News

Twin Cities counties expand Food Scraps Pickup Program, WCCO

July 16, 2026

Earlier this month, 10 more Ramsey County communities and all of Washington County are now able to participate, with more rollouts to come.

Opinion | Some hospitals are improperly disposing of biohazards. Waste workers are paying for it.

April 17, 2026

When infectious waste is improperly trashed, sanitation workers risk bloodborne illnesses and even psychological harm.

American Legion helps R&E Center with proper flag disposal

April 2, 2026

The American Legion Post 98 of St. Paul Park helped R&E retire flags found in the waste stream at the R&E Center.

Anaerobic digestion powers Minnesota’s circular economy ambitions

March 5, 2026

A landmark organic waste to renewable energy project in Louisville Township, Minnesota, is redefining what circular economy ambition looks like in practice — combining anaerobic digestion, advanced gasification and a first-of-its-kind biochar output to transform the region’s organic waste into…

Counterpoint | Minnesota is a climate leader for its ability to find solutions in compromise

November 10, 2025

Recovering energy from wood waste and trash is not about producing electricity; it’s about solving a waste problem responsibly.

$92M food waste recycling plant planned in Scott County

October 2, 2025

A $92 million regional anaerobic digestion facility in Scott County—developed by Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy and Dem-Con HZI BioEnergy—will convert 75,000 tons of food waste annually into clean energy, reducing landfill waste and emissions across Minnesota.

How a Minnesota company is planning to turn food scraps into fuel, WCCO

August 11, 2025

A company in Scott County plans to break ground this fall on a project that turns food waste into fuel. Cummings explains how it can take thousands of tons of trash and turn it into a clean energy treasure.

RELEASE: State-Of-The-Art Regional Anaerobic Digestion Facility One Step Closer to a Reality in Minnesota

November 15, 2024

R&E and Dem-Con HZI BioEnergy, LLC have finalized a feedstock supply contract for a proposed regional anaerobic digestion facility. This public-private partnership aims to sustainably manage organic waste and generate carbon-negative energy, pending Scott County approval.

RELEASE: Food Scraps Pickup Program expanding to 19 new communities

September 30, 2024

Ramsey and Washington counties’ Food Scraps Pickup Program is now available to 19 new communities.

Talking trash in Minnesota: Is it better to burn or bury garbage that can’t be recycled?, Star Tribune

September 14, 2024

Waste experts and activists want a zero-waste future, but until then, the debate over how to deal with trash involves immediate harms vs. longer-term risks.

In new R&E role, Martinson envisions more value from trash, Park Bugle

August 30, 2024

Trista Martinson, the new executive director, is passionate about tackling waste, focusing on reducing trash through education and technical assistance while improving recycling and waste processing. She views her role as pivotal in creating equitable, environmentally responsible solutions, with plans…

RELEASE: Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board Chair announces Trista Martinson as the new R&E Executive Director

June 20, 2024

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E) is pleased to announce that after a competitive process attracting a large group of strong candidates from across the country, Trista Martinson has accepted the position of R&E’s first executive director.

RELEASE: Food Scraps Pickup Program expanding to new communities

April 1, 2024

Ramsey and Washington counties’ new Food Scraps Pickup Program is now available to all residents of Grey Clouds Island Township, Landfall, Oakdale, South St. Paul and Woodbury, MN. As of April 1, 2024, these residents can sign up for the…

Ramsey and Washington county residents: AI is coming soon to your local trash, Star Tribune

November 11, 2023

Composting in Ramsey and Washington counties is going high-tech. Residents of four cities there can now throw compost in the trash — and let artificial intelligence sort it out.

RELEASE: Food Scraps Pickup Program and recyclable recovery to divert enough food waste and recyclables to fill Allianz Field three times over

July 15, 2023

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E) celebrated the completion of innovative enhancements at the R&E Center, a 450,000 ton per year solid waste processing facility in Newport. These enhancements, which include a building addition and next- generation technology and equipment…

Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota Launch Be a Battery Hero! Campaign to Educate Residents on Safe Battery Disposal, WasteAdvantage

September 29, 2021

Batteries make our lives easier, but if they’re not handled correctly, they can be dangerous. Fire Prevention Week is October 3-9, and Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington counties are partnering to educate residents about how and why batteries can be a…

Minnesota Counties Announce Residential Food Scrap Collection, BioCycle

May 18, 2021

Food scraps make up about 20% of trash collected in Ramsey and Washington (Minnesota) counties by weight. Starting in late 2022, the counties will roll out residential curbside collection to single-family homes, apartments and condos using “food scrap bags” that…

Ramsey, Washington counties prepare for curbside organics recycling, Star Tribune

May 12, 2021

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy broke ground this spring on a more than $40 million expansion at its Newport facility to make room for high-tech robotics that will sift out the biodegradable bags residents will use to dispose of food scraps…

Earth Day Groundbreaking

April 22, 2021

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E) hosted a virtual groundbreaking event to celebrate the start of construction for processing improvements at the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Center (R&E Center).

We have, and need, better alternatives than landfills, Star Tribune

February 14, 2021

“Landfills full, alternatives few” (Star Tribune, Jan. 26) on the potential expansion of landfills in the metro area underscores the need to reduce our reliance on trash cans. A serious effort to reduce the amount of trash we are producing…

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy amplifies sustainability mission deploying all-electric class 8 truck, American Journal of Transportation

November 20, 2020

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E) and Orange EV today announced the deployment of an Orange EV T-Series pure electric terminal truck to the Recycling and Energy Center (R&E Center) in Newport, Minnesota. Replacing a diesel truck with all-electric aligns with…

Minnesota Counties’ RFP Includes Organics Recycling, BioCycle

September 8, 2020

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E) — a public joint powers board between Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota — has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for End-Use Markets for Byproducts from the Recycling & Energy Center (R&E Center) through…

Minnesota facility seeks end-use markets for waste byproducts, Waste Today

August 25, 2020

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E), Maplewood, Minnesota, has announced a request for proposals for gasification, anaerobic digestion, chemical recycling and other processing solutions to manage waste byproducts from its 500,000-ton-per-year waste processing facility.

$43 million organic recycling center could be coming to Ramsey/Washington solid waste facility, Pioneer Press

August 12, 2020

A garbage facility in Newport is about to take a $43 million dive into organic recycling. The addition to the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Center would enable it to pull food scraps out of the waste stream for the first time. According…

Curbside collection of food scraps planned for Ramsey, Washington counties, Star Tribune

February 26, 2020

Food scraps and other organic material make up about a quarter of the waste produced by the 800,000 residents of Ramsey and Washington counties — but there’s no full-scale curbside system to collect it for composting.

Walz tours state to advocate for bonding bill, KSTP

February 12, 2020

A day into the start of the legislative session, Gov. Tim Walz is touring the state to advocate for his $2 billion bonding bill. Wednesday, he spent time at the recycling and energy center in Newport. Located in Ramsey County, it…

Governor Tim Walz Is Pushing For Funding On An Expanded Recycling Center, WCCO

February 1, 2020

The Governor has included $8 million in his proposed bonding bill to help this center expand, Kim Johnson reports.

How you can help Minnesota recycle, Star Tribune

November 13, 2019

Nov. 15 is America Recycles Day. You may have read negative news about recycling in the national headlines recently. We’re writing with some facts on the state of recycling here in Minnesota.

How much of what we toss in recycling bins is actually getting recycled?, Star Tribune

August 17, 2019

China’s decision to stop accepting America’s dirty recycling has rocked the waste industry and forced some communities across the country to landfill material tossed in the big blue bins. So is recycling still worth it here in Minnesota?

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