Back to List

Childcare center diverts more than 5,500 pounds from the trash each year

St. Croix Kids Early Childhood Center daycare and preschool in Stillwater has been teaching preschool children since 1969. Last year, the center reached out to BizRecycling to learn how to decrease waste and lower its trash bill. Through a BizRecycling grant, St. Croix Kids Early Childhood Center started a food scraps (organics recycling) collection program. The childhood center now has color-coded, clearly labeled bins for food scraps, recycling and trash collection in each room.

“Now, even our toddlers can figure out what goes in which bin,” said Executive Director Sheila Pidde. The grant also allowed St. Croix Kids Early Childhood Center to purchase reusable dishes and a dishwasher. Before that, the childhood center had been using disposable plastic plates, cups and utensils for the kids’ mealtimes.

The center was able to keep more than 3,120 pounds of recyclables and 2,470 pounds of food scraps out of the trash each year.  This helped the center reduce its trash bill by about $300 per month.

“The whole [grant] process was just so easy, “ said Pidde, “and the staff members are very pleased with their participation in the program.”

BizRecycling works with businesses in Ramsey and Washington counties to improve their recycling and food scraps collection. Recycling Experts are not currently providing onsite assistance, but they can help in other ways. Experts can still answer your waste reduction and recycling questions by phone, email, video, etc. BizRecycling is also still processing grant applications for businesses that are ready to make improvements (and save some money). Learn more at BizRecycling.com or call 651-266-1199. 

Posted on Sunday, April 30, 2017 - 8:11 a.m.