

Through the MRC program, participants learn about waste prevention, reuse, recycling, composting, community engagement, and behavior change. They then implement programs that prevent waste, increase recycling, and engage others in learning about these issues. This approach is critical to effectively changing behaviors and motivating environmental protection.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 1 Bridging the awareness-action gap Payback activities may be individual projects created by you and/or fellow MRCs that are approved by the Most people know they should reduce, reuse, and recycle program coordinator. Activities may also be organized by to protect the environment, but what people think they the program coordinator and will involve working with should do is not always what they do. In fact, research other volunteers and local education and solid waste demonstrates that just giving people information has programs. You can be notified of payback opportunities little or no effect on their behavior. So if brochures by joining the Facebook group or getting on the email won’t change behavior, what will? Research reveals that list. Learn how at hennepin.us/payback. personal contact paired with specific information and resources that address barriers to reducing waste is a powerful way to inspire action.

MRCs bridge the gap between awareness and action by motivating their friends, family, co-workers, and communities to reduce waste in their homes and workplaces. As a trained MRC volunteer, you will inspire people to change the way they think about and manage their consumer choices and their waste. Additionally, you will raise awareness of ways people can reduce the amount of waste they generate, recycle and at home and work, and find alternatives to hazardous products. However you choose to participate in the program, your contributions are an important part of a larger movement to protect our natural resources. Program basics

The MRC program The program manual consists of two stages: This manual is provided to supplement class content, formal training and public reinforce key messages, and supply resources for outreach outreach. Participants and education. Each week, you should pre-read the attend about 15 hours of chapter or chapters that will be discussed in the next classroom instruction and class. then volunteer at least 30 hours implementing Once you’ve completed the course, your manual will be programs and doing your reference tool to help you develop outreach and outreach in their education projects. Whether you staff an information community. table, give a presentation, or work on a project, your manual provides key messages and facts, common The training program consists of classroom sessions and a vocabulary used in the field, and information on the field trip. Classroom activities include visual presentations resources available to you. and group discussions. During the field trip, participants tour recycling and composting facilities. Samples of Hennepin County factsheets, brochures and handouts are included as part of your training When you agree to become an MRC, you make a materials and can be ordered for free at hennepin.us/ commitment to “pay back” 30 hours through community environmentaleducation. outreach or waste reduction projects. Once you fulfill this commitment, you will become a certified MRC. This program is designed to empower you with the training and tools you need to educate your community Your payback involves implementing a system or program on waste reduction, recycling and composting. As an that eliminates or diverts materials from the waste stream MRC in training, you are encouraged to ask questions, and/or providing direct community outreach to educate share your experiences and provide feedback on the and inspire others to practice waste reduction. program.

2 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Chapter 1 | Solid

A brief history of waste and landfills Included in this chapter When the majority of people lived in rural areas, their waste, which consisted almost entirely of organic materials derived from plants, humans, and animals, • Minnesota’s waste was burned for fuel, used as crop fertilizers, or fed to livestock. These types of management hierarchy waste management strategies are still practiced in some areas of the world. • What do we throw away? • Collection As civilization developed and populations concentrated in towns and cities, • Transfer throwing waste out the door to animals or into the garden posed public health • Disposal problems. • Solid waste planning and Some cities, notably in parts of Asia, solved their waste problem by hauling policy organic waste out to farms and composting it to revitalize crop lands. Another method was to take waste out to the countryside and dump it in piles. Around 500 B.C., Athens issued the first-known law against throwing waste in the streets, requiring it to be dumped no less than one mile outside the city walls. The open dump was born.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 3 Minnesota’s waste management history composting, and over land disposal. The act also created a siting process and required Prior to the 1960s, most waste was disposed of in open or solid waste abatement planning for metropolitan burning dumps located throughout Minnesota. All types counties. of were allowed at these sites. The Minnesota Department of Health, created in 1927, was given STATE OF MINNESOTA WASTE MANAGEMENT HIERARCHY legislative authority over dumps located in tourist camps, MOST PREFERRED PRACTICE summer hotels, and resorts. Regulatory control of all other Waste reduction and reuse sites was the responsibility of the city, village, or township in which the dump was located. Recycling Composting The composition of our waste was vastly different then, yard and food waste and the volume of household wastes was much smaller. Resource recovery waste-to-energy Containers were made of glass or tin, and food was or waste composting bought fresh or grown and processed at home. Junk Landfilling mail and plastic packaging didn’t exist. People were, in with methane recovery general, much more frugal. Two world wars and the Great Landfilling Depression made people more conscious about saving without methane and reusing items as much as they could. Many people recovery went to dumps to scavenge for reusable materials and goods. In northern Minnesota, dumps even served as a social gathering place for activities such as shooting rats LEAST PREFERRED and watching bears. The Minnesota Waste Management Act mandates a two- Land use concerns grew as urban areas started to expand. fold strategy: New dumps became harder to site because fewer people were willing to have dumps near their properties. In • Pursue the highest methods of solid waste 1965, the Federal Solid Waste Disposal Act was passed. abatement through , recycling, Two years later, the State of Minnesota created the organics recovery and resource recovery. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to monitor and regulate air, water, and land pollution. In 1969, the • Minimize the use of landfills and ensure landfills are Minnesota Solid Waste Act, which granted oversight of environmentally sound. solid waste management to the MPCA, was passed. The This strategy has helped us achieve a recycling rate of act prohibited open burning, established a solid waste approximately 45 percent, supported resource recovery permitting process, and emphasized upgrading dumps to facilities that use solid waste to generate energy, sanitary landfills. encouraged the implementation of organics recycling During the 1970s, concerns over pollution from landfill programs and the development of composting sites, sites led to the emergence of regulations for hazardous and introduced source reduction, toxicity reduction, and waste disposal and groundwater protection at landfill public awareness activities. sites. These regulations would evolve over the next As the next section on waste composition demonstrates, several decades. there is ample opportunity to shift more materials Counties, with oversight from the MPCA, were given to top of the state’s waste management hierarchy responsibility for local solid waste management and were by emphasizing waste prevention, recycling and required to submit solid waste management plans to the composting. state. The composition of waste was changing rapidly and now included processed food, plastic packaging, and disposable diapers.

The Minnesota Waste Management Act was passed in 1980 and established a waste management hierarchy. The hierarchy prioritizes waste reduction and reuse, recycling,

4 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual What do we throw away? How waste is managed in Hennepin County (2017)

Municipal solid waste (MSW) includes everything we dispose of, including everything we recycle, put in the 19% Landfilling trash, bring to a household hazardous waste facility, 41% Recycling etc. MSW consists of everyday items we use and then throw away. This includes appliances, batteries, bottles, 3% Organics cans, clothing, food , furniture, newspapers, paint, 37% Resource product packaging and much more. MSW is waste that recovery comes from our homes, schools, businesses, and public spaces.

In 1960, total MSW generation in the U.S. was 88 million tons. This amount has steadily increased since. In 2015, Americans generated about 262 million tons of MSW, or about 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day. A 2016 waste composition study examined the composition of trash in Hennepin County. This reflects only what has been thrown in the trash; not what has U.S. MSW generation rate per person already been diverted for recycling or composting.

4.72 4.67 4.40 4.48 Hennepin County MSW Composition in 2016 3.66 40.8% Trash

2.68 13.8% Recyclables

24.9% Organics Composition of 8.9% Construction

Pounds of MSW generated per person day of MSW generated Pounds the trash: and demolition percent by weight 4.2% Yard waste 1960 1980 2000 2005 2010 2015

7.4% Other: More than 91 million tons of MSW were recycled or 3.1% Textiles 3.1%  metal, composted in the United States in 2015. The national electronics, recovery rate for recycling (including composting) was mattress 0.9% Recyclable 34.7 percent. plastic bags and film Hennepin County has a recycling rate that is higher 0.3% Household hazardous than the national average. In 2017, 44 percent of waste waste generated in the county was either recycled or composted. Of the trash left, 37 percent was send to As shown, there are opportunities to increase both resource recovery/waste-to-energy facilities, and 19 recycling and composting. Especially of food waste and percent was sent to landfills. other organic waste, which is the most prevalent material in the trash that could be diverted – representing about 25 percent of the trash by weight.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 5 Collection Only one transfer station is publicly owned – the Hennepin County Transfer Station in Brooklyn Park. The The Twin Cities solid waste infrastructure is made up of remaining are privately owned. Transfer stations allow private and public entities that collect, transport, recycle, waste haulers to spend more time picking up waste recover, and land-dispose of the materials generated at rather than traveling long distances to dump their loads homes, businesses, and institutions. Hennepin County at the landfill. Because four to five waste truckloads can licenses nearly 200 waste-hauling businesses to collect fit into one transfer trailer, traffic to and from the landfill and transport MSW. Waste haulers that collect and is decreased, which saves energy, time, and money and transport non-MSW, recycling, or organic waste are not reduces traffic impacts. licensed. State law requires waste haulers to provide volume-based service, meaning rates are set based on the amount of waste set out for collection.

Most Twin Cities communities allow residents and businesses to choose their waste hauler. This is referred to as open collection. Some cities, such as Minneapolis, arrange for the service by contract or provide their own service. This is referred to as organized collection. Communities with organized collection represent 48 percent of the households in Hennepin County (although most multifamily residences in these cities are not included in these services). There are no organized A transfer trailer at the Hennepin County Transfer Station in Brooklyn Park can collection arrangements for commercial waste, although haul four to five waste truckoads. some communities give small businesses access to organized collection services. The Hennepin County Transfer Station in Brooklyn Park also accepts household hazardous waste and provides free drop-off facilities for recyclables and residential Transfer organics. In Hennepin County, waste is either hauled directly to Disposal the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) or a land disposal facility, or it may be taken to a transfer station Resource recovery where waste is loaded into trailer trucks and transported The Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) is a waste- to landfills farther away. In the Twin Cities, there are 19 to-energy facility in Minneapolis that uses mass-burn transfer stations, of which 14 are licensed to accept MSW technology to generate energy. At HERC, waste is burned and five to accept only construction and demolition to produce high-pressure steam that turns a turbine to (C&D) waste. generate electricity. A portion of the steam is diverted to provide steam for heating and hot water to the downtown Minneapolis district energy system and Target Field.

Each year more than 11,000 tons of ferrous metal are recovered from the waste stream at HERC and recycled. This is almost double the 6,500 tons of ferrous metal collected annually in curbside and drop-off recycling programs in Hennepin County.

HERC can process up to 365,000 tons of waste annually by state permit. The amount of electricity generated at HERC The Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) in downtown Minneapolis. is enough to power 25,000 homes each year. Additionally, HERC supplies enough steam to downtown Minneapolis and Target Field for the annual natural gas needs of 1,500 homes.

6 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual The Elk River Resource Recovery Project (GRE-Elk River) Hennepin County developed its 2018 Solid Waste is a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) processing plant owned Management Master Plan to reach the goal of recycling by Great River Energy (GRE). The RDF is burned to create 75 percent of waste by 2030. View the Hennepin County electricity at the GRE combustion facility at its Elk River Solid Waste Management Master Plan at hennepin.us/ electric power station. GRE-Elk River’s permitted capacity solidwasteplanning. is 547,000 tons per year with an estimated maximum RDF production of 425,000 tons per year. Hennepin County sends up to 100,000 tons of MSW to GRE-Elk River Municipal responsibility annually. Municipalities are required by Hennepin County Ordinance 13 to adopt local laws relating to the separation of recyclables from waste. Hennepin County’s Landfills Residential Recycling Funding Policy facilitates the In 2017, 19 percent of MSW generated in Hennepin transfer of Select Committee on Recycling and the County was land disposed. As shown in the table, eight Environment (SCORE) funds, which the county receives landfills received Hennepin County MSW in 2017. The from the state, to municipalities for support of their majority of the waste was landfilled in the metro area. curbside recycling and composting programs. These funds primarily support programs for households of up to Landfill Tons Location Owner four units. Pine Bend 124,861 Inver Grove Republic Heights, MN Spruce Ridge 2,614 Glencoe, MN Waste Private sector responsibility Management Individuals and businesses are expected to follow the Burnsville 84,920 Burnsville, MN Waste state, county, and municipal laws and regulations and Management participate in waste management programs. Generally, Elk River 20,078 Elk River, MN Waste the public sector relies on the private waste management Management industry to provide waste management services, Nobles County 108 Rushmore, MN Nobles County including waste and recycling collection, disposal of ash and residues, and handling of problem materials and Superior 7-mile 44,807 Eau Claire, WI Advanced hazardous wastes. Disposal Timberline 476 Weyerhaeuser, Waste WI Management Hennepin County solid waste management Lake Area 2,116 Sarona, WI Republic programs and initiatives Landfill Hennepin County has a growing number of programs Total 279,980 and initiatives that help cities, residents, organizations, and businesses reduce waste and increase waste Solid waste planning and policy diversion. An overview of these programs and initiatives can be found in the county’s annual Recycling Progress Solid waste management policy plan Report, available at hennepin.us/solidwasteplanning. In 2016, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) approved a new solid waste management policy plan to set objectives for 2020 and establish a framework for meeting the statutory goal to recycle 75 percent by 2030. State statute requires metropolitan counties to prepare master plans every six years that identify strategies to meet the recycling goals and objectives in the state’s Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan. The policy plan was adopted by the Commissioner of the MPCA on April 6, 2017, and establishes the framework for managing solid waste in the metro area through 2036.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 7 Resources

The following resources provide more information about solid waste management in Hennepin County and throughout Minnesota.

• hennepin.us/solidwasteplanning: Information about how waste is managed in the county and the solid waste planning process.

• hennepin.us/HERC: Information about the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, the county-owned waste-to- energy facility.

• revisor.mn.gov/rules/?id=7035: The Minnesota Waste Management Act on the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes website.

8 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Chapter 2 | The Recycling Process

Why recycle? Energy, economy and environment: the three Es Included in this chapter The benefits of recycling are vast. By choosing to recycle, we reduce our consumption of fossil fuels, create jobs in Minnesota, conserve natural • Why recycle? resources, and protect our environment. • Source separation and collection Recycling saves energy • The basics of plastics Manufacturing products from recycled materials uses far less energy than • Manufacturing and marketing manufacturing the same product from raw materials. It takes 90 percent recycled-content products less energy to manufacture an aluminum can from recycled aluminum, about 50 percent less energy to manufacture a glass bottle from recycled • Buying recycled glass, and about 75 percent less energy to manufacture paper from • Barriers to recycling recycled paper. Recycling decreases our demand on fossil fuels and • increases our energy independence.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 9 Recyclables are made into many new products Recycling and buying recycled products also helps keep Recycled materials are manufactured into a variety of Minnesota’s air and water clean. Used recycled materials products, from recycled-content paper to new aluminum to manufacture products creates significantly less water cans to building supplies, and are used by many pollution than manufacturing from raw materials. For Minnesota companies. example, making white office paper from recycled paper creates 74 percent less air pollution and 35 percent less The largest segment of the recycling industry is made of water pollution than making it from virgin wood pulp. manufacturers that use recycled paper, post-consumer And beyond reducing pollution, making products out of paper, and old corrugated cardboard (OCC) as a raw recycled materials conserves natural resources such as material source. Westrock in St. Paul and Liberty Paper water and timber. in Becker are major companies in Minnesota using this feedstock. Much of the recycled paper and OCC they use to make new products come from Minnesota recyclers.

The recycling process

Understanding recycling processes is an important part of advocating for recycling. Recycling involves much more Recycling benefits our economy than taking a bin of materials out to the curb. Successful recycling depends on aligning several steps: source Recycling helps support local and statewide markets. separation and collection; processing, marketing, and About 37,000 jobs in Minnesota are directly and indirectly remanufacturing; and finally, the purchase of recycled- supported by the recycling industry. These jobs pay an content products. estimated $1.96 billion in wages and add nearly $8.5 billion to Minnesota’s economy. Additionally, recyclable material has tremendous economic value. Minnesotans recycle about 2.5 million tons of materials every year that are worth $690 million. Plus, we lose money when we don’t recycle. About 1.2 million tons of recyclable material is thrown away each Photo credit: year. That material, if recycled, would be worth about Republic Services $285 million. Instead, it costs more than $200 million to send the material to landfills.

Recycling protects our environment By reducing energy use, recycling decreases greenhouse gas emissions and reduces Minnesota’s carbon footprint. Recycling has indirect benefits to climate change as well. Take , for instance. Each mature tree we don’t cut down can filter up to 60 pounds of pollutants and carbon dioxide out of our air each year.

10 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Source separation and collection In 2011, Hennepin County revised its residential recycling Typically, raw materials are made into products that funding policy to require cities to standardize their we consume and then throw away when we finish curbside recycling programs and accept more materials using them. This linear process – from extraction of raw for recycling. To be eligible to receive funds under the materials to production to consumption and finally new policy, communities must collect at a minimum the disposal – creates waste. following materials through their residential curbside programs: Separating recyclable materials from other wastes at the point when we’re done with them and ready to dispose • Boxboard (cereal, cake mixes and pasta boxes, of them is called source separation. This is the start of the shoe boxes, electronic and gift boxes, boxes from recycling process. toothpaste and medications, etc.) • Corrugated cardboard How we separate and prepare materials depends on our local collection system and the specifications of materials • Glass food and beverage containers markets. In Hennepin County, there are several methods • Magazines and catalogs for collecting recyclable materials once they have been • Metal food and beverage cans source-separated. • Milk cartons and juice boxes • Mixed paper, including mail, school and office papers Curbside collection • Newspaper and supplements In curbside • Plastic bottles, containers and lids, #1-5 collection, Residential curbside recycling programs in Hennepin recyclable materials County are single-sort. In a single-sort, or commingled are picked up system, all materials (paper, glass, metal and plastic) can from homes and be placed into the same collection container. Outside businesses at the Hennepin County, some communities offer dual-sort site of generation. collection where paper is kept separate from metal, This method plastic and glass. Most residential recycling programs in has the greatest the Twin Cities are single-sort. potential for capturing the most recyclable materials because it’s convenient. However, it is more costly than other methods. In Hennepin County, all communities provide curbside recycling collection to single-family households and residential buildings with up to four units. Depending on the community and waste hauler, residents and businesses in Hennepin County have collection containers for recyclables, yard waste and organics (food and food-soiled paper). Communities use a variety of methods to provide curbside collection to their residents. Most cities enter into a contract with a recycling hauler. A few use city By state statute, materials that are properly sorted for crews to collect materials, and a few require licensed recycling cannot be collected for disposal. For this reason, waste haulers to provide recycling to their customers. communities and haulers are careful in deciding which materials belong in a curbside program. A material may The county provides SCORE funds to municipalities be technically recyclable but not appropriate for curbside to help pay for residential curbside programs. The collection. distribution of these funds is based on the percentage of households a community serves with curbside collection. These funds cover about 25 percent of residential curbside program costs.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 11 Some considerations that determine which materials are recycle to their tenants. Some communities also mandate eligible for curbside pickup include: that businesses subscribe to recycling collection. • The material must have a stable market so that it can Additionally, a state requirement went into effect in 2016 continue to be recycled indefinitely. mandating that all businesses and multifamily properties that generate four yards of waste or more per week have • The hauling and sorting machinery necessary to recycling service. collect and separate the material from other materials must be available in the area. • Instructions for recycling the material must be easy Recycling drop-off collections for the public to understand. Recycling is also collected at drop-off locations where As shown in the graph below, the amount of newspaper materials are not necessarily generated. Drop-off collected in curbside recycling programs has declined collection sites include retail stores, community centers, over the past 15 years, while the amount of mixed paper schools, and government facilities. Materials collected at has increased. The amount of metals has decreased drop-off sites include plastic bags, yard waste, mattresses, slightly, while the amount of plastic has increased. The printer cartridges, electronic waste, and tires. amount of glass collected has fluctuated. Some sites, including the county’s drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park, also collect the Amount of material collected through residential same materials that are included in curbside collection curbside recycling programs in Hennepin County programs. Newspaper Newspaper Mixed/other papeDrop-offr collection sites may charge a fee for materials Mixed/other papeMetalr cans/scrap Metal cans/scrapGlass that are costly to recycle. Glass Plastic bottles Plastic bottles 60,000 60,000

50,000 50,000

40,000 40,000

30,000

30,000 ecyc led s s r ecyc led s s r

Ton 20,000

Ton 20,000

10,000 10,000

0 0 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 2000 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 200920112010 20092012 2013 2014 2015 003 005 008 010 2000 2001 2002 2 2004 2 2006 2007 2 2009 2 200920112010 20092012 2013 2014 2015

Multifamily housing and business recycling Drop-off collection containers to recycle plastic bags and wrap are available at many grocery and retail stores. Recycling service to multifamily properties, including apartment buildings, condos and townhouses, and Buy-back centers businesses is not as uniform as it is for single-family households. Property owners and commercial businesses Buy-back centers pay for high-value materials such as contract with private waste haulers for recycling service, aluminum cans, scrap metal, and cardboard. Buy-back and not all entities subscribe to the service. centers may also accept, but not pay for, low-value materials such as glass or newspaper in addition to the Hennepin County higher-value materials they collect. communities passed ordinances in the early 1990s that required owners of multifamily housing properties to provide the opportunity to

12 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Community cleanup events Community cleanup events are one-day or weekend Collection: Dual vs. single sort events that allow residents to drop off materials for To explore the debate about whether single-sort or recycling or safe disposal. These events are typically dual-sort systems are better for recycling, the MPCA mostly focused on household garbage, but many commissioned a study in 2006. The project involved also accept recyclable materials that are not collected gathering information about the collection and processing curbside. methods at four major materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in Minnesota, the quality of materials received at seven major recycling markets, and the characteristics and benefits of select recycling equipment. The following provides a summary of the key findings.

