Education

Food scraps make up 20% of trash in Ramsey and Washington counties. Recovering food scraps from trash helps us reach Minnesota’s recycling goals and provides health, environmental and economic benefits to the community.

The counties provide two options for residents to participate in food scrap recycling: the Food Scraps Pickup Program and drop-off sites. Here’s how the process works:

Food scraps
make up
20%
of trash in
Ramsey and
Washington
counties

Here’s how the process works:

Composting is the natural process of breaking down organic materials – like food scraps and yard waste – into nutrient-rich material called compost that can be used to improve our soil.

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Participate
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Hauler collects trash
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R&E Center for separation
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Compost facility
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Finished compost
end-markets
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How can compost be used?

Finished compost material can be used at home in gardens, lawn care, and potted plants, or in industries such as agriculture, construction, landscaping, and environmental management. 

Construction

Landscaping

Agriculture

Benefits of food scrap recycling + compost include:

Recycling food scraps provides the best opportunity to reduce the amount of trash we generate. By weight, food scraps are the largest portion of our trash. Recycling food scraps keeps this material out of landfills and incinerators.

When food scraps and other organic materials break down in landfills, they create methane, a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.  Because food scraps are wet, they require more energy to burn at waste-to-energy facilities than other types of waste.

Compost added to soil promotes healthier plant growth and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers. It also improves water retention, which conserves water and helps prevent erosion, which can pollute our water.

Minnesota’s composting industry supports about 700 jobs and produces $148 million in gross economic activity per year. The composting industry supports four to eight times more jobs on a per ton basis than landfilling operations.

Resources and further reading: