City of Saint Paul’s Recycle Smart campaign a success
Last year, with support from Ramsey and Hennepin counties, the City of Saint Paul collaborated with the City of Minneapolis on a recycling education campaign. Residents were encouraged to think a little more about what belongs and does not belong in the blue recycling cart. The Recycle Smart campaign targets the most problematic or harmful items such as plastic bags, large plastic items (like laundry tubs and storage bins), random metal items (like pots and pans), needles and syringes, and items that coil around equipment (like electrical cords and holiday lights). These items should never be placed in a recycling cart.
When Saint Paul used to have small recycling bins, the contamination rate was only two percent. But when the City switched to a large recycling cart in 2017, the contamination rate increased to 10%. This revealed that more recycling education was needed.
After a six-month campaign in 2019, Saint Paul and Minneapolis both saw a decrease in non-recyclable items mixed in with recyclables at the recycling facility. Saint Paul calculated a 12% reduction in non-recyclable materials. This lowered processing costs and raised the quality of processed recycled materials that were sent to market from Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Saint Paul continued its campaign in 2020 and is awaiting results of this year’s data.
Find out what is recyclable in Saint Paul or call 651-266-6199. Ramsey County residents living in other cities should refer to their city website or the Ramsey County website.