Collection and processing • Glass breaks in both single-sort and dual-sort collection, but this can be reduced with collection vehicles and methods designed to minimize it. • Glass breakage is more prevalent in single-stream processing systems. • The amount of processing residuals generated at Mixed-waste processing single-stream facilities in the metro area varies All of the collection methods mentioned above rely on significantly, from 2 to 7 percent of throughput. residents and businesses to separate recyclables from End markets garbage before collection or drop off. An alternate method, known as mixed-waste processing, involves • Most end markets said contamination had increased pulling out recyclables after garbage is collected. The compared to five years earlier. method is costly, and recovery of recyclables is low. With • More than 85 percent of the end markets said that they the exception of ferrous metal separation at the county’s have received both good and bad material from single- waste-to-energy facility (HERC), mixed-waste processing stream and dual-stream facilities. isn’t practiced in Hennepin County. • The major glass market in Minnesota has seen a dramatic decrease in the quantity of clean, color- separated glass cullet and attributes this decrease Material preparation and contamination to increased single-stream recycling. For recycling to be successful, it’s critical that participants • The most problematic contaminants at paper mills understand what materials are accepted and how to include glass, plastic bags and film, plastic, and properly prepare them. Properly preparing materials unacceptable paper grades. ensures that they will go to the markets for which they • At plastic manufacturers, contaminants include glass were intended and be successfully recycled. and metal. • At glass manufacturers, contaminants include ceramics, Recyclable materials that contain other materials that pottery and mixed glass. cannot be recycled are referred to as “contamination.” A good example of contamination is recyclables that are • Most of the paper mills and all of the plastics manufacturers feel that single-stream recycling is a soiled with food. contributing factor to the decline in feedstock quality. Contamination also refers to materials that end up in the Other factors they identified include: wrong stream. For example, shredded paper at recycling -- Contaminated loads from dual-stream MRFs. facilities is often too small to get sorted into the paper -- Feedstock demand and pressures from overseas stream and ends up as contamination in the glass stream. markets. Too much contamination in the recycling stream may -- Reduction in public education efforts. result in those materials being disposed of as trash -- MRFs that emphasize material quantity over quality. instead.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 13 Processing After sorting, recyclables are graded to reclaim higher After collection, recyclables are sorted, processed, and value materials. For example, high-quality office paper sold to end users or manufacturers to be used in new and cardboard may be pulled from a mixed-paper pile products. Recycling would not be possible without of junk mail and magazines. This maximizes the revenue markets that need those materials for manufacturing. from the sale of materials in commodity markets. Glass may be separated by color so it can be remanufactured Recyclable materials collected from homes, apartments, into clear, green, and brown bottles. and businesses are taken to materials recovery facilities (MRFs, pronounced murfs) to be sorted into material Once sorted and graded, materials are baled or otherwise types. In Hennepin County, MRFs are privately owned condensed for transport to market. Glass is usually by haulers. Three MRFs are currently operating in the crushed into small pieces called cullet, while metals, county. These are owned by Eureka Recycling, Republic paper, and plastics are baled. Services, and Waste Management. There are several more MRFs located throughout the Twin Cities, some of which receive material from Hennepin County residents and businesses. At the MRF, recycled materials are sorted and graded, contaminants are removed, and materials are prepared for markets. Recyclables at the MRF travel along a series of conveyor belts where various methods are used to sort them. Mechanical process take advantage of the physical differences among materials. For example, magnets grab items, electric currents kick out aluminum, optical sorters and air jets detect paper and plastic, and screens The separation of commingled material is not a perfect separate glass by weight. process. Machines and workers rapidly separate materials, People also work on the line hand-picking items that the and as a result, the wrong materials may be baled machines miss, such as milk jugs and phone books. together and end up at a processing facility. These Sorting removes contaminants that lower the value of the materials, whether recyclable or waste, are considered materials and damage processing equipment. residuals and are typically sent to a landfill. Residual rates at the MRFs serving Hennepin County are under 10 percent.

14 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual The basics of plastics At MRFs, plastics are sorted into a broad category of mixed plastics. The resulting mixed plastics Plastics are increasingly are sorted by plastic type, baled, and sent to a prevalent in our waste reclaiming facility. stream. Plastics make up At the facility, any trash or dirt is sorted out, and more than 12 percent of the plastic is washed and ground into small flakes. the municipal solid waste A floatation tank further separates contaminants stream in the U.S., which based on their different densities. Flakes are then is a dramatic increase dried, melted, filtered, and formed into pellets. from 1960 when plastics The pellets are shipped to product manufacturing represented only 1 percent of the waste stream. plants, where they are made into new plastic Plastics are most commonly used for containers and products. packaging, such as soft drink bottles, containers and lids, and shampoo bottles. Plastics are also used for durable Plastic resin identification codes items like appliances, furniture, and toys and non-durable items like cups, diapers, medical devices, trash bags, and The number you find on the bottom of plastic utensils. containers is called the resin identification code. The resin identification coding system was introduced by SPI, the plastics industry trade Recycling rate for plastics association, in 1988. The overall recycling rate for plastics was only 9 percent The following are resin identification codes for in 2012. However, the recycling rate varies greatly for plastics: different types of plastics, and the recycling rate for some plastics is much higher. For example in 2012, 30.8 percent #1 Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) of PET bottles and jars and 31.6 percent of HDPE #2 #2 High density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles were recycled. #3 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or V) The waste sort conducted by Hennepin County in 2016 #4 Low density polyethylene (LDPE) found the capture rate for recyclable plastics to be about #5 Polypropylene (PP) 50 to 60 percent, which means people are only recycling #6 Polystyrene (PS) about half of the plastics they could be. #7 Any other plastic, including mixed resins and polylactic acid (PLA), which is derived How plastics are made from sources like corn starch or sugar cane. Plastics can be divided into two major categories: PLA is compostable in commercial facilities. thermosets and thermoplastics. Recycling programs commonly accept plastic • A thermoset solidifies or “sets” irreversibly when containers, and the SPI coding system offers a heated. They are useful for their durability and way to identify the resin content of bottles and strength and are therefore used primarily in containers commonly found in the residential automobiles and construction. Other uses are waste stream. Plastic containers are usually adhesives, inks, and coatings. marked with a number that indicates the type of plastic. Contrary to common belief, the • A thermoplastic softens when exposed to heat and resin number in a triangle, which looks like the returns to original condition at room temperature. recycling symbol, on a plastic product does Thermoplastics can easily be shaped and molded not mean it is collected for recycling. However, into products such as milk jugs, floor coverings, credit consumers familiar with resin codes accepted cards, and carpet fibers. in their local recycling program can use this information to determine whether or not certain Plastics recycling plastic types are accepted for recycling. According to the American Chemistry Council, about 1,800 U.S. businesses handle or reclaim post-consumer plastics. Plastics from municipal solid waste are usually collected from curbside recycling bins or drop-off sites.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 15 Markets for recovered plastics Markets for some recycled plastic resins, such as PET The primary market for recycled PET bottles is fiber and HDPE, are stable and even expanding in the U.S. for carpet and textiles, and the primary market for Currently, the U.S. has the capacity to be recycling recycled HDPE is bottles, according to the American plastics at a greater rate because the capacity to Chemistry Council. Looking forward, new end uses process post-consumer plastics and the market for recycled PET bottles might include coating for demand for recovered plastic resin exceeds the corrugated paper and other natural fibers to make amount of post-consumer plastics recovered from the waterproof products like shipping containers. waste stream.

Type of plastic How it’s used Recyclability #1: Polyethylene • Bottles for water, soft drinks, juice, sports drinks, PET is one of the most common resins. Most curbside terephthalate (PET mouthwash, ketchup, beer, and salad dressings programs accept this type of plastic. or PETE) • Clamshell containers, such as for strawberries and Black plastics are often not accepted for recycling. The lettuce Food jars, such as peanut butter, jelly, jam, optical sorters used at recycling facilities struggle to and pickles properly sort the black plastics. Black plastics are also • Microwaveable food trays commonly used for microwavable foods. These items have an additive that prevents them from melting in the microwave, which makes it difficult to recycle them. #2 High density • Bottles for shampoo, dish and laundry detergent, Most curbside programs accept the bottle form of HDPE. polyethylene and household cleaners Plastic bags are not accepted in curbside recycling (HDPE) • Cereal box liners programs because they get tangled in the equipment at • Juice concentrate and tofu containers recycling sorting facilities. Plastic bags can be recycled in • Milk jugs drop-off containers available at many retail and grocery • Shopping bags stores. • Shipping containers #3 Polyvinyl • Bags for bedding, medical shrink wrap, deli and PVC is not commonly accepted for recycling. chloride (PVC or V) meat wrap • Blister packs • Clamshell containers • Pipes, siding, window frames, fencing, decking, and railing #4 Low density • Bags for dry cleaning, newspapers, bread, frozen LPDE is commonly found as plastic film, which is polyethylene foods, produce, and household garbage not accepted in curbside recycling programs. Plastic (LDPE) • Coating for paper milk cartons and beverage cups bags and film are accepted for recycling in drop-off • Container lids containers available at many retail and grocery stores. • Shrink wrap and stretch film • Squeezable bottles #5 Polypropylene • Bottle caps Most curbside programs accept this type of plastic. (PP) • Medicine bottles • Reusable plastic containers, such as Tupperware • Takeout food containers • Yogurt and margarine tubs #6 Polystyrene (PS) • CD cases There aren’t good recycling options for this type of • Coffee cup lids plastic. • Foam packaging The Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers does offer a • Foodservice items including bowls, cups, plates, mail-in program. and utensils • Packing peanuts • Takeout food containers #7 Other (mixed • Any plastic product that does not fit into resin This is a broad category that includes a variety of resins, polylactic categories 1 - 6 plastics. acid (PLA)) • Bio-based plastics made from corn, potato, or Curbside programs don’t accept this type of plastic. sugar derivatives • Large (three to five gallon) reusable water bottles Bio-based plastics (such as polylactic acid, or PLA) can be • Oven-baking bags, barrier layers, and custom composted in commercial composting facilities and are packaging accepted in organics recycling programs. Generally, this • Some citrus juice and ketchup bottles plastic will not degrade in backyard compost.

16 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Concerns about chemical additives in plastics Reducing exposure to BPA and chemical additives Plastics are ubiquitous in American life, but an increasing To reduce your exposure to BPA and other number of reports suggest plastics are not entirely chemical additives: safe, especially for food storage. The primary concern is whether the additives used to manufacture plastics leach • Minimize your exposure to plastics by into food. A University of Texas study1 from 2011 confirms choosing alternatives. For food storage, that hormone disrupting chemicals leach from almost choose glass containers, stainless steel all plastics, even BPA-free plastics. The toxic compound containers, cloth, or natural waxed paper. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a hormone-disruptor that mimics • Don’t subject plastic to heat and cold. Keep estrogen in the body, but BPA is not the only hormone plastics out of sunlight, the dishwasher, and disruptor found in plastics. the microwave. • When reusable plastic containers become Why are chemical additives used? heavily worn or scratched, retire and trash or recycle them. When manufacturers make a product, they consider different packaging properties to protect their product. • Write to the manufacturers of the products Chemical additives make plastics stronger, softer, more you buy and ask them to choose non-toxic, flexible, flame-resistant, crack-resistant, or light-resistant. renewable, and recycled-content packaging. BPA is a chemical building block that is used primarily Tips for reducing exposure to BPA in receipts: to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. • Minimize the number of receipts you get. Polycarbonate plastic is a lightweight, heat and electrical Decline receipts at gas pumps, ATMs, and resistant material used in automobiles, digital media (such other machines when possible. Choose to as CDs and DVDs), electrical and electronic equipment, have receipts emailed or texted to you. reusable food and drink containers, sports safety • Ask the stores you shop at to use BPA-free equipment, and many other products. paper for receipts or offer alternatives to BPA is also used to produce epoxy resins, which are used paper receipts. in electrical laminates for adhesives, printed circuit boards, • Store receipts separately in an envelope in composites, paints, and protective coatings. Cured epoxy your wallet or purse. resins are used as protective liners in metal cans to • Never give a child a receipt to hold or play maintain the quality of canned foods and beverages. with. • After handling a receipt, wash your hands BPA in paper before preparing and eating food. Research has • Do not use alcohol-based hand cleaners after found that BPA handling receipts as this can increase the can be absorbed skin’s absorption of BPA (Biedermann, 2010). into human • Do not recycle thermal receipts or paper. skin through BPA residues from receipts will contaminate the handling recycled paper. of receipts. In • If you are unsure, check whether paper is thermal receipts used by many stores, BPA is often used as thermally treated by rubbing it with a coin. a color developer for the printing dye. Such receipts have Thermal paper discolors with the friction; a thermal-sensitive layer that, when heated, produces conventional paper does not. color. Beyond cash register receipts, high levels of BPA • The EPA has issued an action plan for BPA are also often present in the thermal paper used to make under its enhanced chemical safety program. baggage destination tags, cigarette filters, and bus, train Learn more at epa.gov/assessing-and- 2 and lottery tickets . About 30 percent of thermal paper managing-chemicals-under-tsca/bisphenol- enters the paper recycling stream, which can introduce bpa-action-plan. BPA into products like toilet paper, napkins, and food packaging. Traces of the chemical are found in our air and See footnotes at the end of this chapter. water, soil, food, and sewage. Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 17 Manufacturing and marketing recycled- Newspaper content products The process for recycling newspaper is similar to office paper. It is repulped, The final steps in recycling are making new products mixed with virgin fibers, and rolled and getting individuals, businesses, and governments to into new paper. Newspaper is made purchase those products. into new newsprint, egg cartons, Recycled materials compete against virgin materials, paperboard boxes, such as cereal or often in worldwide markets. As a result, the economics cracker boxes, or boxboard for shoe of using recycled materials can change based on virgin boxes. commodity prices. For example, if wood chips are readily and cheaply available, prices for recycled paper pulp Corrugated cardboard might be low. Corrugated refers to brown cardboard with a ribbed layer The volume of material available also affects what between the flat pieces. At recycling sorting facilities, manufacturers are willing to pay. For example, when corrugated cardboard and kraft (brown paper) bags are many communities began newspaper and cardboard baled together for processing. recycling simultaneously, prices fell because the supply of recyclable material became so large. Alternatively, if too These materials are mixed with wood-chip fiber. They little material is available, no business will be interested in are most commonly made into the middle layer for investing in the manufacturing capacity to use it. new cardboard. Some may be used in outside layers of cardboard, kraft bags, or boxboard. The following provides a brief overview of the manufacturing processes for the most commonly recycled materials. Mixed paper Mixed paper is what is left after higher grades of paper Office paper have been separated out. It primarily consists of recycled mail and paperboard boxes. It is recycled into the middle Some office paper is used to make 100-percent recycled layer of corrugated cardboard and into boxboard. paper. However, most of it is mixed with virgin fiber to make a variety of products, including book covers, egg cartons, game boards, gift boxes, matches, napkins, paper Cartons towels, and toilet paper. Cartons that held At a mill, used paper is mixed with water and heated in refrigerated foods (such vats to break down the fibers and turn it into pulp. The as milk, juice, and cream) pulp may be forced through a series of screens to remove contain valuable, high- contaminants such as paper clips, staples and plastic tape. grade white paper sandwiched between It then goes through a series of tanks, centrifugal cleaners, layers of polyethylene and water washes. Washing, bleaching, and de-inking is plastic. Refrigerated necessary to produce white paper. cartons contain about 80 percent paper and 20 percent The watery pulp is spread over rotating screens, pressed, polyethylene. and dried to form paper. Cartons that held food stored in the cupboard (such Paper fibers can be recycled five to seven times before as broth, juice, and wine) contain high-grade paper the fibers are too short to be useful. sandwiched between a layer of polyethylene plastic on the outside and a thin layer of aluminum on the inside. These cartons contain on average 74 percent paper, 22 percent polyethylene, and 4 percent aluminum. The pulping process at a paper mill separates the plastic and aluminum foil from the paper. It is then recycled as high-grade office paper.

18 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Glass Electronics Refilling and reusing glass beverage containers was once the norm in the U.S. This practice has nearly vanished 1970s due to transportation costs, consolidation of the bottling industry, and the rise of competing containers Computers, monitors, televisions, cell phones, and other made of plastic, aluminum, and non- household electronics contain heavy metals and other refillable “one-way” glass. materials that are hazardous to human health and the Glass is easily recycled into new glass, and recycling glass environment if they are not properly managed. Hazardous remains more energy-efficient than manufacturing it from components of electronics include lead, cadmium, and raw materials. If glass is not sorted by color, new glass will mercury. Recycling is especially important for computers be amber or brown. and cell phones, which contain rare earth metals whose Glass cullet is also recycled into abrasive construction mining processes require extensive use of toxic chemicals. aggregate, fiberglass insulation, floor tile, fractionator for To prevent hazardous materials from ending up in the striking matches on matchboxes, pipe bedding, reflective trash, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which are commonly pain, and septic filtration medium. found in older TVs and computer monitors, were banned from the garbage in 2006. The following year, Tin (steel) Minnesota enacted standards requiring manufacturers to meet recycling targets for devices with video displays. The steel in cans is coated with a thin layer of tin. Cans are Product stewardship laws such as Minnesota’s require soaked in a chemical bath to remove the tin. The steel is manufacturers to take an active role in ensuring the sent to a mill for reprocessing into ingots and are made proper disposal or recycling at the end of a product’s life. into new food and beverage cans. Electronics are accepted from residents at Hennepin Steel cans can be recycled without detinning, but this County drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn process produces more air pollution because the tin is Park. Some retailers also accept electronics for recycling. burned off. Electronics are broken into various components, including leaded glass in CRTs, circuit boards, plastics, scrap metal, Aluminum and liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). Different methods and Aluminum is one of the most markets are needed to recycle and remanufacture the highly recycled materials in various components. the world because it saves a lot of energy. Making a can Textiles from virgin bauxite ore take 20 times as much energy as Clothing, rags, curtains, and making a can from recycled aluminum. Aluminum cans other fabrics come primarily can be collected, recycled, and back on store shelves from the residential sector. within 90 days. Some communities offer curbside collection for old textiles, or residents can take Plastics items to a drop-off location for reuse or recycling. Because people are adamant about recycling plastics, Once collected, items are sorted and either resold locally, many markets for manufacturing recycled plastics have shipped out of country, or used in recycled-content developed even though new plastic is cheap. products such as cleaning rags, stuffing, and insulation. Plastics are recycled into many new products, including bottles, carpet, handbags, plastic lumber, pipe, T-shirts, and fleece clothing.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 19 Buying recycled Weak markets Sustaining a recycling business is difficult without strong, The recycling loop can only be completed when we stable markets for recycled materials. In order to support purchase products containing recycled content. But a recycling business, expanded or new manufacturing people often don’t think twice about whether a fleece facilities are needed to convert recyclable materials into garment or an aluminum can is made of recycled useful items, a stable inflow of recyclables is needed to material. So how do markets for recycled-content support the investment costs, and consumer demand is products develop? needed for sale of the products. Compared with the 1990s, many recycled-content For some materials, such as tires, colored glass, and products are now mainstream. In one example, certain plastics, markets are few. Volatile prices for government leadership in purchasing recycled-content materials, including paper and plastics, also affect paper helped develop markets for recycled paper, and recycling. now recycled paper can easily be found in stores. For example, in late 2008, market fluctuations led to a Costs for recycled-content products decrease with 65-percent drop over three months in prices for used economies of scale as recycled materials move beyond cardboard, and big cuts in prices occurred for most other niche markets and become cost-effective alternatives to recycled materials. products made with virgin materials. As consumers, we all play an important role in closing the Inexpensive disposal loop. Our purchase of recycled-content products helps send a message to manufacturers that more of these Despite a state mandate that haulers charge for garbage products are wanted. disposal based on volume, the cost differential between various container sizes provides little to no incentive to reduce waste and recycle more. Barriers to recycling Although many materials are theoretically recyclable, Public awareness and consumption habits currently only glass, metal and paper are recycled to a Changing throw-away habits continues to be one of significant extent. Plastics are recycled, but not as much Hennepin County’s central challenges to increasing as other materials. recycling programs. Continued outreach, promotion, Some key barriers that contribute to low recycling rates and education are necessary to maintain and increase include unfavorable tax laws, weak markets, inexpensive recycling rates. solid waste disposal, inadequate infrastructure and technology, poor economics of commercial recycling, and Virgin material subsidies public awareness and consumption habits. The following provides a summary of these key barriers. Some federal tax laws favor raw materials over recycled materials. Depletion allowances created in the past to encourage oil and mineral development continue to subsidize resource extraction. Investment tax credits apply to equipment that converts or refines virgin resources into products, but not to equipment that processes recycled materials. Tariffs and transportation fees have also favored raw materials over recycled materials. Some policies are changing as government agencies sponsor market development programs for recycled materials, education programs to promote recycling, and subsidized collection of recyclable materials.

20 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Product stewardship Why product stewardship? Instituting product stewardship policies can help reduce Product stewardship is a product-centered approach loss of resources, ease rising costs to governments, and to environmental protection. Also known as extended avoid potential hard from hazardous materials. producer responsibility (EPR), product stewardship calls on entities involved in a product’s life cycle, including Treating waste as a resource has economic benefits. manufacturers, retailers, users, and disposers, to share Minnesota manufacturers that make products from responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of recyclable materials employ 8,700 people and contribute products. about $1.19 billion to our economy. Looking at discarded products as resources rather than waste has the potential Product stewardship recognizes that product to bring additional jobs, economic wealth, and tax manufacturers must take on new responsibilities to revenue to the state. reduce the environmental footprint of their products. However, real change cannot always be achieved by Minnesota spends a significant and growing amount of producers acting alone. Retailers, consumers, and the money to manage discarded products that cannot or existing waste management infrastructure need to should not be managed as garbage. Cities and counties help to provide the most workable and cost-effective spend $7 million each year to handle products that are solutions. Solutions and roles will vary from one product a problem for waste systems, such as used motor oil, system to another. fluorescent light bulbs, and old electronics. Toxic materials continue to be a problem for our state. Product stewardship policies in the U.S. (2018) Materials used in some products continue to pose a threat to the health of our communities and the environment. For example, every pound of lead or mercury in a product has the potential to harm human health and the environment if it is not used and managed properly. Managing these materials in a responsible way means spending public taxes and fees on pollution control equipment or special disposal. By encouraging the redesign of products to remove problem materials, product stewardship can reduce the amount of public funding that needs to be spent on proper disposal.

Resources

• hennepin.us/recycling: Information about materials typically accepted in curbside programs and contact information for city recycling coordinators. • hennepin.us/apartmentsrecycle: Information and free resources for property owners and residents Product stewardship in Minnesota to implement or improve recycling in multifamily In 1999, the State of Minnesota adopted the first product buildings. stewardship policy in the United States to promote a • hennepin.us/businessrecycling: Information and new approach to conserving resources, reducing waste, resources for reducing waste and recycling in a and increasing recycling. This approach led Minnesota to business. focus on developing policies and programs for specific • hennepin.us/drop-offs: Information about the priority materials. In 2001, Minnesota participated in an county’s drop-off facilities in Bloomington and effort with the state government, the U.S. EPA, and the Brooklyn Park, including locations, hours, facility carpet industry to develop the first national product guidelines and materials accepted. stewardship agreement in the country. Since these initial efforts, many states have adopted product stewardship policies for various products.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 21 • hennepin.us/greendisposalguide: The Hennepin County Green Disposal Guide provides recycling and disposal information for a wide variety of household items. • pca.state.mn.us/waste/recycle-more: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s website with information on the recycling process and economics in Minnesota. • pca.state.mn.us/quick-links/product-stewardship: Information about product stewardship in Minnesota.

Footnotes 1 Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals: A Potential Health Problem That Can Be Solved, Chun Z. Yang, et.al, http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1003220/ 2 Widespread Occurrence of Bisphenol A in Paper and Paper Products: Implications for Human Exposure, Chunyang Liao and Kurunthachalam Kannan, http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es202507f

22 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Chapter 3 | Food and Organic Waste

Food loss and waste Included in this chapter Every year, American consumers, businesses, and farms spend $218 billion a year, or 1.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), growing, • Food loss and waste processing, transporting, and disposing food that is never eaten. That’s 52 • Food waste recycling and million tons of food sent to landfills annually, plus another 10 million tons that reuse is discarded or left unharvested on farms. • Compost • Methods for composting Food waste has increased significantly over the past few decades. Food waste per capita in organic materials the U.S. increased by 50 percent between 1974 • Yard waste composting and 2009, according to the National Institute of Health, and now totals 1,400 calories per person per day. As much as 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. for human consumption goes uneaten. ReFED estimated in 2017 that an average of 238 pounds of food goes to waste per person each year, costing a family of four more than $1,500. Food waste represents the single largest component of the waste sent to landfills and waste-to-energy facilities. According to Hennepin County’s 2016 waste sort, food is the largest proportion of our trash by far - comprising 19 percent of the trash by weight.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 23 The problem with wasted food According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Wasted food is an environmental and social problem. reasons consumers waste food include: Environmentally, food disposed of in a landfill quickly rots • Lack of awareness and undervaluing of food and becomes a significant source of methane – a potent • Confusion over dates on labels greenhouse gas. Landfills are the third largest source of • Impulse and bulk purchases methane emissions in the U.S., accounting for 16 percent • Poor planning of the methane emissions in 2016. Food waste also has • Cooking too much at once the potential to create leachate when landfilled because • Forgetting about leftovers of its high water content. As food waste decomposes in a landfill, water flows downward, picking up hazardous Reducing wasted food elements from other materials in the landfill. Issues arise when leachate escapes landfill containment and By paying attention and taking simple steps, businesses contaminates the surrounding soil and water. and households can significantly reduce the amount of food and money wasted every year. The amount of food wasted in the U.S. is juxtaposed with issues of hunger and food insecurity. Every day, 980 Some strategies for reducing food waste include: million people go hungry in the world even though there • Practicing meal planning is no shortage of food. In the U.S., 1 in 6 people don’t have • Using up food and freezing or preserving food enough food. • Learning how to properly store food • Understanding the dates on food labels Sources of food waste Food waste is categorized as either pre-consumer (such as food-prep waste) or post-consumer waste (such as leftover food or plate scrapings). Food waste is generated from many sources: • Food manufacturing and processing facilities • Grocery stores and supermarkets • Institutions, such as schools, prisons and hospitals • Restaurants, food courts, and corporate cafeterias • Households As shown, most food waste is generated from households, followed by restaurants and grocery stores.

Food wasted by weight – 63 million tons Waste occurs throughout the supply chain, with nearly 85% occuring downstream at consumer-facing businesses and homes.

10M 1M 25M 27M

16% 2% 40% 43%

24 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Food waste recycling and reuse leftovers from events, products affected by labeling regulations or manufacturing glitches, expired coupons For food and other organic waste that can’t be prevented, or code dates, test-market products, and food drive there are many options for diverting it from landfills and collections. waste-to-energy facilities. Food rescue programs take excess unserved perishable and prepared food and distribute it to agencies and Food-to-people charities that serve people in need. Many of these Non-perishable and unspoiled perishable food can agencies order fresh produce and packaged products be donated to local food banks, community kitchens, from food banks each week for their meal programs pantries, and shelters. Food-to-people programs are the or food pantries. Many also take direct donations from highest form of reuse for edible organic materials. To stores, restaurants, cafeterias and individuals with surplus encourage food donations, the federal Good Samaritan food to share. The Food Group, Second Harvest Heartland, Law prevents usable food from going to waste and and Loaves and Fishes are examples of organizations that protects companies from liability surrounding their accept perishable food for redistribution in the metro donations. area. Food banks are community- based, professional organizations that collect food from a variety of sources and save the food in warehouses. The food bank then distributes the food to families and individuals through a variety of Food-to-animals emergency food assistance agencies, such as community Farmers have long relied on food discards to sustain kitchens, youth or senior centers, shelters, and pantries. their livestock. In food-to-animal programs, food waste Most food banks tend to collect less-perishable foods, is collected for animal feed, typically for hogs. Farmers such as canned goods, because they can be stored for a provide collection containers and pick-up service for a longer time. fee. Barthold Recycling is a farm that collects food waste in the metro area to feed to animals. Feeding waste food to livestock or having the food processed into animal feed is a viable option for recycling food scraps and provides economic and environmental benefits for all involved. No federal rules or regulations apply if surplus food provided to animals contains no meat or animal materials. However, there may be state laws that regulate such feeding. If the surplus food contains meat or animal materials or has come into contact with meat or animal products, converting food into feed for hogs is regulated Typical food bank donors include large manufacturers, by the Federal Swine Health Protection Act (PL 96 468). supermarket chains, wholesalers, farmers, food brokers, This act requires that all such food is boiled before being and organized community food drives. Perishable and fed to hogs and that facilities conducting the boiling be prepared foods are typically collected from restaurants, registered with either the USDA or the chief agricultural caterers, corporate dining rooms, hotels and other food or animal health official in the state in which the facility is establishments for prompt distribution to hungry people located. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health governs in their communities. Donated food includes unserved these programs.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 25 Food-to-animal feed Cities that have citywide organics recycling where only subscribers pay: There are also companies that convert food discards into commercial animal feed and pet food. ReConserve of • Loretto Minnesota is a local company that collects food waste • Maple Plain (not including meat) to manufacture into a dry feed product for animals. Their main customers are large food- Cities where organics recycling is available through specific processing companies that generate substantial amounts haulers: of vegetative and bakery waste. • Brooklyn Center • Maple Grove • Brooklyn Park • Minnetonka Rendering fats, oil, and grease • Corcoran • Minnetrista Liquid fats and solid meat products can be used as raw • Crystal • Mound materials in the rendering industry, which converts them • Dayton • New Hope into animal food, cosmetics, soap, and other products. • Golden Valley • Orono Fats, oils, and grease are being collected in more and • Greenfield • Plymouth more areas around the country and being converted • Greenwood • Richfield by local entrepreneurs into environmentally friendly • Hanover • Rogers biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel produced from renewable resources such as virgin oils (soybean, • Independence • Shorewood canola, palm), waste cooking oil, or other bio-waste • Long Lake feedstocks. Biodiesel significantly reduces asthma- causing soot, greenhouse gases, and sulfur dioxide in air In addition to curbside organics recycling, several emissions. Along with creating less pollution, biodiesel is drop-off options are available for organics recycling. simple to use, biodegradable, and nontoxic. Organics are accepted at the Hennepin County drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park. The cities of When produced from post-consumer resources such as Bloomington, Hopkins, Minneapolis, and St. Louis Park used fats, oil, and grease, this process recovers energy also have organics recycling drop-offs available for their and recycles waste oils that are otherwise either dumped residents. in landfills or flushed down drains. Fats, oil, and grease flushed down drains accumulates and can clog pipes Additionally, a growing number of businesses, schools and pumps both in the public sewer lines as well as in and institutions in Hennepin County have organics wastewater treatment facilities, which causes costly sewer recycling programs, including schools in the Minneapolis overflow spills. School District, Best Buy headquarters, Target Field, Ikea, and the University of Minnesota. Organics composting Organics composting is the collection of food waste, food-soiled paper products, and certified compostable products for delivery to a commercial composting facility. This collection method differs from food-to-animal, food-to-animal feed and rendering fats, oil, and grease programs because it allows for a wider variety of materials to be collected together. Many communities in Hennepin County offer some sort of curbside organics recycling.

Cities that have citywide organics recycling where everyone pays and participants opt in: • Medicine Lake • St. Bonifacius • Medina • St. Louis Park • Minneapolis • Wayzata • Osseo 26 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Compost Benefits of compost Compost has many benefits, including: Compost is organic material that is used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants. Mature • Suppressing plant diseases and pests. compost is a stable material with content called humus, • Reducing or eliminating the need for chemical which is dark brown or black and has a soil-like, earthy fertilizers. smell. • Promoting higher yields of agricultural crops. • Reducing soil erosion. How compost is created • Increasing moisture retention and improving Natural composting, or biological decomposition, began structure of soils. with the first plants on Earth and has been occurring • Facilitating reforestation, wetlands restoration, ever since. As vegetation falls to the ground, it slowly and habitat revitalization efforts by amending decays, providing minerals and nutrients needed for contaminated, compacted and marginal soils. plants, animals, and microorganisms. Well-managed, • Cost-effectively remediating contaminated soils. larger-scale composting includes the production of high Where applicable, using compost costs about half temperatures of around 150˚F to destroy pathogens and as much as conventional soil, water and air pollution weed seeds that natural decomposition does not destroy. remediation technologies. Commercial composting facilities use the following • Removing solids, oil, grease and heavy metals from process: stormwater runoff • Materials for organics recycling are dumped and inspected to make sure they don’t contain too many Methods for composting organic material contaminants (like plastic and glass). Composting can take many forms. Among the many • Organics are then shredded and mixed with factors that determine the best composting method to yard waste to get the correct mixture of nitrogen use in a particular situation are the space available and (provided by the food waste) and carbon (provided the types and quantity of material available for compost. by yard waste) as well as the right moisture level. • Microorganisms like bacteria go to work turning the organics recycling into compost. This process heats In-vessel composting up the pile to over 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The If resources and space allow, food scraps can be combination of microorganisms, moisture, air, and composted onsite using in-vessel composting time turns the organic waste into compost. A curing technology. In-vessel composting systems can handle process allows the finished material to fully stabilize a wide range of waste volumes – from a few pounds and mature. to more than 60 tons a day. Compostable materials • After about six months, the organics and yard are placed in the container and mixed, shredded, and waste mix has been recycled into compost. The aerated by the system. Some in-vessel systems are finished compost is screened to remove as many fully automated with sensors to monitor temperature, contaminants, such as plastic bags and wrap, glass oxygen and moisture. In-vessel composting can be used and metal cans, as possible. The compost is tested to year-round in virtually any climate because the internal ensure the material is environment is carefully controlled, often electronically. safe to use. This method can even be used in extremely cold weather if the equipment is insulated or the processing takes place indoors. Conversion of organic material to compost in in-vessel systems can take as little as a few weeks. Once the compost comes out of the vessel, however, it still requires a few more weeks or months for the microbial activity to stabilize into finished compost.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 27 Un-aerated static pile composting Vermicomposting In this method, organic discards are piled and mixed with Worms (usually red worms) break down organic materials bulking material. This method is best suited for small into high-value compost by eating it, breaking it down, operations, and is not well suited for composting food and expelling it as “castings.” This method is faster than waste. A low-maintenance backyard compost pile is an windrow or in-vessel composting and produces a high- example of an un-aerated static pile. quality compost. Animal products or grease cannot be composted using this method, but it is a good small-scale Aerated windrow/pile composting option for residents who lack access to organics collection service or backyard composting. This is the method used as commercial composting facilities where curbside and drop-off organics recycling are taken. Shredded organic materials, such as food waste, yard trimmings, and wood chips, are formed into rows or long piles and aerated either passively or mechanically. This method can accommodate large quantities of organic materials. In order to accommodate large amounts of food waste, this method also needs large amounts of bulking material and carbon sources, aeration, and careful temperature and moisture control. The organics recycling brought to Hennepin County transfer stations are delivered to the Mulch Store in Anaerobic digestion Rosemount and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Organics Recycling Facility. Anaerobic digestion is the process of breaking down organic matter in an oxygen-free environment to generate gas. The method produces biogas – a combination of methane and carbon dioxide. The biogas can then be burned directly or converted into various forms of energy. The anaerobic digestion process also generates heat that can be captured and reused to offset other sources of energy. The material that remains after digestion (digestate) should then, ideally, be composted aerobically to complete the decomposition process and produce a valuable soil amendment. In addition to producing energy, another benefit of anaerobic digestion is that it requires less space than large-scale composting methods and is less likely to generate noxious odors. These factors make it easier to locate these facilities in urban areas. Using anaerobic digestion to process residential and commercial organics is rare but becoming more common.

28 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Yard waste composting Resources

Yard waste includes leaves, grass clippings, and trimmings • hennepin.us/organics: Information about residential from bushes, trees, and other yard or landscaping organics recycling programs in Hennepin County vegetation. The MPCA has regulated the composting of • hennepin.us/businessorganics: Information about community yard waste and solid waste materials since organics recycling options for businesses and 1988. The Minnesota Legislature mandated the statewide organizations source separation of yard waste in 1992 and banned it • hennepin.us/yardwaste: Information about yard from being landfilled or incinerated. Because it is illegal waste disposal options to put yard and tree waste in household garbage, more and sites than 100 yard waste compost sites have been established • Food waste data and resources across the state. -- refed.com Some cities and haulers in Hennepin County offer -- nrdc.org/issues/food-waste curbside collection of yard waste. Drop-off sites for yard -- savethefood.com waste are also available throughout the county. Some drop-off sites are operated by cities and are open to • Print resources: order copies online at their residents only, while others are operated by private hennepin.us/environmentaleducation businesses. Collected yard waste is composted. -- Managing yard waste in Hennepin County -- Organics recycling guide Compostable bag requirements -- Tips to fight food waste flyer A law that went into effect on January 1, 2010, requires all residents in the Twin Cities who bag their yard and organic waste for pickup to use compostable bags. Acceptable bags include either paper (kraft) bags or certified compostable plastic bags. This law was developed to eliminate the problems associated with plastic bags at composting facilities. Plastic bags at composting facilities are problematic because the plastic must be separated from the waste, which is expensive, and some plastic may still end up in the compost, which decreases the quality of the compost. Using compostable bags reduces processing costs and enhances the quality of the finished compost

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 29 Chapter 4 | Residential Waste: Consumption and the Three Rs

The three Rs Included in this chapter About 1.4 million tons of garbage are generated in Hennepin County every • The three Rs year. From packaging and food scraps to junk mail and excess paint – it takes a lot of time and money to deal with all of that trash. Most are familiar with the • Consumption phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but let’s consider how well we truly understand • Types of products the three Rs. • Reducing waste • Packaging • Practicing better consumption by precycling • Residential curbside recycling

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 30 Reduce Some recycling programs are supported by product When a consumer declines to buy something or a stewardship, which means that manufacturers take manufacturer opts not to produce a product, they responsibility for their products from “cradle to cradle.” This are practicing source reduction or waste prevention. includes providing and paying for the collection, reuse, Preventing waste in the first place is the first and most and recycling of the products they make when those impactful step to take in managing waste. Reduction is at products are no longer being used by the consumer. the top of the waste management hierarchies from both the U.S. EPA and State of Minnesota. The reduce part of the three Rs refers to any method used by a consumer or producer of a product to reduce the amount of solid waste that will require some sort of management, whether that be recycling, composting, incineration or disposal. If something is never created or you don’t buy it, you don’t have to worry about how to reuse it or dispose of it later on. Source reduction can also be used to reduce toxicity in the waste stream. For example, consumers practice toxicity source reduction when they buy or make non- toxic cleaning products. Consumption Reuse Every product manufactured impacts the planet. Reuse means finding ways Manufacturing uses resources and contributes to put existing materials to pollution. Waste prevention involves changing back to their intended use consumption habits and production methods to and using things over and conserve resources. over again. There are many When we must buy something, we can reduce the ways to practice the second environmental impact by purchasing durable and made- R. Using durable, reusable to-last products, looking for products with recycled items in place of disposable content, choosing to reuse products instead of buying options is a good place to new, and selecting products with minimal packaging. start. Things to use reusable We are consumers living in a market economy. Many items for include coffee mugs, food containers, napkins, factors influence our purchasing decisions, including shopping bags, straws, utensils, and water bottles. By attitudes toward the gross domestic product (GDP), helping to avoid disposable items, this strategy also helps product marketing strategies that exploit our values accomplish the first R – reduce. You can also donate to and emotions, and the planned obsolescence of goods and buy items from reuse retailers like thrift stores and produced. consignment shops, or look for reused items on online swap sites. Consumerism and the GDP

Recycle All consumption contributes to the gross domestic product (GDP), which is the total value of all the goods Recycling refers to systems that collect, separate, process and services produced in the economy in one year. The and market materials from the waste stream so they can concept of GDP is influential in shaping our attitudes and be manufactured into new products. Many materials can decisions as consumers. We are told that the country’s be recycled. Types of paper, glass, metals, and plastics are economic well-being is linked to our consumption of collected in most curbside recycling programs, and other goods. The more we buy, the better off our economy will materials like electronics, mattresses, and motor oil are be. Conversely, (by implication, at least) consuming less collected at drop-off sites. Organics recycling, where food makes us worse off. scraps, food-soiled paper, and compostable products are turned into compost, is another form of recycling.

