Planning for the Future
Ramsey County Solid Waste Management Master Plan
The Ramsey County Solid Waste Management Master Plan (Master Plan) is a policy-based community “blueprint” for the solid waste system that supports healthy people, a healthy economy and a healthy environment.
The Master Plan guides how we reduce waste, increase recycling and divert waste from landfills and outlines how we work with residents, businesses and partners to meet state and county goals.
Per Minnesota statute, county master plans and revisions to the plans are submitted to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for approval in response to the MPCA’s Solid Waste Management Policy Plan (Policy Plan) direction. The plans are written with a 20-year vision and updated every six years.
The Ramsey County Solid Waste Management Master Plan 2018-2038 was adopted by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners on October 10 and has been forwarded to the MPCA for approval.
Pending final approval from the MPCA, the Solid Waste Management Master Plan 2018-2038 will go into effect in 2018.
Focus of the plan
- Reducing risk to environmental and public health.
- Accountability: all people are responsible for the waste they produce.
- Government as a leader in properly handling waste.
- Waste as a resource that is recovered to produce energy.
- Waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting which are preferred over landfills.
- Product stewardship to minimize the health, safety and environmental impacts of a product and its packaging.
- Partnering with businesses to reduce waste.
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
2017 master plan timeline
- March through June: Gather input from Solid Waste Advisory Committee and public.
- August 10 - September 1: Public input period open.
- October 3: Board policy discussion.
- October 10: Board adoption, forward to MPCA for approval.
Learn more
Learn more about the evolution of solid waste master planning available in PDF format:
Connect with us
To stay updated on the master planning process:
- Sign-up for our monthly e-newsletter, Green Ramsey.
- Follow us on Facebook @RamseyCountyMinnesota.
- Follow us on Twitter @RamseyCounty.
Contact Environmental Health to share your thoughts, ideas and concerns.
Solid Waste Advisory Committee
Ramsey County is convening an ad hoc Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) to assist in revising its solid waste management master plan in 2017. The SWAC is appointed by the County Board, and consists of at least 14 members, including residents, industry representatives and municipal representatives. The Environmental Health Division coordinates the SWAC.
Meeting documents available in PDF format below.
April 18, 2017
May 2, 2017
- Agenda
- Minutes
- SWAC presentation
- Presentation - Food and Nutrition Commission
- Presentation - Natural Resources Defense Council
- Presentation - Second Harvest Heartland
May 16, 2017
- Agenda
- Minutes
- Reduction and Reuse Fact Sheet
- SWAC presentation
- Presentation - Goodwill
- Presentation - MN Pollution Control Agency
- Presentation - ReUSE MN
- Presentation - University of Minnesota ReUse Program