Planning for the Future

Ramsey County Solid Waste Master Plan

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency establishes goals for recycling and waste management. Counties are responsible to meet these goals.

The Ramsey County Solid Waste Master Plan guides how we reduce waste, increase recycling and divert waste from landfills. The Master Plan outlines how we work with residents, businesses and partners to meet these state and county goals. The plan is updated every six years.

The plan focuses on:

1. Reducing risk to environmental and public health.
2. Accountability: all people are responsible for the waste they produce.
3. Government as a leader in properly handling waste.
4. Waste as a resource that is recovered to produce energy.
5. Waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting which are preferred over landfills.
6. Product stewardship to minimize the health, safety and environmental impacts of a product and its packaging.
7. Partnering with businesses to reduce waste.
8. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Important things to note:

• In the East Metro, the public and private sectors collaborate on waste decisions.
• Residents and businesses pay haulers nearly $120 million annually to collect waste.
• The private industry competes to provide trash and recycling collection.
• These companies support more than 500 local jobs.