31 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual But this is a faulty argument. GDP is a quantitative measure, not a qualitative one. Though it reflects A resource-hungry world and the need the numbers of goods and services purchased, it for sustainable materials management doesn’t evaluate products in terms of their social or environmental benefits or impacts. Consider the following Our reliance on minerals as fundamental ingredients in the examples: manufactured products used in the U.S. – including cell phones, flat-screen monitors, paint and toothpaste – • Buying cigarettes contributes to the GDP. So does requires the extraction of more than 25,000 pounds of new, the cost of health care services required to treat the non-fuel minerals per capita each year. This rapid rise in myriad diseases associated with smoking. mineral use has led to serious environmental impacts, such • An oil spill that requires cleanup and restoration as habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, overly stressed services will raise the GDP. fisheries and desertification. • Producing excess packaging and undesired junk mail It is projected that between 2000 and 2050, the world also enhances the GDP. population will grow 50 percent, global economic activity Many countries, such as Germany, Sweden, and will grow 500 percent, and global energy and materials use will grow 300 percent. Commenting on the effects of Switzerland, have standards of living equal to the U.S., but material resource use on the environment, the heads of they generate half the amount of waste per capita! We major research institutes in the United States, Germany, don’t improve the quality of our lives by increasing our Japan, Austria and the Netherlands have noted that, “unless waste stream. economic growth can be dramatically decoupled from The 325 million people who live in the U.S. consume more resource use and waste generation, environmental resources and create more waste than the 1.38 billion pressures will increase rapidly.” people in China or the 1.32 billion people in India. The U.S. In addition to exceeding the Earth’s bio-capacity by represents less than 5 percent of the world’s population, extracting too many materials, we return most of what we but we consume about one-quarter of the Earth’s total extract to the Earth as waste very quickly. According to the biological capacity. This is the capacity of ecosystems to World Resources Institute, “one-half to three-quarters of produce biological materials and absorb wastes using annual resource inputs to industrial economies is returned current technology. About 18 percent of global energy to the environment as wastes within just one year.” in 2015 was consumed in the U.S., according to the Not only are we drawing upon nonrenewable resources Energy Information Administration. For many mineral and impacting the environment at an increasing rate, we resources, such as aluminum, the U.S. also consumes a are also creating more waste. As U.S. consumers have grown disproportionately large share of world supplies relative to favor disposable products and convenience goods, waste to its population. has increased at all stages of the material life cycle. The notion that we must consume ever-increasing quantities of stuff to keep the economy growing is flawed Advertising for several other reasons. In a world of finite resources, perpetually increasing consumption cannot ultimately We’re surrounded by advertising campaigns that are be sustained because it involves extracting raw materials strategically designed to influence our purchasing faster than they can be naturally replenished. Experience decisions by confusing our wants with needs. Although also tells us that, even before we run out of those key ads do provide us with information about new and resources, the pollution and habitat impacts of increased improved products, they are often designed to pressure consumption will negatively impact the quality of life us to buy things we don’t really need. for people and the planet. Finally, although consumer Advertisers rely on a few “hot button” themes: happiness, spending does stimulate the economy and creates jobs, youth, status, success, luxury, convenience, and beauty. we don’t need to limit our spending to low-quality/high- The convenience theme figures prominently in product waste items. Buying high-quality, durable goods, services marketing. For example, consider the number of ads and life-enriching experiences and putting money into on television for household items such as paper towels conventional savings and investments will also fuel the and plastic wrap that are convenient but disposable. economy, usually with less waste. “Time-saving” instant/microwavable meals – many of which are packaged in non-reusable and possibly non- recyclable plastic dishes –appeal to consumers’ desires for convenience.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 32 As consumers have become more environmentally Labels you can trust conscious, we’ve begun to see green marketing Some labels have standards, regulations, or guidelines campaigns. Unfortunately, these appeals to a “green ethic” that mean you can trust the information they’re may not guarantee the environmental soundness of the communicating. The following are some labels you can product or its packaging. trust. The following examples illustrate possible ways that • How2Recycle: The How2Recycle green marketing can be misleading, or “green washing:” label was created to provide • “Biodegradable” is a term you may see on packaging consistent and transparent recycling often intended to imply the item is compostable. information on packages to Biodegradable means that an item decomposes consumers in North America. The under typical conditions. Many assume that is a label is being used by hundreds of relatively short amount of time, when actually large product manufacturers, but it is still relatively the timeline for biodegradation varies widely. new. The label tells consumers how to prep the Unprocessed materials like fruits and vegetables material for recycling, what type of material the can take as little as a week to a few months to packaging is made of, which part of the packaging biodegrade, while plastics take thousands of years. is recyclable, and where to recycle it. The label also There is no regulation on the use of this term, so it’s a recently developed a similar format for compostable term to view with caution. packaging. • “Recyclable” labels on nationally distributed • BPI certified compostable: products can be misleading because of differing The Biodegradable Products local conditions. The collection systems, processing Institute (BPI) is the certifying facilities, and markets for recycled materials vary entity for compostable plastics in North America. greatly throughout the country. If a product does not Look for the BPI logo on the products you purchase. have local resources to get to the respective recycling You can also check to see whether a product meets market, then it isn’t really recyclable. the BPI standards for compostability at bpiworld.org. • “Made of recycled content” may mean that the item contains 1 percent recycled content, 100 percent recycled content, or any percentage in between. The Recycled-content labels explained product being marketed may contain pre-consumer, industrial scrap material, which wouldn’t have been • Recycled-content: Product contains recovered materials. landfilled anyway, instead of post-consumer material, Recovered materials are wastes that have been diverted from conventional disposal, such as landfills, for another which is derived from products that have already use. Recovered materials include both pre-consumer served a useful life. As a rule, higher levels of post- and post-consumer wastes. consumer content indicate lower environmental • Pre-consumer content: Materials are generated by impact, but product labels may not tell the whole manufacturers and processors and may consist of scrap, story. trimmings, and other by-products that were never used • “Environmentally friendly,” “Earth-friendly,” in the consumer market. “eco-friendly,” “bio-” or “green” are essentially • Post-consumer content: Material is an end product meaningless because there are no standards that that has completed its life cycle as a consumer item and products with these labels must meet. Still, they’re would otherwise have been disposed of as solid waste. popular and common advertising gimmicks. Post-consumer materials include recyclables collected in commercial and residential recycling programs. Recycled-content products may contain some pre-consumer waste, some post-consumer waste or both. A product does not have to contain 100 percent recovered materials to be considered “recycled,” but the higher the percentage of recycled content, the greater the amount of waste that is diverted from disposal and the greater the environmental benefit. Always look at the amount of post- consumer recycled content in a product.

33 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Types of products Eventually, the use of disposables expanded from hospitals into homes. Disposable home products are Three basic types of products are produced and more often touted for their convenience rather than purchased in the United States: consumable, durable, hygiene. They were originally intended to serve as and disposable. backups to durables, not as substitutes. Paper towels, for example, were meant to capture the Consumable products occasional big spill. In most homes today, paper towels Consumables include such have replaced their reusable cloth predecessor. Likewise, things as food and fuel. disposable diapers were initially intended for use during When used (consumed), travel. Now most parents use disposables all the time. these products are gone and Gradually, these and other disposable products have all permanently transformed but replaced their durable counterparts. into energy and waste. Gasoline is a prime example. We consume gasoline to propel our cars (energy) while simultaneously producing air pollution (waste).

Durable products Product obsolescence Durable products include clothing, furniture, and tools. A much subtler form of disposability is seen in durable These products are designed to be used over and over products that have been designed for obsolescence. again, and we can maintain and repair them to ensure There is quite a difference between an item that is truly longer product life. A sweater, for example, can be worn out and one that is obsolete only because it was maintained by washing and repaired by darning and poorly made, is out of fashion, or has been upstaged by patching to last for many years. an “improved” version with “new and exciting” features. Planned obsolescence refers to products that aren’t made Only at the end of their useful lives do durable products to last or marketing that tricks consumers into believing end up in the solid waste stream. How well a product is they “need” the “enhanced” product. made and maintained along with how often it is used determines how soon it will need to be discarded and Advertising executive Earnest Calkins is often credited replaced with a new product. with introducing the strategy of rapid, planned stylistic changes into 20th-century business thinking. In 1930 he wrote, “the purpose is to make the customer discontent with an old type of kitchen utensil, bathroom or motor car because it is old-fashioned, out-of-date. The technical term for this idea is obsoletism. We no longer wait for things to wear out. We displace them with others that are not more effective but more attractive” (Modern Publicity, 1930). Disposable products Planned obsolescence is now commonplace in Disposable products include items like paper or plastic many industries, most notably automobiles, clothing, dishes and utensils, non-rechargeable batteries, and electronics, home furnishings, and sports equipment. personal-hygiene products. Disposables are designed and Each year, manufacturers of men’s and women’s clothing produced to be used only one time. Once used, they’re forecast which colors they expect to be popular in thrown away. the upcoming season. And, year after year, consumers Among the first disposables to appear on the market purchase the color that is “in.” Louis Cheskin of the were hospital supply products, such as disposable Color Research Institute contends that, “most design syringes and gloves. They were promoted as being more changes are not made for improving the product either sanitary than their durable counterparts, and their use is aesthetically or functionally, but for making it obsolete.” almost universally accepted as a health care standard.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 34 Although design and marketing for obsolescence 7. Get your name off junk mail lists: The average increases sales for manufacturers, it has the ultimate household receives as much as 100 pounds of and unsustainable effect of turning otherwise durable unwanted mail each year. See the Hold the Mail products into quickly replaced and then disposed of brochure for ways to get off junk mail lists. commodities. 8. Give green gifts: Avoid over-packaged, resource- Planned product obsolescence contributes to our waste consuming gifts that need batteries or electricity. problem and increases consumption of energy and Consider making a gift, sharing an experience, natural resources. We can change it only if we know providing a service or giving an environmentally what we actually need rather than letting ourselves be friendly product. And be sure that whatever you influenced by advertising and trends. give, it’s something the person really wants. 9. Green your celebrations: It can be easy to let your Reducing waste green habits slide when you’re planning a party or joining a celebration. But this is also a great MRCs play a vital role in teaching others how to opportunity to lead by example! Carefully plan reconsider their consumption and recommend specific the amount of food being served, use reusable strategies for preventing waste before it enters homes or dishware, decorate with items that are reusable, workplaces. recyclable, or compostable, make sure recycling and composting containers are available and your By purchasing items that are overly packaged, disposable guests know what goes where. See our Green Party or of poor quality, your cash can soon end up as trash. Planning checklist for more ideas. Taking steps to reduce waste at home and when we shop is good for the environment and cost-effective. 10. Choose actions that are right for you: Take a look in your trash and recycling. What type of Here are some steps you can take to reduce waste: waste are you generating the most of? Are there 1. Avoid disposables: From plastic bags to water opportunities to reduce or avoid that waste? bottles and mugs to paper towels, napkins, plastic Choose actions that will have the most impact on baggies, straws, cleaning wipes, coffee pods and reducing your waste and that your household is more, there are so many opportunities to choose likely to successfully adopt. durable, reusable items over disposable. 2. Shop for less packaging: Avoid single-serve and Packaging individually wrapped items. Buy in bulk and bring bags or containers to fill. Choose products in Products are not the only waste-generating goods. recyclables or refillable containers. Increasingly, packaging has become a focus of solid waste 3. Borrow, rent, and shop used first: Before you run to planners and consumers. And for good reason! Product the store to buy a new item, think about how much packaging constitutes a large portion of the household you will use it. Could you borrow one from a friend or waste stream and is a significant contributor to roadside neighbor, rent it at a local store, or purchase it used? litter. Containers and packaging made up 30 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream in 2014. 4. Buy well, buy once: Well-designed and constructed products that are repairable will last longer and Product stewardship for packaging isn’t common yet in usually save you money, even if they cost more the U.S., but many European countries already require initially. manufacturers to meet increased recycling goals and/ 5. Repair before replacing: When something breaks, or pay fees to cover the cost of recycling packaging our first instinct these days is often to replace it. But materials through programs such as the Green Dot (the before jumping to that conclusion, consider if repair German “Grüne Punkt”). is an option. Bring the item to a Fix-It Clinic, see if there are repair shops or services for the item, or look for repair tutorials online. 6. Sell, give away, or donate usable clothing and household goods: Keep the reuse cycle going by donating or giving away usable items you no longer want or need.

35 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Purposes of packaging Practicing better consumption by precycling Packaging has different purposes and functions. Some of As we’ve seen, we’re subjected to external influences these functions are critical while others are not. Here are that shape our purchasing habits and discourage waste some of the whys of packaging: reduction behavior. Becoming aware of these influences • Product protection: Sealed containers delay food is a necessary first step in changing our behavior. spoilage. Wax, cellophane, and plastic wraps prevent Precycling is an approach to taking steps to become moisture loss. Rigid foam, bubble wrap, cardboard, better consumers. and paper padding protect breakable products Much of the time, people make purchasing decisions during shipping. Oversized packaging is perceived to with little prior thought or planning. As a result, they may deter theft. buy products that aren’t as useful as they had thought. • Identification: Some packaging helps consumers Ill-considered purchases become clutter and eventually identify products. For example, we expect beer waste. This process contributes to the excess use of bottles to be brown, green, or clear, depending on resources and adds to our waste stream. the brand. To avoid this, consider this simple, three-step process: • Convenience: Containers for ready-to-eat salads, other fast food items, and microwavable dinners are 1. Decide what you need. perceived as time-savers because we don’t have to 2. Consider and identify alternatives to buying new care for them. Once used, these materials are usually products. tossed into the trash. 3. Select the best product for your real needs. • Marketing: Packaging is designed to sell by making one manufacturer’s products look more desirable than those of its competitors. This marketing function often results in over-packaging. Children’s toys, for example, are thought to be particularly enticing if they can be seen through hard plastic boxes.

Packaging materials Glass, paper, plastic, aluminum, steel, and wood are commonly used packaging materials. All of these materials can be used in single-material and mixed- material packaging. Aluminum cans are an excellent example of single- material packaging, which is generally easier to recycle Precycling strategies than packaging created from multiple materials. • Make your own: Use scrap paper for note pads, reuse A mixed-material package is made of more than one type glass jars and plastic tubs for canisters or containers, of material. Most of the products we buy come in mixed- relabel and resend envelopes material containers. Beverages, for example, may be sold • Rent or borrow: Things like ladders, slide projectors, in glass bottles that are covered with paper or plastic party supplies, yard and garden equipment, camping labels and sealed with plastic-lined metal caps. This is four and sports equipment, and library books different types of materials. • Maintain and repair: Automobiles, shoes, clothing, Sometimes, the mixed materials in packaging can be appliances, furniture, tools easily separated. Bottle caps, for example, can be removed • Buy used or resell: Kitchenware, appliances, clothing, from the bottles. Plastic cereal box liners can be removed furniture, toys, musical instruments, sports and so the boxboard can be recycled. camping equipment Some mixed-material packaging is made from • Donate or resell: To charitable organizations, thrift inseparable, or composite, materials. Common stores or consignment shops; at rummage or yard sales; through classified ads, Craigslist, Facebook composite-material packages include milk cartons Marketplace, NextDoor and freezer boxes. Such packaging can be hard and sometimes impossible to separate. Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 36 Step 1: Deciding what you need Step 3: Selecting the product and the package We are all targets of Sometimes purchasing a new product really is the best marketing campaigns option. Once you’ve gone through steps one and two designed to make us and realized that this is the case, use selective shopping think we need what strategies. This means choosing both the product and its manufacturers are selling. packaging carefully in order to minimize waste. Before making a purchase, All manufacturers claim their products are the best. Use ask the following questions: your own judgment by asking these questions before you • Why do I want this? buy: • How often will I use it? • Will this product last? Some toys can be passed from • What are my alternatives to this product? child to child, while others break before the first child is tired of them. Purchasing durables, such as cloth • Can I get along without it? napkins and lunch food containers, eliminates the • What will I give up in order to buy this (e.g., time spent need to replace them after each use. earning money to buy it, money and time spent on • Is it repairable? Can the shoes be resoled or are parts maintaining and disposing of it)? Is it worth it? replaceable? Well-designed and constructed products that are repairable will last longer and usually save Step 2: Finding alternatives you money, even if they cost more initially. Once you’ve decided what you need, consider • Is it a classic? Will I be happy with it years from now? alternatives, such as reusing an existing item rather than • What will happen to it at the end of its life? Is it made buying a new one. We can reuse by using items we out of materials that can be safely returned to the already have, giving away or selling goods we no longer natural environment? need, or purchasing used items. Reuse can also include • Is the product free of unnecessary packaging? Is the renting or borrowing. package refillable or recyclable? Choose products with the least packaging over individually wrapped items. This will save you money as well. We live in a society where the old saying, “use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without” has been replaced by marketing strategies that encourage impulse buying. These strategies help us to reduce waste by considering our purchases before we make them. People acting together can make a difference, so don’t hesitate to speak up. Tell store managers what kinds of products and packaging you prefer. Bring a reusable bag or ask for your purchase not to be bagged (such as Party rental stores are great places to get dishes, flatware, when you order just a sandwich). If just one-quarter of and linens for larger parties and gatherings. There are U.S. households used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, 2.5 now tool and toy libraries available (in addition to your billion fewer bags could be made each year. Four or five traditional libraries for books and media). And don’t forget reusable bags used multiple times at least once a week about your family, friends, and neighbors – they are great can replace 520 plastic bags a year. resources for borrowing, sharing, swapping, and reparing. Bring your own containers to restaurants to bring home Before purchasing something new, ask yourself: leftovers. Contact companies and let them know when products don’t last or if packaging is excessive or non- • Is there something I already have that would serve recyclable. If enough people do this, manufacturers will the same purpose? change. • Can I make it from things I already have?

• Can I borrow or rent it? • Can I buy it used?

37 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Preparing recycling Selective shopping: items to look for Properly preparing recycling is important to ensure • Recyclable products: Cardboard and paper bags, the materials actually gets recycled. Here are tips for aluminum cans, glass jars and bottles, tin cans preparing various materials: • Recycled-content: Toilet paper, facial tissue, greeting • Cardboard: Flatten and put into cart or bin. Some cards, printer paper, glass jars, aluminum cans, cities will allow larger amounts of cardboard to be paperboard, cereal boxes placed alongside recycling carts. • Durable products: Cloth diapers, refillable razors, • Magazines: Include everything that comes with the refillable pens, cloth napkins, towels and rags, cast-iron magazine except rubber bands and plastic bags. pots and pans, covered food containers, travel mugs, rechargeable batteries • Metal cans: Include all aluminum and tin/steel food • Minimal packaging: Meat wrapped in paper rather than cans. Place metal lids and bottle caps inside metal Styrofoam and plastic wrap, no single-serving packages cans and pinch shut. Rinse clean and put into cart or • Bulk buying: Loose produce, meat and seafood from bin. a meat counter, food from self-serve bins (bring your • Mixed paper: Mixed paper includes unwanted mail, own jars or containers), dish and laundry soap, hardware envelopes, greeting cards, paper tubes, and cereal supplies, large blocks of cheese boxes. Do not include bath tissue paper, paper towels, or paper products such as plates and cups. • Newspaper: Include everything that comes with the Residential curbside recycling paper except rubber bands and plastic bags. • Plastic bottles and containers: Rinse the container All communities in Hennepin County accept the same clean and toss into the bin or cart. Leave caps on basic list of materials for recycling. This includes: bottles. If the bottle has a plastic label wrapped • Boxboard (cereal, cake mixes and pasta boxes, around the entire bottle, remove it. Do not recycle shoe boxes, electronic and gift boxes, boxes from bottles or containers that have come into contact toothpaste and medications, etc.) with motor oil, pesticides, herbicides or other hazardous wastes. • Corrugated cardboard Put recyclables loose into your recycling cart. You should • Glass food and beverage containers never put your recycling into plastic bags, and it’s best • Magazines and catalogs to not use paper bags either. Plastic bags get tangled in • Metal food and beverage cans the equipment at recycling facilities, causing the entire • Milk cartons and juice boxes facility to be shut down while the bags are cut off of • Mixed paper, including mail, school and office papers the equipment. Plus, the machines and people at the • Newspaper and supplements recycling facility cannot tell what’s in the bag, meaning • Plastic bottles, containers and lids, #1-5 your recycling will likely not get recycled. Paper bags pose a similar issue – the machines at the recycling facility can’t Cities and haulers may accept additional materials tell what’s in the bag, so the recycling in the bag won’t beyond the basic list in their recycling programs. get sorted properly.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 38 Setting up a household recycling system Recycling beyond the curb Place a separate bin or paper bag in rooms where a lot of Many people don’t realize they can recycle more materials recyclable items are used. For example, place a bin or bag than are accepted at the curb, but it may require a special for recycling in the kitchen, home office, laundry room trip. There are many places in the metro region to bring and bathroom. When these bins get full, empty them into materials for reuse or recycling. As a Master Recycler/ your recycling cart or bin. Composter, become familiar with the recyclers and reuse Before emptying a waste basket from a bedroom or office, centers in the county and share them with people in the check to see if there are any recyclable items you can pull community. out and recycle instead. Hennepin County has two year-round drop-off facilities When cleaning out your garage, refrigerator, basement, where residents can take recyclable materials not cabinets and closets, make sure a , box or accepted curbside. Materials residents can drop off paper bag is nearby for collecting recyclable items. include batteries, electronics, organics, electronic media, mattresses, plastic bags, and scrap metal. There are also drop-off containers at libraries and city halls for batteries, and many retailers and grocery stores take plastic bags for recycling. For information on locations, hours, materials accepted and fees, see the Drop-off Facilities Brochure or visit hennepin.us/dropoffs. For more information on a specific item, visit the Green Disposal Guide at hennepin.us/ greendisposalguide or call 612-348-3777.

