April 1, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Starting April 1, residents of Grey Cloud Island Township, Landfall, Oakdale, St. Paul Park and Woodbury can now participate in the Food Scraps Pickup Program
NEWPORT, MN, Apr. 1, 2024 – Ramsey and Washington counties’ Food Scraps Pickup Program is now available to all residents of Grey Cloud Island Township, Landfall, Oakdale, St. Paul Park and Woodbury, Minnesota. These are in addition to all residents of Cottage Grove, Maplewood, Newport and North St. Paul that have been eligible for the program since October 2023. Beginning April 1, 2024, residents of the new communities can sign up for the program at no cost by visiting FoodScrapsPickup.com or calling 651-661-9393.
Twenty percent of trash in Ramsey and Washington counties is food scraps, such as fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells and bones. This program offers an easy, accessible and environmentally friendly way for residents to manage food scraps at home. The program will roll out over multiple years and eventually be available to all residents of Ramsey and Washington counties.
“We are thrilled to be offering this important and impactful service to 78,709 households, with 42,056 of those households newly receiving the program on the first of April,” stated Annalee Garletz, Food Scraps Pickup Program supervisor. “Participants have been excited about the convenience of at-home food scrap recycling that saves them time and money while making a positive environmental impact.”
Residents interested in participating in the program can sign up and place a bag order at no cost on the Food Scraps Pickup Program website or by calling 651-661-9393. An annual supply of 60 compostable bags will ship directly to participants’ homes with an instruction guide on how to start collecting food scraps. Each week, or when a food scrap bag is full, residents will tie a knot in the top to ensure it is sealed and then place the bag in their trash cart or dumpster to be collected by their trash hauler. The program-provided food scrap bags are designed to be extra durable, so they don’t tear open during the trip in the garbage truck.
After collection, food scrap bags and trash are hauled to the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Center (R&E Center), where the food scrap bags are sorted from the trash by robotic sorting technology and sent to an industrial compost facility to become compost. This program is a significant step forward in the counties’ progress toward Minnesota’s 75% recycling goal for metro counties and climate initiatives.
The official press release can be found here.
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About Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy
Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E) operates through a public joint powers board and is the organization through which Minnesota’s Ramsey and Washington counties collaborate on innovative and responsible ways to manage waste that have environmental, economic and social benefits. R&E programs focus on preventing waste and increasing recycling. Additionally, R&E owns and operates the R&E Center, where all trash from residents and businesses in the two counties is processed to recover value. R&E’s vision is “vibrant, healthy communities without waste.”
Contact
Sam Ferguson | R&E Communications Coordinator | 763-760-0633