Schools Champion Organics Recycling

By Anonymous

Hennepin County, Minnesota Schools in St. Louis Park, Minnetonka, Hopkins and Robbinsdale school districts in Hennepin County are participating in a food residuals recycling program with assistance from the County’s recycling office. Grants are given to the schools to set up special collection bins in the cafeteria, line them with compostable bags and arrange for organics pickup. Students scrape their plates into the bins. According to an article in Star Tribune, participating schools in the Robbinsdale District found that trash pickups dropped from five times a week to two or three, saving $4,900 in 2006. Collected food residuals are composted by Resource Recovery Technologies at its site in Empire Township, which is permitted to receive pre and postconsumer food waste.

Thirty-five schools participate in the school composting program, which was recently selected for a Local Government Innovation Award by the University of Minnesota’s Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center at the Humphrey Institute for its unique collaboration with four school districts and the City of Minneapolis on the school organics programs. “Hennepin County is excited about partnering with schools on this effort, since early education about waste reduction and the importance of organics composting is a great way to teach young people lifelong habits that will collectively improve our environment,” says Hennepin County Commissioner Linda Koblick. “If kids grow up with an understanding of how to compost and reduce waste, these practices will become community norms.” Copyright J.G. Press Inc. May 2007

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