39 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Resources Support recycling by recycling right • hennepin.us/choosetoreuse: A searchable guide Recycling has changed in recent years due to shifts in of places to sell, donate, buy, repair, rent, and share markets and national and international policy changes. reusable items plus reuse events and spotlight on Recyclers have changed their focus from wanting more materials to wanting the right materials so that recycling reuse articles. streams are high quality and don’t contain a lot of • hennepin.us/recycling: Information about recycling contamination. at home in Hennepin County. The best way to support recycling is to recycle right by • hennepin.us/greendisposalguide: A searchable making sure you know what does and does not go in your directory of recycling and disposal options for recycling cart. common household items. Some of the most important materials to keep out of your • hennepin.us/recycling: Information about residential recycling cart are: recycling in Hennepin County. • Plastic bags and wrap: These get tangled in equipment • hennepin.us/-/media/hennepinus/business/work- at recycling centers. Bring them to a retail drop- with-hennepin-county/environmental-education- off location for recycling, avoid by finding reusable activities/reducing-waste-appendix-green-party- alternatives, or put them in the trash. checklist.pdf: Green party checklist • Cords, hoses and string lights: These get tangled in • Print resources: order copies at the equipment at recycling centers. Recycle cords and hennepin.us/environmentaleducation string lights at a drop-off location, or put these items -- Hold the Mail in the trash. -- Residential recycling guide • Paper cups and plates: These items are often lined with plastic or contaminated with food. Avoid by -- Green Disposal Guide magnet carrying reusable water bottles and mugs and by -- Drop-off facility brochure choosing reusable or compostable alternatives. Put paper cups and plates in the trash.

• Plastic utensils and straws: There aren’t good recycling markets for these items and they are too small to sort at recycling facilities. Avoid by carrying reusable utensils and straws with you, refuse straws when you can, use compostable alternatives, or put them in the trash. • Plastic foam: There aren’t good recycling markets for these items and transporting and sorting the material is difficult. Avoid by finding reusable, recyclable or compostable alternatives, and put these items in the trash.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 40 Chapter 5 | Home Composting and Preventing Food Waste

You can reduce organic waste at home and protect the environment by preventing food waste and composting kitchen scraps and yard waste. Included in this chapter There are two options for composting at home: backyard composting and • Backyard composting vermicomposting. Although some people think composting is difficult and • Vermicomposting requires a great deal of scientific knowledge to do it right, composting is • Reducing wasted food actually both easy and efficient. As an MRC, you can help dispel this myth.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 41 Backyard composting Add the right recipe The following items can and cannot be composted in Backyard composting is an easy way to turn much of backyard bins. the waste from your yard and kitchen into a rich organic material that you can use to improve your soil.

Get a bin The first step in home composting is to figure out what kind of bin you are going to use. You can purchase a bin or build your own. Hennepin County sells compost bins to help residents Compost Do NOT compost get started with backyard composting. Bins are 3’ x 3’ x 3’, Food and yard waste: Fats or animal products: made of cedar and wire mesh, and cost $50. You can also 4 Fruit and vegetable 8 Butter, cheese or dairy buy a lid for $10. Bins are sold as a kit with all assembly fruit products materials and instructions included. Bins are sold at 4 8  the Hennepin County Drop-off Facility in Brooklyn Park Coffee grounds and Meat or bones and at distribution events. Learn more at hennepin.us/ filters 8 Gravies or sauces composting. 4 Tea leaves and tea bags 8 Pet wastes 4 Egg shells 4 Nut shells 4 Plant trimmings 4 Grass and leaves

Note that fewer materials can be placed in backyard composting compared with curbside organics collection programs. This is because backyard compost bins do not heat up as much as industrial composting systems, so Many lawn and garden stores also sell compost bins. Or some materials like animal fats and oils cannot be broken you can search for options online to make a compost bin down. yourself with a few materials and tools. There are four basic ingredients for good compost: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and moisture. Find a place for your bin In the composting process, microorganisms use carbon Place your bin in a convenient location for easy access. for energy and nitrogen to make proteins. As a general Select a spot where your bins gets some sun to heat rule for home composting, you want to add three parts up your pile. Locating your bin in full sun will heat up carbon (dry, brown materials) to one part nitrogen (wet, the compost pile faster but will dry it out more often, green materials). requiring periodic watering. Some shade will prevent this. Browns (carbon) 3 to 1 Greens (nitrogen) Good drainage and accessibility is important for your Dried grasses Coffee grounds compost bin. You should have enough room around Leaves Fruit and vegetable the bin to allow you to turn the compost and a water Straw peelings source nearby in case you need to add moisture. Be sure Sawdust Grass clippings you can access your bin year-round so you can continue Twigs Green leaves composting in the winter. Plant trimmings

42 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Oxygen and moisture Vermicomposting are important for the health and activity of the Vermicomposting, or composting with worms, uses red microorganisms. An active worms to decompose food waste. The worms are very compost pile – one in effective at decomposing kitchen food waste and don’t which microorganisms take up as much space as a backyard compost bin. The are actively converting worms will eat kitchen scraps and produce compost and organic materials to a liquid fertilizer. compost – has good air circulation and moisture Setting up vermicomposting consistency of a wrung- • Buy a bin specifically designed for vermicomposting out sponge. If a pile is or construct your own. compacted or too wet • Add bedding. Peat moss, shredded newspaper, or or too dry, microorganisms will cease their work and leaves are good options. the pile will become passive. You can get the correct air circulation by turning your pile with a garden fork at least • Purchase worms. A general rule is one pound of once a month. worms for every half pound of food.

Feeding the worms Backyard composting tips Feed these to the worms: Do not feed worms: • Keep your compost pile at the right moisture level. 4 Uncooked fruits, 8 Meat, fish, and other If your compost pile has a bad odor, it may lack air vegetables and grains animal products circulation or it may be too wet. Try turning the pile and/ or adding dry, brown materials to the pile. 4 Egg shells 8 Dairy products • If your compost pile is not heating up, it may need more 4 Coffee grounds or 8 Greasy or fried foods nitrogen or green material. Add grass clippings or more tea bags (in limited 8 Pet waste fruit and vegetable scraps to the pile. quantities) • Bury kitchen scraps at least eight inches deep in the compost pile to discourage critters. • You can keep adding to your compost pile as it is composting. However, you may want to start a second pile if you have enough material. • Place your compost bin in a location you will be able to access in winter. Add a layer of straw or hay to the top of your compost pile in the winter to keep it warm. Your compost pile will slow down in winter, but you can continue to add materials! • The best pile is made up of a variety of materials. • The smaller the pieces of compostable material, the faster the pile will decompose.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 43 Reducing wasted food • Reorganize your fridge and put the older/more perishable food in the front and the newer/less A lot of time, energy, and resources go into producing perishable food in the back. Or create an “eat first” bin food that is meant to provide nourishment. Cheese is and place food that needs to be eaten soon there. a good example. For cheese to be ready to be eaten, • Learn the best way to store fresh produce. Some it requires feeding and milking the cows, cooling and produce does well in the fridge while other items transporting the milk, processing it into cheese, packing should be kept on the counter or in a cool, dark place. it, getting it to the stores, and keeping it at the right And some produce shouldn’t be stored together as it temperature all the time. Think of all the resources wasted will spoil faster. if it then gets thrown away! • Canning and freezing foods gives you access to Planning meals, using a grocery list, and practicing local, seasonal food year-round. Many community proper food-storage techniques are easy ways to reduce organizations are great resources to learn about food food waste and keep food out of landfills. When doing preservation. They may offer equipment and book outreach, tell your audience that, unlike buying local loans as well as classes to help you get started. or organic food, which is sometimes out of our control, • Freeze food that you may not be able to eat. Most preventing food waste is in our hands. foods, vegetables included, can easily be frozen and thawed when you’re actually ready for them. Learn how to store and preserve food • Learn where to store items in your fridge to maximize the life of food. For example, the door is the warmest space in the fridge so it’s good for condiments but not for milk or eggs. And the bottom shelf is the coldest space, making it good for eggs, milk and raw meat. Refrigerator insider: help your refrigerator save food Eat unprocessed goods – especially fruits, vegetables and grains • Fresh fruits, vegetables and grains use less resources and energy to produce. • Get your grains from the bulk section. • Buy local foods from farmer’s markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, or local co-ops.

Top shelf Freezer Door This area has the most Prepare and freeze items The warmest space in consistent temperature for use throughout the the fridge. Good for in the fridge. month. Freeze foods you condiments, but not Store cheese, butter, and won’t be able to eat in good for perishables cooked meats here. time, such as bread, sliced (like milk and eggs) fruit, or meat. Bottom shelf Crisper drawers The coldest part of the fridge. Can help control humidity Store eggs, milk, and raw levels for better storage meat here. (e.g., high humidity for lettuce, low humidity for fruits and veggies).

44 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Understand food labeling Grow and share your food • Planting and tending a home garden is a great activity for the whole family. There are many options for gardening at home, including containers if your space is limited. Or check out community gardens. • Check out local nurseries for seeds, plants and equipment. Borrow garden tools you only need occasionally. • Share your extra harvest with neighbors, friends or a The dates on food labels are generally not expiration local food shelf. dates, but merely suggestions as to when the product is at its freshest. The only federally regulated food labeling is on baby formula to ensure that the nutrient levels listed on the packaging are accurate until the expiration date. The grocery industry recently adopted voluntary standards to clear up what product date labels mean. • “Use by”– products with this label should be consumed by the date listed on the package. • “Best if used by” describes product quality. After that Resources date, the product may not be at peak flavor, but is generally safe to consume. • hennepin.us/composting: Information about Use your sense of smell, sight, and judgment to Hennepin County compost bin sales and instructions determine when food has gone bad. Don’t eat foods that for backyard composting. have developed an off odor, flavor or appearance. • Preventing wasted food: -- savethefood.com Practice meal planning and prepare meals at home -- lovefoodhatewaste.com -- wastedfood.com • Food made to take with you is usually highly processed and • Food storage preservation: requires packaging. Preparing -- extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/ meals at home and bringing preserving them with you in reusable -- makedirtnotwaste.org/sites/default/files/a-z_ containers offers more healthful food_storage_guide-web.pdf and affordable choices. -- uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda. • Shop your refrigerator first. Find html: USDA’s guide to home canning recipes using ingredients you • Farmers markets, CSAs and local food resources already have at home. -- minnesotagrown.com. • Plan out meals for a week. Then make a shopping list. -- slowfoodmn.org/local.html • Create meals in batches. Freeze them for later use, in -- mfma.org portion sizes that you can defrost later. -- themix.coop • Put together a lunch kit equipped with flatware, cloth -- landstewardshipproject.org/stewardshipfood/ napkin and a microwave-friendly glass container with csa lid. Pack it full of fruits, vegetables and grains or your leftovers from last night’s dinner. • Print resources: order printed copies online at hennepin.us/environmentaleducation • Ask family members to compile their favorite recipes and share them with your entire family. -- How to compost at home factsheet • Plan a leftovers night each week to eat everything up. -- Troubleshooting home composting problems -- Refrigerator insider and tips to prevent food waste flyer

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 45 Chapter 6 | Household Hazardous Waste and Problem Materials

What are household hazardous wastes and problem materials? Included in this chapter • What is household hazardous Household hazardous wastes and problem materials are unwanted household waste? materials that can be flammable, an oxidizer, corrosive, toxic, or reactive or • The concern with household that contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These products have a wide hazardous products variety of uses in your household, but they can harm human health and the environment if not used, stored, or disposed of properly. • How to identify hazardous products Household hazardous wastes are generated from household, not commercial, • Labels and regulations activities. This can be confusing for businesses run out of homes. • How to safely store products Problem materials are materials that if processed or disposed of with solid • Safely disposing of hazardous waste municipal solid waste will contribute to one or more of the following products issues: • Reducing harmful chemicals • The release of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant in your home • Water pollution • Air pollution • A significant threat to the safe or efficient operation of a solid waste facility

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 46 Household hazardous wastes and problem materials Household hazardous wastes represent a small include: percentage of the waste stream. However, they are of • Automotive products: including antifreeze, brake concern to health officials and solid waste planners and transmission fluid, fuel, oil, oil filters, and lead-acid because, even in small amounts, they can be harmful to batteries people and the environment. • Household, lawn, and garden products: including According to the U.S. EPA, only a fraction of registered adhesives, aerosols, batteries, cleaning produces, chemicals have gone through complete testing for drain cleaner, fluorescent light bulbs, paint, human health concerns. Some chemicals have immediate pesticides, poisons, pool chemicals, thermostats and toxic effects. Others are toxic to our bodies only after thermometers (that contain mercury), stains and repeated, long-term exposure. varnishes Exposure to some pesticides, paints, and solvents may • Personal care products: including hair spray, nail produce weakness, confusion, dizziness, irritability, polish remover, and perfume headaches, nausea, sweating, tremors, and convulsions. • Electronics: including cameras, DVD players, Repeated exposure to some chemicals can cause cancer computers, game systems, printers, telephones, or birth defects. televisions, radios and music players, speakers, and Children and pets are impacted more significantly by the video equipment negative effects of chemicals. Pound for pound, children • Major appliances: including air conditioners, and pets breathe more air, drink more water and eat dishwashers, microwaves, ovens, refrigerator, stoves, more food than adults. When children play, they crawl washers and dryers, and water heaters and put things in their mouths. Pets can pick up harmful • Tires chemicals on their bare paws, which they can then ingest when they clean their paws. As a result, children and pets have an increased chance of exposure to potential pollutants. Wastes thrown in the garbage threaten sanitation workers who could be injured by acids and vapors. These can also cause fires and explosions. Hazardous wastes that reach a landfill may ultimately leach into groundwater. Those that go down the drain may cause serious problems for the municipal sewage treatment system or septic systems. Some materials can pass unaltered through public and private treatment systems, polluting rivers and streams. Because of the potential dangers associated with The concern with household hazardous hazardous products in the home, it is important to know how to identify, properly use, and store them. products Exposure pathways We use household hazardous Chemicals can enter our bodies through products every day in the a number of “exposure pathways” cleaning and fixing of our homes, maintaining our cars, Inhalation Gets into the lungs through the nose and taking care of our lawns. and/or mouth. Products such as paint, weed Contact killer, and drain cleaners are Gets on skin, and/or in the eyes, nose okay when we use them or throat. up for the job they were Ingestion intended, but these products Gets into the body through the mouth. can present a hazard to our health and our environment if Injection they are not properly used, stored, and disposed. Gets into the bloodstream through a cut or puncture in the skin.

47 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual How to identify hazardous products Characteristic words Characteristic words indicate the type of hazard posed by These days it seems like every product comes with a a product. These are usually found after the signal word warning, so you may not pay much attention to the on the label. The accompanying symbols are consistent in words on the label. However, when it comes to hazardous multiple languages. products, reading the label is the easiest way to identify one. Image Description Flammable/Combustible: The product can easily catch fire and support flame.

Corrosive: “Corrosive,” “acid,” “caustic,” “lye,” “alkaline” or “causes burns to the skin” mean that the product can burn the skin or eyes. It can also eat away other materials that it comes into contact with. Toxic: “Poison” or “harmful if swallowed” mean that the product is poisonous and can be harmful or fatal if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Signal words Reactive: First, look for signal words. Federal law requires labeling “Do not mix with ____” or “store separately of hazardous products by using these signal words. By from other products” means the product understanding the difference in the use of the signal may react violently or produce toxic words, you can determine how hazardous the product is. gas if combined with other substances (examples: certain types of drain cleaners, The signal words are listed in order of increasing toxicity, oven cleaners or products containing with Caution being the least toxic and Poison being bleach, ammonia or lye). the most toxic. This helps you find the least hazardous product. Signal Word Hazard Level Less hazardous Caution Mild/moderate hazard Warning Moderate hazard Danger Extremely flammable, corrosive or highly toxic

More hazardous Poison Highly toxic

You can become a smarter shopper by understanding the differences in signal words and reading labels to purchase the least hazardous products. For example, if you are comparing two bathroom cleaners and one product is labeled with Caution and another is labeled with Danger, you know the product labeled Caution is less hazardous.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 48 • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees Beware of greenwashing food, medicines, cosmetics, and personal care products. The FDA does not regulate disposal of Greenwashing is a marketing strategy in which companies medicines. use tactics to mislead customer into thinking their products are better for the environment than they are. • The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) covers all other products, including cleaners, non- Watch out for the following: chlorine bleach, wood finishes and household items • Best in class: Declaring you are slightly greener than not regulated by FDA. the rest, even if the rest are highly hazardous. • Biodegradable: Products that are biodegradable are Pesticides not always environmentally friendly. • False labels: Companies often make up certifications and labels for their products that required no verification. See below for validated certifications • Fluffy language: Words or terms with no clear meaning, such eco friendly, earth friendly, or natural. There are not regulations defining how these terms may be used. • Irrelevant claims: Emphasizing one small green attribute when everything else is not green. For The EPA requires that pesticide labels contain one of three example: “Does not contain acid.” signal words: • Suggestive pictures: Green images that indicate an • Caution (toxicity category III) unjustified green impact. For example: flowers • Warning (toxicity category II) blooming from exhaust pipes • Danger (most toxic or toxicity category I) Environmentally friendly certifications These signal words represent ranges of acute toxicity or irritation based on oral, dermal, inhalation, eye, and skin • Green Seal certification: Products have been irritation hazards. A toxicity category IV pesticide is not assessed for meeting rigorous performance, required to have a signal word, but if one is used it must health and environmental criteria. be Caution. • U.S. EPA Safer Choice: Each ingredient in the product has been screened for potential Additional requirements include: human health and environmental impacts. • Labels must list specific health and environmental Based on currently available information, the hazards and include first-aid information. product contains ingredients that pose the • Labels must identify the active ingredients, which are least concern among chemicals in their class. those that actually repel, confuse, or kill the pest. • Labels are not required to list “inert” or “other” ingredients, which are those that have a function Labels and regulations other than killing the target pest. This term is Three federal agencies have jurisdiction over the safety of misleading, however, because it does not mean household products that contain hazardous ingredients. the ingredients are inert in terms of their effects on These agencies determine what defines a hazardous human health or the environment. Additionally, these product and specify how these materials must be labeled unlabeled ingredients often compose the majority of to identify their hazards. Product labels can provide useful the product. information about household hazards, but each agency Using a pesticide in a way inconsistent with its label is a sets different requirements for labeling the products it violation of federal law. regulates. • The U.S. EPA regulates pesticides, including Food, drugs, and cosmetics products intended to kill weeds (herbicides), insects The FDA requires manufacturers to list all ingredients in (insecticides), slugs and snails (molluscicides), and their products in descending order of quantity. Unlike the bacteria (disinfectants), as well as mildew removers EPA and the CPSC, the FDA does not use a hierarchy of and wood preservatives. signal words to indicate hazard levels.

49 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Consumer products • Never mix products together (such as bleach and Although the CPSC also uses signal words to identify a ammonia). product’s hazard level, the agency uses slightly different • Keep products away from heat, sparks, flames, or definitions than the EPA. other sources of ignition. • Danger signifies extremely hazardous substances and • Only buy the amount of product you will use. is the highest hazard level. • Keep products in their original containers, and make • Warning or Caution are both used on all other sure the label is legible. hazardous substances. • For long-term storage, place waterproof transparent Additional requirements include: tape over product labels to prevent them from falling off. • Labels must identify the ingredients that contribute significant hazards, but they are not required to list all ingredients. Safely disposing of hazardous waste • Starting in the 1990s, the CPSC required that products Improper disposal of household hazardous wastes and include warnings about chronic health hazards. problem materials, such as throwing them in the trash or However, their labels include little or no information pouring them down the drain, could harm your family or about environmental risks or proper disposal. garbage hauler. Improper disposal may also pollute the air, water, and soil. What’s not on the label? To address the household hazardous waste disposal issue, Except in California, product labels are not required to counties operate household hazardous note ingredients that may cause cancer, reproductive sites where residents can safely dispose of their hazardous problems, or birth defects. Environmental hazards are waste, often free of charge. not listed on most products except on pesticide labels. Hennepin County offers two such drop-off facilities. Additionally, product marketing slogans may mislead These facilities are in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington consumers about product safety, and these claims are not and are open year-round. Both facilities also have free well regulated. product centers where residents can pick up usable The Occupational Safety and Health Administration paint, automotive products, cleaners, adhesives and other (OSHA) requires that Safety Data Sheets (SDS) be available products for reuse. For more information, visit hennepin. to workers exposed to hazardous products on the job. us/dropoffs or call 612-348-3777. These sheets can provide additional information about To provide a more convenient disposal option, Hennepin product ingredients and hazards, but typically they are County also organizes two-day collection events for not readily available to consumers and are not required. household hazardous waste at various sites throughout Finally, none of this information is useful if consumers do the county in the spring, summer and fall. Visit hennepin. not read or know how to understand the labels before us/collectionevents for more information. they buy or use household products.

How to safely store products

Storing products properly can help prevent accidents and extend a product’s life. • Keep products out of reach of children and animals. • Store all hazardous products on high shelves or in More than 110,000 residents bring waste items to locked cabinets away from food. Hennepin County’s drop-off facilities and collection • Make sure the lids and caps are tightly sealed and events every year. Waste is then managed by the county childproofed. in the most environmentally protective and cost-effective • Store corrosive, flammable, reactive, and poisonous method possible. products on separate shelves and keep them dry. For information about how specific materials are • Store products that say “prevent freezing” (such as managed at the drop-off facilities, see the What Happens latex paint) indoors. to All This Stuff? factsheet.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 50 Disposing of medicines prevent injury and disease transmission from needle- Proper disposal of unwanted and unused medicine is sticks. important to prevent accidental poisoning and abuse Never place containers with used needles or syringes or and protect the environment. Prescription drug abuse loose needles in a recycling bin or in the garbage. is a growing problem, and accidental poisonings from Use one of the following options to dispose of sharps: medicines are also on the rise. Medicines flushed down • Check with your healthcare provider: Some clinics the drain or disposed of in the trash can contaminate and hospitals have collection programs for household water, harm wildlife, and pollute drinking water. needles and sharps. Medicine drop boxes are • Destroy at home: Devices or containers are available available for the safe disposal with mechanisms that bend, break, incinerate of unwanted and unused (destroy with high heat), or shear needles. Disposal medicines. There are now after the sharp has been destroyed varies based on more than 30 drop boxes the destruction method. available throughout the • Mail-back programs: Several mail-back options are county. Some are operated available. by Hennepin County and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s • Hennepin County Drop-offs Facilities: The drop-off Office, others are operated facilities in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington accept by city police departments, sharps from households. and a growing number are available at independent See the safe disposal options for needles and sharps pharmacies. See all of the drop boxes available at brochure for more information about each of these hennepin.us/medicine. options. Medicines from households are accepted including: • Prescription medicines including Schedule II-V Reducing harmful chemicals in your home controlled substances (such as Vicodin, Percocet and Ritalin) • Over-the-counter medicines • Pet medicines Materials not accepted: • No illegal drugs (Schedule I) • No needles, sharps or syringes • No medicines from businesses • No batteries, trash, medical devices, mercury thermometers or other hazardous materials • No cosmetics and personal care products You can make simple changes to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals at home by considering the following Disposing of needles and sharps options: A sharp is any device used • If you have household chemicals that you don’t to penetrate the skin for want or need, properly dispose of them. Give usable healthcare purposes. Sharps products to a friend or neighbor who will use them include hypodermic needles, up. If products are unusable or you don’t know pen needles, intravenous someone who can use them, take them to your needles, used epi-pens, county’s household hazardous waste drop-off site to lancets and syringes. be disposed of properly. Needles and sharps pose • Buy fewer household chemicals. Use multipurpose a safety hazard for solid cleaners to avoid specialty cleaners. Use single- waste and recycling workers. ingredient products like baking soda or vinegar for Dispose of sharps safely to cleaning. See the Green Cleaning Recipes Guide

51 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual for simple cleaners to use throughout your home. Resources And remember that sometimes muscle can replace chemicals. Try to dislodge a clog in a drain with a • hennepin.us/drop-offs: Information about the mechanical “snake.” Scrub sink stains with an abrasive Hennepin County drop-off facilities in Bloomington sponge. Use a dandelion digger instead of weed killer. and Brooklyn Park, including locations, hours, • Use pump spray products instead of aerosols. Aerosol materials accepted and fees. mist is more easily inhaled. • hennepin.us/collectionevents: Information about • Avoid chemical air fresheners. To freshen the air, household hazardous waste collection events open the windows or simmer a mixture of cloves and organized by Hennepin County. cinnamon in water. • hennepin.us/medicine: Information about medicine • Remove your shoes at the entrance to your home so disposal drop boxes and options in Hennepin County. you don’t track chemicals from outside throughout • hennepin.us/greendisposalguide: The Hennepin your home. Keep a floor mat at the entrance for County Green Disposal Guide is a searchable directory visitors. of recycling and disposal options for common • Use mercury-free thermometers such as alcohol household items. or digital ones. Take mercury thermometers to a • Print resources: order printed copies at hennepin.us/ hazardous waste collection sites. environmentaleducation • Use a fabric shower curtain instead of vinyl as vinyl -- Drop-off facility brochure release chemical gases. -- Green cleaning recipes guide • Avoid laundry and dishwasher products that contain -- How to identify and reduce harmful chemicals in chlorine or chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite). If your home whitening is needed, use a non-chlorine bleach with -- How to recycle your household batteries oxygen or hydrogen peroxide. brochure • Avoid the chemicals used in dry cleaning. Clothes -- Medicine disposal program factsheet that have been dry cleaned release perchlorethylene -- Safe disposal of needles and syringes brochure (perc) gas, a chemical that is suspected to cause -- What happens to this stuff factsheet cancer. Air out clothes that have been dry cleaned before bringing them into your home. Better yet, buy clothes that don’t need dry cleaning or have clothes cleaned by an alternative cleaning process (green cleaning) that does not result in the release of perc.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 52 Chapter 7 | Commercial Waste Reduction and Recycling

Businesses are responsible for just over half of the waste generated in Hennepin County. And nearly two-thirds of the waste created at businesses Included in this chapter and non-profits is recyclable. • Waste collection in a business This chapter will address how to implement commercial waste reduction and setting recycling programs and options for diverting organic waste in commercial • Developing and maintaining settings. Implementing waste reduction and recycling at multifamily a waste reduction and properties, including apartment buildings, condos, and townhouses, is also recycling program at work covered here because most residential buildings with five or more units are • Environmentally preferable serviced like commercial accounts. purchasing • Recycling at multifamily complexes

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 53 Waste collection in a business setting building may want the service and be willing to pay for it but is limited by a building owner or management In Hennepin County, the hauling of commercial waste is company that is unwilling to provide the service. an open system, which means businesses can select any Additional barriers may include: licensed hauler to collect their waste or they can self-haul to a recycler or drop-off facility. • Building or exterior space limitations for storing containers, especially with multi-sort systems. Recycling is mandated by state law (Minnesota Statute 155A.151) for businesses that generate over four cubic • Local health and building code requirements for yards of trash per week. However, most communities do container siting and servicing. not regulate the type of materials included in collection • Additional time required for custodial staff to get programs for businesses, and some of the mandated materials set out for collection. businesses still fail to meet the state requirement. • Coordination between multiple tenants, custodial staff, and building owners. Participation in commercial recycling • Limited service options. For some businesses, recycling provides significant Although these commonly referenced barriers may financial savings and is essential to their daily operations. prevent some businesses from participating in recycling programs, they can be overcome. For example, a big box retailer that generates large quantities of cardboard from product shipments and has the ability to store and transfer the cardboard to a Developing and maintaining a waste paper recycler may get paid for the material rather than reduction and recycling program at work paying to have it collected with their garbage or recycling service. Take the following five steps to establish and maintain a successful business waste reduction and recycling Another example is a major food distributor that program. generates primarily unprocessed food waste and is able to send it to a compost facility at a lower cost than disposing of that material as trash. Step 1: Get organized Under these circumstances, Gain management support the materials generated Management support is critical to the success of the are large in volume and program. Gain support by demonstrating how a waste consistent in quality, reduction and recycling program can save the company making it viable to market money, boost employee morale, and save natural the material directly to a resources. processor. The financial savings come from the Programs succeed best when management: avoided disposal or recycling • Implements company-wide waste reduction and collection costs, any revenue recycling policies. generated for the material, • Allocates resources (personnel and money). and avoidance of solid • Leads by example by reducing waste, recycling, and waste fees. Counties charge fees for solid waste disposal; buying recycled products. materials that are recycled are exempt from the fees. • Stays committed and involved. Other businesses find it challenging to participate in • Supports incentives to reward staff involvement. recycling programs. For a small business, such as an • Communicates often and in a variety of ways. independent convenience store or clothing boutique where the overall amount of material generated is minimal, recycling collection service may be an additional cost that the business is not willing to absorb. If the amount of materials generated is minimal, avoiding waste disposal fees may not provide much incentive for waste diversion. Additionally, a business in a multi-tenant

54 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Choose a coordinator Step 3: Reduce waste Assign someone to coordinate the program. Choose Waste reduction can lower costs in every area of a someone who is enthusiastic, organized, and business – not only in offices, break rooms, shipping, communicates well with co-workers and management. and manufacturing, but also building, equipment, and The coordinator will: vehicle maintenance. • Work with others to evaluate which materials can be The following are effective waste-reduction strategies. reduced, recycled, and composted. Use these ideas to kick off brainstorming conversations about what would work at your office. • Teach co-workers and management how to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. • Set printer defaults to print double-sided, and • Coordinate activities with service providers and other encourage employees to print less. company departments. • Replace plastic cups, plates, and utensils with • Keep everyone in the company informed about the reusable counterparts. program goals and successes. • Provide reusable dishes in break rooms and kitchens, If a business has several departments, it may be necessary and encourage employees to bring lunches in to create a waste reduction and recycling team to work reusable containers. with the coordinator. The team should include someone • Adopt green purchasing policies, such as selecting from multiple departments, including management, products that are less toxic, conserve energy or water, maintenance, production, purchasing, personnel and or use recycled-content materials. food service. • Reduce packaging waste by buying supplies in bulk and using reusable shipping containers. • Donate unwanted supplies and other items to organizations or exchange with other businesses. Reuse Minnesota (reusemn.org) and the Minnesota Materials Exchange (mnexchange.org) are good places to start. • Host green meetings. Limit printing of materials. Offer call in options. Provide information about transit, walking and biking to the meeting. If food is being served, offer organics recycling and make Step 2: Look in the bin sure foodservice items are reusable, recyclable, or compostable A waste assessment will help you become aware of what • Choose non-hazardous or less-hazardous cleaning waste your business creates and how it is managed. Staff products and use reusable towels and rags. can then target opportunities for reduction, recycling and • Evaluate your company’s processes to identify ways composting. to use raw materials more efficiently and use less Deciding where to begin with an assessment depends on hazardous alternatives. the type and amount of waste the company generates. A waste assessment should address: • How much waste the business generates. • Where, how, and why waste is generated. • What types of materials are being thrown away. • Where the waste is going and how it is managed. • The cost of collection and disposal services. • How much of the waste can be reduced, recycled, or composted. Complete the assessment using the waste assessment checklist available at hennepin.us/businessrecycling, in the improving recycling and preventing waste tab.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 55 Step 4: Start recycling -- Put a recycling bin by the mailboxes and copy All business can recycle the basics like paper, cardboard, machine so it’s convenient for people when cartons, plastic, metal, and glass. Businesses that produce sorting their mail and making copies. a lot of food waste and non-recyclable paper, such as -- When starting an organics recycling program, napkins, plates, cups, and paper towels, should consider it may help to start in the kitchen or lunchroom adding organics recycling to their waste diversion efforts. and expand to other areas over time.

Choosing a recycling service provider Find out how much you’re paying for waste service by looking at your current waste bill. If a third party handles the billing for your waste, ask them for the trash and recycling information. Check the terms and duration of your waste contract. Then get quotes from your current waste hauler for adding services such as recycling or organics recycling, • Make recycling easy and request quotes from at least two other haulers to -- Use consistent, color-coded containers and compare prices. Comparison shopping will help you find signs with images of items to help users figure the most complete, reliable, and cost-effective option. out what goes where. The idea is to distinguish Ask the following questions of potential recycling and between the waste streams as much as possible organics recycling service providers: so users are aware that not all waste is trash and to help them easily sort their waste. We • Have you worked with my type of business before? recommend blue for recycling, green for organics, • What materials do you collect? and red, black or gray for trash. • Is there a minimum amount required for collection? -- In addition to color-coding, using different • Do you provide collection containers (desk paper shapes of containers and lids along with signs, trays, bins, barrels, dumpsters, outside storage labels, or posters can draw attention to the containers, etc.)? different containers. • How is the pickup service scheduled (weekly, on-call, -- Place labels and signs on or near containers so etc.)? users can refer to them to determine how to sort • Do you provide educational materials and recycling their waste. Consider using multiple signs and and/or organics recycling training? labels to reinforce the materials that go in each • What are your payment terms? container. • Do you require a contract for service and if so, what are the terms of the service contract? Set up your program Remember the following to set up effective recycling containers: • Make recycling convenient -- Create sorting areas by placing recycling, trash and organics containers next to one another. Set up sorting stations where waste is generated and • Set up your central collection area where there is heavy traffic. -- Place all of your dumpsters/carts together. -- If employees do not have recycling bins at their desks, consider setting up an intermediate -- Clearly label all of your dumpsters/carts to help recycling area for approximately every 20 workers identify quickly and accurately which employees. Make sure the recycling area is waste goes where. conveniently located in a high-traffic area, such as -- Include the dumpster area in the training of your by the break room or restroom. cleaning and other staff.

56 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Design with flexibility Hold training sessions in mind. Be ready to Training is vital. Everyone who handles waste, including change initial practices as employees, custodial staff, and outside contractors, information is gathered should understand how the program works. and new handling methods are learned. If the Staff meetings are ideally suited for training sessions. Both business generates large the coordinator and management should be involved quantities of materials, in answering questions, providing encouragement, and consider establishing a discussing the program’s needs and successes. Provide pilot program to work out potential problems before employees with a list of materials currently accepted (or expanding the program company-wide. specifically rejected) by the recycling program, along with brief instructions on topics such as collection locations and material handling methods. Step 5: Spread the word Plan for staff turnover to ensure continuing success of Employee participation is critical to success. Gain the your program. Include components of the recycling and/ support and active participation of upper management or organics program when training new staff or hiring immediately. Employees who see their boss reducing, new contractors. reusing, and recycling are more likely to participate. Make participation easy by educating everyone about the program.

Announce and promote the program Launch the program with a special event or staff party. Then promote the program both internally and, if applicable, throughout the community. Keep employees informed and involved Consider all of your communication channels. Make Once underway, track successes to share with employees announcements at staff meetings, post messages on and management. Providing regular program updates company bulletin boards, send email messages, and and positive communication are critical for long-term post signs and flyers announcing the start of the new or success. improved program. Include the commitment to reduce waste, recycle, and compost, and clearly explain the new Here are some suggestions for keeping staff and program procedures and how to sort materials. Introduce management informed and involved: the program coordinator and provide their phone • Send articles about program successes and staff number and/or email address. involvement through emails or a company newsletter Plan a short monitoring or internal website. period in which • Post flyers reminding employees of program goals someone stands by and progress towards meeting them. the waste station(s) to • Create a competition between floors, departments, help employees and/ etc. to see who can improve recycling the most. or customers separate • Form a green team or appoint recycling champions their waste correctly to help educate employees and customers, keep into recycling, organics and trash bins. This is particularly everyone informed of the business’ progress, and lead important with organics recycling, which is a new additional environmental efforts. concept for many people. • Give awards to employees or departments that Having someone available have demonstrated innovative strategies for waste to help with sorting and reduction and recycling. to answer questions • Encourage employees to share innovative ideas and reduces contamination solutions. and makes for a smoother • Work closely with your waste hauler to monitor transition as people learn progress, or conduct periodic waste assessments to new habits. see how you’re doing. Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 57 Get recognized for your efforts Make sure to let customers know about your program! Assistance available from the county Businesses are evaluated on many aspects of their Many resources are available to help make waste reduction, performance, including their environmental stewardship. recycling and organics programs successful. Access all of Waste reduction and recycling programs show customers these resources at hennepin.us/businessrecycling. and vendors that your business cares about the Grants community and environment. So, share your recycling efforts, goals and results with your customers. Some ideas: The county has grants for businesses, non-profit organizations, and institutions to start or improve recycling • Send news releases about the program’s and organics recycling programs. Funding can help with the accomplishments to community papers as well as purchase of recycling containers, equipment, hauling environmental and business trade publications. services and minor improvements to loading docks and • Post signs and banners in public areas that inform waste enclosures. visitors about the program. Include the statement “printed on recycled paper” on the company’s Professional staff assistance recycled-content letterhead. County staff also offer the following free services: • Motivate other businesses to establish their own • On-site assessments to determine best options and programs. Speak at business meetings, workshops, necessary start-up steps. and seminars. • Evaluation of potential costs and savings. • Sponsor a local cleanup day or take part in • Assistance with internal collection setup. community recycling activities and events. Let the • Promotional and education materials. community know the business cares. • Follow-up and ongoing assistance. • Become a Hennepin County Environmental Partner. The Hennepin County Environmental Partners Container labels program recognizes businesses for their efforts to You don’t have to create your own signs – Hennepin County recycle and divert organic waste from the trash has a variety of signs and labels available for free to all through composting, sending food scraps to local businesses and organizations in the county. farmers to feed animals, or by donating edible food. Participating businesses receive decals and other resources to communicate their efforts to their customers and are listed in an online directory. Learn more at hennepin.us/environmentalpartners.

58 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Environmentally preferable purchasing Buy recycled Recycling is more than collecting, processing and turning Purchasing decisions can greatly support waste reduction materials into new products. Success only comes when and recycling efforts. Environmentally preferable the recycling loop is closed by purchasing products made purchasing involves choosing products and services that from recycled materials. have a lower impact on the environment and human health. Businesses can look for opportunities throughout their operations to substitute recycled-content products for Taking the following steps can help ensure that purchases those made from virgin materials. In most cases, the support waste reduction and recycling efforts: quality of recycled-content products is comparable or • Make a company-wide commitment to purchase superior. Look for recycled content in everything from environmentally preferable products and services. office products and packaging to building materials and • Identify purchasing opportunities. raw materials for manufacturing. • Revise purchasing policies, ordering practices and product specifications. Examples of environmentally preferable • Set realistic, attainable purchasing goals. purchasing Ask the following questions before purchasing any Equipment product: • Develop maintenance contracts and purchasing • Do we really need the product? Is there another specifications for laser printers and copy machines product that meets our needs and is a better choice that support the use of recycled-content paper and for the environment? remanufactured toner cartridges. • Is the product non-hazardous or less hazardous • Purchase used equipment. than other choices? Good resources include Green • Purchase or lease copiers and laser printers that Seal (greenseal.org) and U.S. EPA Safer Choice (epa. automatically copy or print on both sides (duplex gov/saferchoice), both of which assess products for printing). human health and environmental concerns. Supplies • Is the product reusable, durable, or easily repaired? • Specify chlorine-free, recycled-content paper and soy • Can we find the product used? Reuse Minnesota or agri-based ink when placing printing orders. (reusemn.org) and the Minnesota Materials Exchange • Purchase laser, copy, and letterhead paper with 30 to (mnexchange.org) are good resources. 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper content. • Is the product made from recycled or compostable • Contract with a custodial service that uses less- materials or renewable resources (such as plant- hazardous (less-toxic) or non-hazardous cleaners. based raw materials)? Products • Will a recycled-content product work in place of one • Tell your vendor to use waste reduction techniques, made with virgin materials? such as minimal packaging or returnable shipping • Does the product conserve energy or water? containers and pallets. • Is the product refillable or available in bulk quantity to • Manufacture products and packaging that can be reduce packaging? reused, recycled, or composted. • Evaluate all purchases considering “cradle to grave” • Is product leasing an option? costs such as liability, environmental impacts, and • What happens to the product at the end of its employee safety during the manufacture, use, and life? Can it be recycled or composted? Does it need disposal of a product. special disposal? Will the manufacturer take it back?

