Its Easy Being Green:

1
Its Easy Being Green

• Simple Reduce -
  Reuse - Recycle Practices

Information provided by HandsOn Twin Cities and
RethinkRecycling.com
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Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

• Currently each person in the Twin Cities metro
  area generates almost 7 pounds of waste each day,
  collectively thats enough to fill the Metrodome
  11 times every year!
• Where does our garbage go?
• 40 of our garbage is recycled.
• 32 is processed at waste-to-energy facilities
  into electricity or burned for fuel.
• 26 is landfilled in Minnesota and other states.
  
• 2 must be specially managed because of its
  hazardous or toxic content.

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Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

• Every year each household gets over 39 pounds of
  unwanted, unsolicited mail.
• Recycling is an important component to managing
  our waste problem, but alone, it is not enough.
• Nearly 30 of our trash is packaging. Much of it
  is cardboard that can be reused or recycled.
• About one-third of what we throw away at home is
  recyclable through curbside programs.
• Our recycling rate in Minnesota has not
  significantly increased since 1998.

4
Why Do Your Part?

• Reducing, reusing, recycling
• Saves natural resources
• Saves you money
• Less trash going into landfills
• Good for the planet!

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True or False

• Nearly 1 billion credit card solicitations are
  sent to consumers every year.
• False, 3 billion!
• Buying items in bulk (large amount) reduces
  trash.
• True, less packaging thrown away
• Yogurt cups and pizza boxes are recyclable.
• False, not currently accepted with curbside
  recycling
• It is against state law for haulers to pick up
  recyclables and not recycle them.
• True, what you put out for recycling is recycled

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REDUCE

• Reduce junk mail
• Use less plastic
• Buy smart

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Reduce Junk Mail

• Is there an unwanted mail problem in the U.S.?!
  Lets look at the numbers
• Shipped 5.89 tons
• Recycled 2.28 tons
• Garbage 3.61 tons
• Start small
• Credit cards www.optoutprescreen.com
• Advertising mail - www.dmachoice.org
• Manage your mail
• Sort Shred - Recycle

8
Use Less Plastic

• Plastics can take up to 700 years to start to
  break down in landfills.
• Use cloth bags for shopping (reuse or recycle
  plastic bags www.itsinthebagmn.org)
• Use reusable beverage bottle
• Use silverware instead of plasticware

9
Buy Smart

• 30 of trash is packaging.
• Tips to buy smart
• Look for less packaging
• Buy bulk whenever possible
• Buy recycled products
• Post-consumer means material has been used by
  consumers or businesses and collected in a
  recycling program.

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Product Package Comparisons
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Product Package Comparisons for Equal Servings

• Yogurt
• Bulk 3.09
• Pre-packaged 4.00
• Cost Difference .91
• Applesauce
• Bulk 2.63
• Pre-packaged 4.86
• Cost Difference 2.23

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Product Package Comparisons for Equal Servings

• Hot Cocoa
• Bulk 2.99
• Pre-packaged 3.96
• Cost Difference .97
• Popcorn
• Bulk 1.29
• Pre-packaged 4.77
• Cost Difference 3.48

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Product Package Comparisons for Equal Servings

• Oreos
• Bulk 2.88
• Pre-packaged 7.47
• Cost Difference 4.59
• Minute Maid
• Bulk 1.50
• Pre-packaged 3.49
• Cost Difference 1.99

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Product Package Comparisons for Equal Servings

• Bulk Items Pre-Packaged
• Total 14.38 Total 28.55

Difference in Cost 14.17
15
REUSE

• Shop used
• Greening your events
• Creative ways to reuse

16
Shop Used

• In Hennepin County, 32 million pounds of usable
  clothing household goods is thrown away every
  year.
• Borrow, rent or shop used first.
• Shop thrift stores, garage sales.
• Donate your unwanted items so others can shop
  used.

17
Greening Your Events

• Between Thanksgiving and New Years Day
  household waste increases more than 25.
• Send invites through email or make your own
• Use reusable tableware dishes, silverware,
  napkins.
• Buy snacks in bulk when possible.
• Determine if you want to give gifts.

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Creative Ways to Reuse

• If we all wrap 3 gifts each year in reused
  paper, wed save enough paper to cover 45,000
  football fields.
• Look around your home for materials that can be
  used as an alternative to wrapping paper
• Fabric
• Newspaper
• Stickers, ribbon
• Silk flowers
• Etc!!

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Creative Ways to Reuse
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Creative Ways to Reuse
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Creative Ways to Reuse

• Jar vase
• Old sweater or t-shirt pillow
• Basket or wooden box plant container
• Plastic food containers storage
• Other ideas?

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RECYCLE

• Basic recycling
• Increase recycling
• Paper

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Basic Recycling

• About one third of what is thrown away can be
  recycled.
• Twin City area recyclers accept paper, metal,
  glass, plastic.
• Check with your county to learn more about
  recycling.
• Preparation Tips
• Remove all caps, lids and pumps
• Give a good rinse
• Okay to leave on labels
• Do not put recyclables in plastic bags (use bins
  or paper bags)

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Increase Recycling

• I already recycle cans, bottles and newspapers,
  what else can I recycle?
• Metal/Aluminum/Steel
• Glass
• Plastic
• Paper

25
Paper

• About 21 of Minnesotas garbage
• is recyclable paper.
• Mail, office and school papers
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspapers and inserts
• Phone books
• Shredded paper in closed paper bags
• Cardboard boxes
• Cereal, cracker, pasta, cake boxes
• Boxes from toothpaste, medications, etc.

TIP FOR BOXES If it goes in the cupboard, its
recyclable. If it goes in the fridge, freezer, or
microwave its not.
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Discussion

• What surprised you most about what you have
  learned?
• What two actions will you take to reduce, reuse
  or recycle?

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Thank You!

• This information was provided by HandsOn Twin
  Cities Community P.O.W.E.R. (Partners on Waste
  Education and Reduction) grant to educate
  residents about waste reduction and recycling.
• SOURCES www.RethinkRecycling.com, Hennepin
  County Environmental Services
• Community P.O.W.E.R. grants funded by the Solid
  Waste Management Coordinating Board.

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Next Steps

• An important part of this project is to determine
  if you changed reduce-reuse-recycle behaviors as
  a result of this information.
• In a few weeks we will ask you to complete a
  short 8-question survey.

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Resources
www.RethinkRecycling.com Your go-to guide for
waste recycling in the Twin Cities

• Remove from mailing lists
• www.optoutpresscreen.com (credit cards)
• www.dmachoice.org (advertising mail)
• Recycling plastic bags
• www.itsinthebagmn.org
• Reduce Waste
• www.reduce.org
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• www.pca.state.mn.us
• Recycling Association of Minnesota
• www.recycleminnesota.org
• Twin Cities Free Market
• www.twincitiesfreemarket.org

Anoka County www.co.anoka.mn.us Carver
County www.co.carver.mn.us Dakota
County www.co.dakota.mn.us Hennepin
County www.co.hennepin.mn.us Ramsey
County www.co.ramsey.mn.us Washington
County www.co.washington.mn.us