Investing in the Future

Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E) is continually expanding its efforts to minimize waste generated in the community, while recovering value from waste that arrives at the R&E Center. Through R&E, the counties are increasing investments in waste reduction, reuse and recycling. Examples include:

Expanding work on food waste reduction, recovery and recycling

Supporting recycling in apartment buildings and schools

Assisting businesses such as dry cleaners and auto body shops transition to safer chemicals and processes

Working with the community to encourage reuse of materials

With a focus on recovering value from waste and opportunities presented by new technology, the counties’ plans also include upgrading the Recycling & Energy Center:

R&E and the counties are rolling out a program to collect food scraps from residents. Visit the food scraps pickup program website for more information about the program. 

Despite strong efforts to increase recycling in homes and businesses, a large number of recyclables remain in the trash. The R&E Center plans to add equipment to recover high-value recyclables such as metals, certain plastics and cardboard from the trash. This will add to, not replace, household and business recycling. Recycling at home and work is always the preferred way to recycle – materials are cleaner and more easily recycled when separated at the source.

Research is under way to partner with private industry to utilize new technologies, such as anaerobic digestion, to recover value from waste byproducts from the R&E Center.

7/2013 – Alternative Technologies for Municipal Solid Waste
1/2014 – Technology Comparative Analysis
1/2014 – Preliminary Resource Recovery Feasibility Report
4/2014 – Follow-up on Technology Siting and Permitting Analysis
4/2014 – Two Additional Technology Options Requested
9/2014 – Waste Composition Report
9/2014 – Analysis of Mixed Waste Processing at the Newport Resource Recovery Facility (appendices here)
9/2014 – Estimated Calculations of Additional SSR/SSO Tons
12/2014 – Peer Review of Meeting a 75% Recycling Goal by 2030
2/2015 – Environmental Analysis Report
2/2015 – Financial Analysis Report
2/2015 – Risk Analysis Report
2/2015 – Report: Life Cycle Financial Analysis
4/2015 – Report: Greenhouse Gas Systems Analysis
4/2015 – Report: System Changes to Achieve the Scope for Resource Management
4/2015 – Anaerobic Digestion (AD) – Update on Technology Status
4/2015 – Mixed Waste Processing – Update on Technology Status
11/2015 – Assessment of the Processing Capacity and Capability of the Newport Facility
4/2016 – Options for Scope of Work for Alternative Technology at the Recycling & Energy Center (R&E Center)
4/2017 – Technology Improvements to the R&E Center
12/2017 – Summary of 2016-2017 Seasonal Waste Characterization
6/2018 – Pre-Processing: End Market Analysis for Process Residue
6/2018 – Analysis for Recovery of Recyclable Commodities using Pre-Processing
Continually Updated R&E Center Equipment Research
11/2018 – Processing Alternatives Durable Compostable Bag (DCB) Technology
3/2019 – Risk Analysis Report
3/2019 – Financing of RE Center Improvements
3/2019 – Carted Organics Collection Costs
3/2019 – Preliminary Design for Processing Enhancements
3/2019 – Peer Review of Preliminary Design for Processing Enhancements
1/2020 – Community Engagement in Ramsey and Washington Counties – Durable Compostable Bags for Food Scrap Collection
11/2020 – Durable Compostable Bag Double Transfer Sort

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