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 59 Recycling at multifamily complexes 3. Service levels are not adequate. The study also found that typical service levels may not be Nearly one-third of Hennepin County residents live in adequate to collect the amount of recycling buildings with five or more units. Most of these properties generated at apartment and condo buildings. On contract separately for waste and recycling services and average, properties provided half the amount of are not included in a city’s curbside program. service capacity for recycling as they did for trash. In the early 1990s, all Hennepin County communities Find the full report from the multifamily waste sort study passed ordinances requiring owners of multifamily at hennepin.us/solidwasteplanning, under multifamily housing to provide the opportunity to recycle to their waste study. tenants. However, the ordinances did not specify which materials were to be collected, and recycling at Improving recycling at multifamily buildings multifamily buildings continues to be a challenge. Developing and maintaining a successful multifamily waste reduction and recycling program requires an onsite champion of the program, conveniently located and well-labeled containers, and ongoing education. Some buildings may need recycling materials in multiple languages for non-English-speaking tenants. There are many opportunities for MRCs to help improve recycling at multifamily buildings. Some ways to help include: • Directly educating tenants through door knocking that includes distributing educational materials and answering questions. • Assisting complexes with new or revamped recycling Uncovering the challenges and opportunities for program set-up. multifamily recycling • Giving presentations that provide information about In 2017, Hennepin County conducted a waste study to the building’s recycling system to tenants and answer assess how well apartment and condo buildings were recycling questions. recycling. The study looked at the recycling diversion • Connecting property owners to outlets for bulky- rate, contamination levels in the recycling, and the waste diversion, such as unwanted furniture and composition of what was being discarded as trash. The mattresses. study had three main conclusions. • Establishing onsite community gardens and composting bins for tenants. 1. Apartment buildings have low recycling rates and high contamination rates. The study found that Prior approval from the property management and/or only 13 percent of everything being discarded by owner needs to be obtained before activities are initiated. apartment and condo residents is being diverted Hennepin County has a variety of materials available for recycling. This is significantly lower than the including container labels, posters, and educational countywide recycling rate of 41 percent. There is materials in different languages. See the resources also a lot of contamination in the recycling. About available at hennepin.us/apartmentsrecycle. 24 percent of what was put in the recycling was actually trash. 2. There are significant opportunities to divert more materials from the trash. Analysis of the trash found that only 30 percent was truly trash. The remaining 71 percent was materials that likely could be diverted. This included organics (33 percent), recycling (23 percent), bulky/reusable household goods (8 percent), textiles (7 percent) and hazardous waste or electronics (2 percent).

60 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Resources

• hennepin.us/businessrecycling: Information about recycling grants, professional staff assistance, free container labels, and more resources available to help businesses and organizations start or improve recycling programs. • hennepin.us/environmentalpartners: Businesses can get recognized for their efforts to recycle and divert organic waste from the trash. • hennepin.us/apartmentsrecycle: Information and free resources for property owners or residents interested in establishing or improving recycling programs at multifamily properties. • mnexchange.org: The Minnesota Materials Exchange is a free service for businesses that connects organizations that have high quality, reusable goods they no longer need to those that can use them. Businesses can find low-cost or free materials and find new markets for surplus materials. • mnwastewise.org: Private, non-profit, member- supported organization affiliated with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce that helps businesses reduce waste and save money. • Print resources for businesses: order print copies at hennepin.us/businessrecycling -- Business recycling best practices guide -- Recycling at work guide -- Organics recycling at work guide • Print resources for multifamily complexes: order print copies at hennepin.us/apartmentsrecycle -- Recycling at your building brochure -- Recycling advocate recruitment flyer -- Apartment recycling poster -- Recycling door hanger -- Recycling request business card

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 61 Chapter 8 | Recycling at Events

Residents in the Twin Cities love to attend the wide variety of events held in the metro area. Large crowds turn out for big multi-day events like the Included in this chapter Minnesota State Fair, the Uptown Art Fair, and the Hopkins Raspberry Festival. • Event planning Sporting events and conventions take place daily. There are also numerous • During the event homebuyer, job, and home and garden fairs. Farmers markets are held • After the event throughout the region on a weekly basis in the summer, and businesses, • Helping to make events neighborhood organizations, apartment complexes, churches, and families host picnics, weddings and birthday parties. low-waste • Green event case studies Nearly 2.5 pounds of waste are created per visitor per day at events. This is according at a study conducted in 2006 of 25 venues and events in California. Without thoughtful planning, a considerable amount of waste can be generated at events, no matter the size of the event. Although event organizers may know a lot about coordinating volunteers, presenters, or vendors, they may not know much about setting up a successful waste reduction and recycling program. They may also benefit from someone having time to take the lead on creating a successful low-waste event.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 62 Event planning Waste prevention Eliminating a waste material means you don’t have to It’s never too early to start the planning process for collect or recycle it. This can result in significant financial preventing and recycling waste at an event. Start by savings and environmental benefits. For example, reviewing what materials can be recycled, consider the eliminating the “box” in boxed lunches will mean less barriers to recycling for the specific event, and evaluate waste. opportunities to prevent waste. An event waste reduction plan should maximize waste Learn about previous recycling and waste prevention reduction opportunities from both public areas and back- efforts the event or organization have taken on, if of-house preparation areas, such as kitchens or food prep applicable. spaces. Determine what types of materials vendors may If your event isn’t already tied to a specific location, be using and how you might work together to reduce selecting a venue that already has experience with green waste generated at the event. event practices is one of the easiest things you can do in Consider the following tips when developing an event planning for a green event. You’ll still want to talk through waste prevention plan. all of the waste prevention and waste management goals and actions with the venue – often things get overlooked General and they still have room for improvement. • Choose decorations, props, and displays that can be Once you understand the previous experience of the reused. For example, if the event occurs annually, organization and venue, set realistic goals for the event. make signs where you can write or post the new date Start with waste reduction activities that are relatively for every year instead of creating entirely new signs. easy. This is especially important if it is the first time the And consider seasonal decorations, like flowers in the organizers or the event have developed a waste reduction summer or pumpkins in the fall, that you can give or recycling plan. You can build on your successes and away to participants. lessons learned to implement more advanced strategies • Rent or borrow equipment. for future events. • Use technology to reduce paper waste. Use online registration, advertising, documents, and press kits. Recycling coordinator role • If printed materials are needed, use recycled paper, Recycling coordinator is a good role for MRCs at events. vegetable-based inks, and print on both sides of the If the event is large or held for a longer time period, it may paper. be best of have more than one MRC participate. Duties of the recycling coordinator may include: • Training volunteers • Working with vendors and exhibitors before and during the event • Communicating recycling information to the public before, during, and after the event • Tracking recycling rates • Supervising waste audits • Making signs or picking up laminated signs from Hennepin County Food-related • Monitoring recycling stations • Eliminate packaging. Use bulk condiments for jams, • Troubleshooting during the event honey, sugar, ketchup, and mustard rather than • Sorting bins for contamination individually packaged servings. Serve snacks like • Transferring recyclables from bins to collection points chips, crackers, popcorn, or trail mix in bulk. • Use refillable or reusable containers and serving products. Serve drinks in pitchers or punch bowls rather than in cans or bottles. Provide reusable cups and mugs for drinks, or instruct participants to bring their own.

63 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual • Encourage food vendors to use appropriate portion The Hennepin County drop-off facilities in Bloomington control to minimize food waste. and Brooklyn Park accept organics for free. Several cities • Use reusable plates, silverware, linens, and cloth also have free drop-off locations for organics. Learn more napkins. about these options at hennepin.us/organics. • Avoid non-recyclable containers. Hiring a hauler • Use edible garnishes or no garnishes. When hiring a hauler, consider the following: • Have attendees sign up for meals. Source organic, seasonal, fresh, and local foods and provide • What will the services cost? vegetarian options. • Will the hauler donate any portion of the service? • What is the hauler’s experience with event recycling? • Can the hauler provide the collection containers? • Is the hauler able to measure and report garbage and recycling data? What materials will the hauler accept? • Will all recyclables be collected together, or should any be separated? For example, if the event has a lot of cardboard, the hauler may want to collect that separately. Getting recycling containers Collect organic waste Event organizers can borrow event recycling and organics recycling containers at no charge from Hennepin Organic waste (food and food-soiled paper) is often County for events held in the county. The containers the largest waste material at events. Take the following are collapsible and use clear bags to hold materials so steps to ensure organics collection at events is done participants can view the contents, which helps reduce successfully: contamination. Collection service is not included. Both • Communicate with vendors about your organics the recycling and organics recycling can be brought to recycling plans and require the use of compostable a Hennepin County drop-off facility. Visit hennepin.us/ plates, utensil, and cups (unless the event is using eventrecycling for more information. reusable). • Create waste stations by putting trash, organics, and recycling containers together. Use signs, labels, and posters to ensure everyone know which materials go in which container. Use photos of the materials accepted, or have the actual items affixed to the signs. • Staff collection areas with trained volunteers to educate attendees on what goes where. This helps to significantly reduce contamination.

Recycling, organics, and trash service

Selecting a venue Select venues – both indoor and outdoor – that offer recycling of paper, metal, plastic, and glass. If possible, For events held in Minneapolis, trash, recycling, and choose a venue that also offers organics recycling in both organics collection service is available through the City of public and back-of-house preparation areas. Make sure all Minneapolis Solid Waste and Recycling Division. For a fee, organizers, staff, and volunteers understand their roles. the City of Minneapolis will provide containers for each If the event venue doesn’t provide trash, recycling, and/or material, which they will deliver to the event and pick up organics collection services, materials can be removed by after the event. Visit minneapolismn.gov/solid-waste/ hiring a hauler or self-hauling. EventContainers/index.htm for more information.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 64 Publicity During the event Make event attendees aware of your recycling efforts by integrating the recycling/waste prevention messages Set up into all event materials and news releases. Let attendees Set up recycling bins and know what they can do to help reach the event’s waste waste stations the day reduction and recycling goals. before the event, if possible. Maximize collection and Volunteers reduce contamination of recyclables by adhering to At least one volunteer per waste station should be the following guidelines: recruited. Volunteers may need to be scheduled in shifts, depending on the length of the event. A good length for • Place recycling, organics, and trash containers volunteer shifts is two to three hours. Event organizers together. can recruit volunteers from within their own organization • Make waste stations highly visible by using a flag or or community, contact volunteer clearinghouses such as banner on a tall pole, signs, etc. Hands On Twin Cities (handsontwincities.org), or post on • Locate recycling stations in convenient, high-traffic their website, Craigslist, and other websites. areas. • Limit the number of recycling/waste stations to allow for ease of monitoring. Place larger stations in areas where high volumes of waste will be generated. • Label recycling and garbage containers with clear, large, and specific wording. Signage should be placed at eye level. If possible, attach a physical sample of the acceptable material to its container. This is especially important for any confusing items, such as recyclable Vendors or compostable plastic cups. Event organizers can influence waste stream composition • Use clear plastic bags as liners for recycling bins for by working with vendors and controlling what attendees easy identification and removal of contaminants. may bring into the event. • Staff all recycling stations at all times. If this is not possible, assign a floater to check each area Make initial contact with vendors and exhibitors a few periodically. This staff/volunteer will remind attendees months before the event, if possible, or even farther in how and where to place materials and remove advance (six to nine months) if the event is large. contaminants from recycling on a regular basis. You can include the goals and requirements of the Provide gloves and grabbers to your waste station waste reduction and recycling plan in the vendor/ monitors so they can easily move items placed in the exhibitor recruitment information. Or you can prepare an wrong container. introductory letter to vendors and exhibitors explaining • Plan to empty bins often, especially during the the waste reduction and recycling plan, identifying summer when bees and odors can discourage which items are being targeted, and asking for their recycling. cooperation. Find sample vendor letters at hennepin.us/ • Greet vendors and exhibitors during set up. Provide eventrecycling. clear instructions on how to recycle at the event and If you want to avoid certain materials, you could require who to contact (the recycling coordinator) if they that vendors not sell certain items or certain packaging. have questions. Provide suggestions for alternatives to common throw- away items, especially if you are banning certain materials from the event. Provide vendors with information on how to recycle materials that they have brought with them, such as cardboard boxes, or ask them to take those materials with them.

65 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Throughout the event rate would be 62.5 percent (5,000/(5,000 + 3,000) = 62.5 Designate a central collection area for garbage and percent). recycling where drop boxes or dumpsters are staged. This If your hauler/recycler is able to weigh your garbage and area can serve as a place for recycling volunteers to check recycling, follow up with them for final weights. If your in, sort materials if needed, and observe the material flow. hauler is not able to weigh your garbage and recycling, Make recycling volunteers easy to identify by having you will need another plan for evaluating your recovery them wear hats, vests, T-shirts, nametags, aprons, or rate. something else that designates them as recycling or One option is to calculate your recycling rate using green team volunteers. volume as your base with the following formula: Use walkie-talkies to communicate with the recycling Recycling rate = cubic yards recycled/(cubic yards coordinator, key volunteers, and event organizers at large recycled + cubic yards disposed). events. 1 cubic yard = 201.97 gallons Use hand trucks, carts, or gators (mini-trucks) to transport For example: if an event recycled three 90-gallon roll carts material from the recycling stations to the central full of cans and bottles (90 x 3 = 270 total gallons). The collection area. hauler provided a 2-yard garbage container and it was half full. After the event First convert the recycling to yards (201.97/270 = .748 yards of recycling). Tear down and clean up Then calculate your recycling rate: .748 yards recycled/ Materials will continue to be generated during cleanup. (.748 yards recycled + 1 cubic yard disposed) = 43 percent Assist vendors with tear down. Complete and/or confirm recycling rate. final sorting and pickup of garbage and recycling. Donate Publicize the recycling rate along with the results of leftover food. waste prevention efforts. Thank your donors, sponsors, volunteers, exhibitors and vendors with a card or a post- Evaluation event celebration, and share the recycling rates and waste Ask for feedback and suggestions from everyone involved prevention results with them. in the event including organizers, volunteers, vendors, exhibitors, and haulers. Helping to make events low-waste

Calculate the recycling rate MRCs can help event organizers make their events greener by creating and implementing a waste reduction The recycling rate is the percent of materials diverted. This and recycling plan. Whether you are organizing a party, is a good measure of the event’s success. To calculate the wedding, or family picnic or have signed up to help a recycling rate, you need to be able to compare recycling community organization, the goal of this chapter is to with the waste generated. Ensure ahead of time that your provide the tools, resources and best practices necessary process will allow an accurate comparison between the to successfully plan recycling programs and implement garbage and recycling. other green event practices. For example, sometimes groups state, “we had one The best use of your MRC knowledge is offering expertise garbage can and three bags of recycling.” This statement in waste reduction and designing successful recycling does not give a clear evaluation because it is unknown systems at events. Some great ways to help include: how big the garbage can was in comparison with the bags of recycling. • Strategizing, organizing, implementing, and evaluating waste reduction and recycling plans for Calculate your recycling rate using the following formula: events. This could include identifying ways to reduce Recycling rate = weight recycled/waste generated waste, deciding what materials can be recycled, and (weight recycled + weight disposed). setting waste reduction and recycling goals. For example, if an event recycled 5,000 pounds of material • Training and supervising volunteers who have been and disposed of 3,000 pounds of material, the total recruited to help with the waste management waste generated was 8,000 pounds, and the recycling program.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 66 • Designing outreach materials and messages to Waste management methods used participants about why they should recycle and what • Recycling materials are accepted. • Organics recycling • Monitoring recycling and organics containers (eligible • Trash disposal for a maximum of 10 of your 30 payback hours). Some work that is necessary for a successful event does Waste prevention strategies not fit the educational requirement for MRC payback. Hauling and sorting waste is not an appropriate primary Reusable plates, utensils and linens role for an MRC. MRCs are also not expected to recruit volunteers – this should be the responsibility of the event Other green event strategies organizers. Signs were posted informing guests that organics were To ensure a successful partnership, meet with the being collected. event organizers to clearly define your role in the event planning. Define the tasks you will and will not take Volume of waste managed responsibility for. You should also come to an agreement on the recovery goals for the event. • 13.2 pounds of organics • 30.2 pounds of recycling (bottles and cans) Case study: Derby Day Party • 6 ounces of trash Results 43.4 pounds of waste were diverted by recycling and collecting organics.

Biggest low-waste event success It’s one thing to imagine you’ll have little trash after recycling and composting, but seeing just 6 ounces after a large party sends the low-waste message home. Seeing is believing!

Biggest low-waste event challenge

Location: Private home in Edina We’ll have to ban plastic straws next year. Number of attendees: About 50 Reaction from event attendees and/or vendors Description of event Attendees were enthusiastic and did a good job of keeping contaminants out of the organics bins. The annual Derby Day Party went low-waste by collecting organics and recycling and by using reusable plates, glasses and utensils.

67 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Case study: YWCA Triathlon Other green event strategies The event encouraged race participants to carpool or bike to the race. Holding the race in Minneapolis also meant the vast majority of participants travelled a short distance to the race, including the race management team that made multiple visits to the site for planning. The event offered bike racks and rideshare options during the event. They promoted sustainable transportation by providing information about bus routes and biking and walking maps. Racers were encouraged to carpool, including being provided with opportunities to connect with other racers to arrange carpooling. Racers were told that even though they may need to drive to bring their bike and gear, their families could take public transit then ride home with the Location: Minneapolis, Lake Nokomis racer. They were directed to the Metro Transit website for Number of attendees: About 1,000 racers, plus information. thousands of volunteers and spectators Racers were encouraged to bring their own water bottles Organization hosting event: YWCA of Minneapolis and fill up at water stations.

Description of event Volume of waste managed About 1,000 female athletes compete in a 500 yard • 365 pounds of organics swim/15 mile bike/2.5 mile run at Lake Nokomis. Triathlon • 109.3 pounds of cardboard organizers have continued to build on their sustainability • 63.9 pounds of recycling efforts and have made a number of sustainability pledges, such as online-only registration, no plastic water bottles, • 6.4 pounds of plastic film and bags and composting of all food and foodservice ware. • 30.9 pounds of trash

Waste management methods used Results • Recycling 94.5 percent of waste was diverted from the trash for recycling or composting. • Organics recycling • Trash disposal Biggest low-waste event successes Waste prevention strategies Increased diversion rate from 92 percent to 94.5 percent. • Use of technology to minimize paper waste (e.g., online registration) Biggest low-waste event challenges • Postcards printed on recycled paper using soy-based Waste that was brought in by friends and family of the inks racers, including disposable coffee cups, diapers, dog • Use of reusable or recyclable decorations or signs waste, and chip and candy packaging. • Redesigned menu to reduce waste – more finger foods and food served in bulk Reaction from event attendees and/or vendors • All cups, plates, napkins and utensils were There was a lot of positive feedback from attendees who compostable were very happy to see the green initiatives and waste • Race shirts were made of recycled polyester. Included reduction efforts. a “no shirt” option during registration.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 68 Case study: Linden Hills Neighborhood Carts for organics collection were rented through the City Festival of Minneapolis and portable recycling containers were borrowed through Hennepin County. Location: Minneapolis, Linden Hills Park Number of attendees: About 4,000 Volume of waste managed Organization hosting event: Linden Hills Neighborhood • 448.9 pounds of organics Council • 78.4 pounds of recycling (bottles, cans and cardboard) Description of event • 12.4 pounds of plastic film The Linden Hills Festival, held annually for more than • 39.2 pounds of trash 40 years, is both a fundraiser for the neighborhood organization and a neighborhood event in southwest Results Minneapolis. The festival first undertook a 547 pounds diverted from the trash through recycling/ initiative in 2008 and has continued in subsequent years. organics collection.

Waste management methods used: Biggest low-waste event success • Recycling Raising the awareness of organics recycling for the • Organics recycling neighborhood and serving as an example for other • Trash disposal neighborhood events.

Waste prevention strategies Biggest low-waste event challenge • Use of technology to minimize paper waste Because many attendees walk to the event, many people • Use of reusable or recyclable decorations or signs bring non-recyclable and non-compostable items in that • Redesigned menu to reduce waste, such as offering we must then deal with. This was the bulk of the trash at more finger foods the end of the day. The festival itself produces nearly zero • Rental of temporary structures, such as stages and waste. tents Reaction of event attendees and/or vendors Other green event strategies Very well-received by most attendees as long as Made adjustments in food offerings and service to allow disposal stations were monitored by friendly and helpful for composting, including but not limited to, wrapping volunteers. Vendors were very accommodating and for hot dogs with paper rather than foil, serving ice cream in the most part willing (and excited) to work on this goal. paper cups with compostable spoons rather than plastic, Likewise, most exhibitors were accommodating and were creating a condiment station with bulk condiments rather willing to adjust their giveaways or handouts to conform than individual foil packets, adding roasted corn-on-the- with our zero-waste goals. cob as a food option, and more. Volunteers were recruited for two-hour shifts as disposal monitors to assist event attendees with proper disposal of recyclables, organics, and trash. Recycled kraft paper (purchased in bulk on a roll) and secured with masking tape were used for the table coverings for the silent auction area (30+ tables). All the table coverings were recycled after the event. All vendors and exhibitors were informed about (and agreed to) the restrictions associated with their respective booths ahead of time.

69 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Resources

• hennepin.us/eventrecycling: Resources for event planners, including an event waste reduction and recycling guide, downloadable signs and vendor letters, and reservation form for the county’s portable event recycling containers. • Print resources -- Green event checklist: Guide for planning larger green events. Download at hennepin.us/-/media/hennepinus/business/ work-with-hennepin-county/environmental- education-activities/introduction-green-event- checklist.pdf -- Green party checklist: Guide for pla nning smaller green parties. Download at hennepin.us/-/media/hennepinus/business/ work-with-hennepin-county/environmental- education-activities/reducing-waste-appendix- green-party-checklist.pdf

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 70 Chapter 6 | Engaging the Public and Motivating Behavior Change

Congratulations! You’re about to complete the MRC course. The formal training is just the beginning of your experience as an MRC. Your next step – Included in this chapter completing 30 hours of payback activities – will take you from the classroom • Motivating behavior change into the community as a waste prevention, recycling and composting • Doing outreach at events ambassador and advocate. • Volunteer payback guidelines Hennepin County has made significant progress in the years since recycling • Outreach activities was introduced, but our work is far from done. The state and the county have • Resources for MRCs set ambitious recycling goals, aiming to recycle and compost 75 percent of waste by 2030. Our ability to meet our goals depends on the choices and actions of residents, businesses, organizations, and institutions throughout the county. MRCs play an important role in engaging and motivating the public and implementing successful waste prevention and recycling programs. Even with the knowledge you have gained in this course, you may be apprehensive about educating the public. The tips included in this chapter and some experience in the field will help you gain confidence when discussing waste prevention and recycling with a broad range of people.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 71 Motivating behavior change these specific actions will have different barriers and motivations for your audience. A common mistake that people make when they start a program to motivate action around environmental issues (or any issue that requires behavior change) is thinking that by simply providing people with information will be enough to get them to change. But we can all think about an action that we know quite a bit about and think we should be doing but for some reason aren’t doing it yet. Motivating behavior change requires more than just information sharing. To be effective, we need to understand our audience, the barriers they face to taking The behavior you choose should also be “end-state,” or action, and what would motivate them to take that result in the direct environmental benefit you’re looking action. to achieve. For example, if you are focusing on getting In order for people to take action, they need to: people to compost in their backyard, it’s not enough to get people to purchase a compost bin. They have to put • Value the action. Why they value an action will the bin together, find a place for it in their yard, actually vary – they may value environmental protection, start composting their kitchen scraps and yard waste, and the benefits it provides to society, or the benefits it use the finished compost they create. provides personally. • Know enough about the issue and understand the consequences to themselves and the people and places that matter to them. • Believe they are capable of taking the action and that the impact their effort will have is worthwhile. But still, whether or not they take the action depends on the scale of the barriers they face. In order to motivate behavior change, we need to: • Determine what action we want people to take. • Figure out what stand in the way of them taking action. • Uncover what would motivate them to take that action. • Choose and implement effective strategies to address the barriers and motivate action.

Selecting behaviors The actions you encourage people to do should be You should choose behaviors to focus on that are specific, directly result in environmental protection, and impactful for both the environment and your audience. impactful to both your audience and the environment. Considering the impact is helpful if you’re trying to decide To choose a specific behavior, think beyond a general which behaviors to focus on. topic, like preventing waste, to specific actions within For environmental impact, determine which actions will that topic people could take, such as avoiding single use have the greatest environmental impact by considering plastics, mending or repairing household items, using any data you have or can collect or doing research on reusable items instead of disposables, shopping at reuse data that others have collected. For example, Hennepin stores, and so on. It’s best if you get even more specific. County is focusing on expanding organics recycling and For example, instead of focusing on using reusable items, preventing food waste because waste sort studies show decide if you’re focusing on reusable bags, reusable water that food waste is by far the largest proportion of the bottles, reusable napkins, reusable straws, etc. Each of trash.

72 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Top 10 most common materials found in the trash Some benefits commonly heard related to waste issues include: Food waste 19.0% Very small items (< 1/2) 6.3% • Visibly seeing the impact of their actions Compostable paper 5.7% Diapers & hygiene products 4.9% • Protecting the environment Pet waste 4.9%

Treated wood, plywood 4.3% • Helping future generations Yard waste 4.2% • It’s the right thing to do Non-recyclable plastic lm 3.8% Non-recyclable paper 3.0% • Getting a “feel good” benefit Non-recyclable durable plastic 2.7% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20% • Saving money For audience impact, consider how likely it is for your • Having less stuff to deal with audience to take the action and how many people are Commons barriers to taking action include: already taking the action. You want to focus on actions • Intending to take the action but needing motivation that your audience is likely to be interested in taking but • Not caring about the action aren’t already doing. • The action sounds hard, time-consuming, or messy • Confusion or lack of information Identifying barriers and benefits • Forgetting to act Once you’ve selected an action, you need to find out • Lacking skills what stands in the way of your audience taking this • Not having the infrastructure or tools to take action action (barriers) and what would motivate them to take this action (benefits). It’s easy to assume you know what the barriers and benefits are, but it’s important to actually ask your audience. Even having a few simple conversations can be eye-opening and help you develop a truly effective plan. There are many ways to figure out barriers and benefits. You could conduct a survey, bring people together for a focus group, discuss the issue one-on-one in an interview, observe people taking the action, or conduct research into what others working on your selected behavior have found. Strategies to motivate behavior change Once you know the barriers your audiences faces and what would motivate them to take your selected action, you can develop strategies that will be effective in creating change. Research on human psychology and behavior change suggests the following strategies are effective: • Make it easy to act: The more convenient an action is, the more likely people are to act. Develop infrastructure, It’s important to remember that barriers and benefits will promote best practices, vary based on your selected action and your audience’s and provide the tools knowledge, experience, values, and interests. However, people need to take there are some common themes when it comes to action. Providing color- barriers and benefits. coded, clearly labeled recycling bins, recycling guides, and individual bags or bins for people to collect recycling are good examples. Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 73 • Develop skills: Social anxiety or feeling incompetent • Create social norms: The actions of individuals are can prevent people from taking action. Engage influenced by others and the desire to be socially people in hands-on activities that give them the accepted (way more that people will typically admit). opportunity to learn the specific steps needed to Social norming involves using messages and setting take action. Provide a safe space for people to try an expectations that let people know “this is how we activity and ask questions. Conducting do things.” For example, when working at a business, activities, hosting composting workshops, teaching school, or apartment building, use announcements, people how to make green cleaners, and teaching posters, buttons, lawn signs, and more to send the repair skills at Fix-It Clinics are all good examples. message that taking actions to prevent waste or recycle more is the norm. • Use social diffusion: People make decisions based on the actions and recommendations of people or experts they know and trust. Train- the-trainer programs like the MRC program are good examples of social diffusion. Look for • Build commitment: People want to be consistent opportunities to train and – if we say we are going to do something, we feel empower community leaders and early adopters to compelled to follow up and do it. Commitments are spread the word, be a champion for your program, a good way to nudge someone to finally take that and engage others in getting excited and taking action they’ve been action. Get commitments from them to talk to others. thinking about doing. • Use prompts: Prompts serve to remind people You can used written, to take an action they intend to do. Prompts help verbal, individual, overcome the issue that we often operate on auto- public, or group pilot as we go about our daily commitments. Invite routines. Realizing you forgot people to fill out and your reusable bags only once Remember return a simple pledge you get to the checkout the form identifying one counter is a prime example. bags! or more actions they Providing a “remember the bag” commit to take, or have prompt close to where people people share the actions they are pledging to make store their bags is a good way snap them out of their on a poster or in an online forum. Following up to see routine and remember to bring their bags. Provide if someone has taken the action or needs additional a visual reminder, such as a sticker, window cling, help strengthens the commitment and the likelihood or flyer, that reminds people to take action. If you’re of someone taking action. asking people to take a pledge, think about how they could take home a reminder of the commitment they made.

74 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual • Capitalize on trigger and major life events: People can be more receptive to integrating new habits Create effective communications at times when they are already going through changes and switching their routines. Some Although sharing information typically isn’t enough to major life events to consider include when people motivate behavior change, communications will no doubt be an important part of any program or campaign. Use are moving, changing jobs, getting married, or the following tips to improve the effectiveness of your having kids. Big events like Earth Day or an annual communications: celebration at a business, organization, or school are also good opportunities to provide information • Make it attention-grabbing and easy-to-remember: about environmental issues and lead-by-example by Use simple language, catchy phrases, easy-to-follow modeling waste prevention and recycling strategies. instructions, and helpful visuals. • Integrate goals and impact: Let your audience know what you are trying to achieve and what impact they can have by taking action. • Make it personal and local: Include information specific to your community. What is the problem and what impact will the changes have locally? Encourage people to share their stories, and feature people in the community taking action. Stories help engage people and show them how the issue is relevant. • Use credible sources: The more credible the source is viewed to be, the more likely the message will be influential. The information provided through your • Celebrate successes: Publicly announce your training and in this manual is a good source as it has goals and take time to celebrate successes. This is a been fact-checked. good way to build momentum for future change. • Make it concrete and actionable: Let people know Set interim goals for your program or campaign what you want them to do and how they can get and acknowledge when you’ve achieved those involved. Provide the information they need to take milestones. action. • Help people address barriers and plan for action: Having a way for people to discuss their barriers, troubleshoot problems, and plan for taking action will increase their chances of actually taking action. Focus on improvement, not perfection. • Use all of your channels: Messages have a better chance of getting people’s attention when shared in multiple ways. Consider all of your communication channels and touchpoints with your audiences, and make a plan to distribute the messages everywhere you can.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 75 Doing outreach at events During the event Be enthusiastic and engaging, and let people engage Events can be a good opportunity to share resources and how they want. Some people will want to browse the connect one-on-one with your audience. The following information you have available before asking questions, tips will help make your event outreach a success. while others will jump straight into a conversation. Stick to what you know. It’s ok not to know everything! Be aware of credible sources of information to point people to if they ask a question you don’t have the answer to. Keep your table tidy and organized through the event. In your conversations, help people problem-solve and plan for action. When you can, try to get to what their barriers are to taking action and develop solutions together that will work for them. All of this will increase their chances of Preparing for the event taking action. Learn about the event and the audience. Ask the event Most importantly, have organizer how many people they expect to attend, what fun! Event outreach should kind of crowd the event attracts, and why they attendees be a rewarding way to are coming. All of this will impact the materials and share your expertise and activities you bring. get other people excited Identify your key messages. It’s useful to focus your about these issues. outreach on one or two topics instead of trying to cover everything. Prepare some “opening lines” to introduce Volunteer payback guidelines attendees to the information you have to share. Review background information about the topic you are MRCs have many opportunities to help educate providing information on and consider the questions you the public about waste prevention, recycling, and may receive so you are prepared to answer them. composting. How you spend your 30 hours (or more!) of volunteer payback is up to you. Bring props and interactive displays. Having materials attendees can look at and interact with will make your Hennepin County depends on your important volunteer table more engaging than simply having brochures and work and makes a significant investment in your training. factsheets. In turn, Hennepin County expects MRCs to attend all training sessions and to fulfill the 30-hour volunteer Arrive at the event early so you have plenty of time to set commitment within one year (ongoing involvement up. Always bring paper weights for outdoor events, even is encouraged). Fulfillment of the expected payback is on non-windy days. It takes only one gust to scatter your required in order to become a certified MRC. Be sure to literature all over the place. report your volunteer hours promptly after completing a Bring water – hopefully you’ll be talking a lot. payback activity.

Eligible payback opportunities The program coordinator will provide many outreach opportunities from community organizations, cities, and other MRCs that you can sign up for, or you can develop your own projects with prior approval. Find out how to get notified of payback opportunities at hennepin.us/ mrcpayback.

76 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Payback activities must meet the following criteria: Outreach activities Implement a system or program that diverts materials MRCs educate the community through a variety from the waste stream. of activities. Common activities include staffing OR informational tables (“tabling”) and giving presentations. Provide one-on-one educational contact This section provides information to help you effectively AND promote your outreach message. Provide a meaningful educational and/or skill-enhancing experience for the volunteer. Information tables When fulfilling your payback hours, remember: Tabling, or staffing an • Be on time to events. If you need to cancel, contact informational booth, is one the volunteer coordinator as soon as possible. of the most popular and • Represent the county professionally and effective ways that MRCs appropriately at outreach events. Personal opinions reach and motivate people and editorial comments should not be expressed to reduce waste. Some when volunteering as an MRC. Remember, you are MRCs sign up for tabling an information ambassador for Hennepin County, assignments that the so stick with the information provided in the training program coordinator sets and through subsequent updates from the MRC up. Others find events and program. arrange for booths in their • Target your presentation and your language to the own communities. Some level of knowledge of your audience. Avoid jargon work with ready-made, and overly technical material, but be careful not to topic-specific kits, while oversimplify the issues. others like to create their own displays. Reporting your hours Whatever the approach, here are some basic tips that will Tracking volunteer outreach time is a vital part of the make your tabling outreach more successful: MRC program. It helps the volunteer coordinator know • Before you arrive, identify key messages to include in your activities and provides an official record of progress every conversation. Stay on message when you’re not toward your 30-hour volunteer time commitment. This answering individual questions. Keep your messages information also helps Hennepin County track the work positive. and recognize the benefits of the MRC program. • Always wear your name badge for MRC projects. We also count on you to let us know about upcoming • Don’t just sit there; do something even if the event events where MRCs could help spread the word about is slow. Make eye contact as people pass by. Displays recycling, waste prevention, and composting. and literature are meant to assist you to communicate Upon completion of your 30 hours of MRC service, you – not do it for you. will receive recognition in the quarterly MRC newsletter • Stand up while talking to people. It’s easier on your and on the MRC Facebook page. neck and helps you make direct eye contact. Please remember to report your hours regularly by • If you’re working with a partner, take turns answering completing the form at hennepin.us/mrcpayback. questions so that both of you get to interact with the public. Don’t jump in when it’s not your turn unless your partner asks you to.

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 77 • When signing up for an information table arranged Presentations and demonstrations by the MRC program coordinator: MRCs who want to make changes in their workplaces, -- Instructions for the event, including location, multifamily housing buildings, religious organizations, or directions and the topic, will be sent to you. other community organizations often find that making -- You may be asked to pick up and/or drop off group presentations is a persuasive method. Some MRCs materials and a display. enjoy sharing their knowledge and passion for waste -- You may table with staff from Hennepin County reduction in presentations and demonstrations, while or other organizations. This is a great way to others find the idea intimidating. Whatever your comfort start out and learn, and it’s also a chance to level, we encourage you to try it! network with people working in the field. If you You’re welcome to call the program coordinator for like working with them, you can give them your advice, to rehearse your speech, or just for a confidence contact information and ask them to contact you boost. Most people who take on the challenge of giving directly when volunteer opportunities arise in a presentation find it very rewarding. As with tabling, their jurisdictions. some presentations are prearranged by the MRC program • You’ll often work shifts with fellow MRCs. manager, or you can set them up on your own. The Some MRCs may adopt a local event or farmers’ market following are some tips to make your presentation more and cover different topics each week. Some create their successful. own topics and displays, while others check out the Questions to ask the event coordinator ahead of time: displays that are available throughout the region. • What is the exact location and time of the When arranging a table yourself, check with the event presentation? (If needed, ask for directions.) coordinator ahead of time to ask: • How many people are expected to attend? • Does it cost money? If it does, do they offer a reduced • Should I bring information and handouts in rate or waived fee for non-profits? languages other than English? Will interpreters be • Do they provide a table and chair, and do they provided? (If they do not have the resources for an provide a canopy or tent for rain and sun? interpreter, contact the MRC program coordinator to • Where exactly is your space, and how large is it? see if you can partner with an MRC who speaks that • Will you be expected to share a space? language.) • How many people attend this event? • Will I have access to a table, electrical outlet, • What languages do the audience of this event and power cord? (if needed, such as when using generally speak? PowerPoint) Is a laptop and/or projector provided, or do I need to bring my own? Here are some pointers to make your table more successful: Presentation preparation: • Check with the MRC program coordinator to ensure • Keep it simple. Use PowerPoint presentations only there isn’t already an MRC working in the venue or if you have a table, projection surface, reliable at the event. The coordinator may also have contact equipment, and access to electricity. information for organizers of the event. Consider • Review the list of materials that are available and sharing a table with a Master Gardener if they already select handouts to supplement your presentation. participate in this event. View and order the free resources available at • Review the list of materials and learning trunks that hennepin.us/environmentaleducation. are available to MRCs. • Consider checking out a learning trunk to use as a • Make sure that your display, information and literature visual aid. are correct for the jurisdiction that the event takes • Practice with someone you know using the visual place. aids. Time yourself to make sure you are working within the time allotted (be sure to leave time for questions). • Arrive early to have plenty of time to set up and familiarize yourself with the setting.

78 | Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual Presentation content: individuals test new ideas, clarify their thinking, and • Start with a strong beginning. The first few minutes develop skills for solving problems and resolving issues. are important to capture audience’s attention. As the presenter, you must provide the direction and keep discussion focused on the topic. • Use real experiences that people can identify with rather than loads of statistics. Strategies you might use to generate audience • Keep it positive. Studies show gloom and doom/end- participation: of-the-Earth messages discourage people rather than • Creating action plans motivate them to take action. • Discussions (in smaller groups) • Use an outline and key messages rather than trying to • Introductions with name games memorize a speech word for word. • Role playing • Think about what will encourage this particular • Show and tell (sharing personal stories) audience. Parents at a PTA meeting will have different • Skits interests (e.g., packing school lunches) than people attending a discussion at a senior center (e.g., • Solving story problems effective food storage). • Tours or field trips • Quizzes Interactive communication Whatever the type of outreach, open dialog is often Visual aids more compelling than talking points as an approach to Visual aids can be very helpful to use at events and in social change. Hence, the most important part of your presentations. They attract and hold attention, illustrate presentation may be a question and answer period after points, clarify information and aid in remembering facts. your talk. Your visual aids may be real objects, pictures, words, or You probably cannot cover all of the concerns or burning symbols. To be most effective, visual aids should be: issues that your audience may have in your presentation. • Colorful Opening your presentation to dialog will help you better • Easy-to-understand understand and address some specific concerns that may • Large enough to be seen by all be preventing your audience from making important • Simple changes. • Neat The following guidelines will help you conduct a • Relevant to your topic successful Q&A session: • When you practice your presentation, ask your Individual project planning “audience” to ask some questions. • Listening is the most important part of When planning an individual project, use the following communication. Be sure to pay attention and address questions to guide the development of the project: exactly what the person is asking. If someone asks, • What are the project goals? “Why can’t we put plastic bags in curbside programs?” • Who are the project partners? don’t respond with, “You can recycle plastic bags at • Who will this project target? these locations…” They’ll still wonder, “Why not at the How will they be included in the development of the curb?” Answer the question before you offer solutions. project? • Review any sections of the manual that pertain to • What resources will be needed (time, additional your topics. Many chapters cover common questions. volunteers, materials, etc.)? • Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” As an MRC, you • How will you know if your project is a success? know a lot more than the general public, but we don’t expect you to know everything! What you can • What criteria will you use to measure your project’s do is direct people to good sources of information. effectiveness? This is a key function of MRCs. Audience participation is another tool you may want to integrate into your presentation. Interaction often helps

Master Recycler/Composter Course Manual | 79 Resources for MRCs Resources

When you volunteered to become an MRC, you made an • cbsm.com: The Fostering Sustainable Behavior active commitment to decrease waste in the region. But website provides information about the method you are not making this commitment alone. Hennepin for motivating behavior change, also known as County staff is available to help you and will continue to community-based social marketing. The website provide and maintain the following resources: includes the full text of the Fostering Sustainable • Training manual: This is a ready reference for a variety Behavior book plus articles and case studies. of ideas and data. New editions that are revised and • The Psychology of Sustainable Behavior: A handbook updated for each class will be available at hennepin. introducing research-based tips from psychology us/mrcpayback. to help in efforts to empower sustainability. Find • Master Recycler/Composter Facebook group: The it at pca.state.mn.us/quick-links/psychology- group has volunteer opportunity postings and a sustainable-behavior forum for you to network and have discussions with • toolsofchange.com: A collection of social marketing fellow MRCs. case studies. • MRC newsletter: The newsletter includes deeper dives • hennepin.us/environmentaleducation: into waste issues, MRC project highlights, Hennepin Communication, outreach, and environmental County program updates, upcoming events and education resources available from Hennepin County. training opportunities, and links to interesting news articles. • MRC web page: hennepin.us/mrcpayback is only accessible to MRC participants and contains class Thank you for becoming a presentations, the training manual, past editions of Master Recycler/Composter. the MRC newsletter, and the hours reporting form. • Environmental education, communication, We look forward to supporting you and outreach materials: The county provides downloadable newsletter articles, social media in your outreach endeavors! posts, and images along with an order form to get printed copies of factsheets, brochures and handouts. The county also has activity guides for conducting education with a group and education kits that provide the supplies needed to conduct activities or create a display for events. These resources are available at hennepin.us/environmentaleducation. • Ongoing education and training opportunities: These will be posted to the MRC Facebook group and included in the newsletter. • Industry and Hennepin County staff contacts to assist with difficult questions. • Fellow classmates. You are encouraged to network with your peers.

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