Ramsey, Washington counties preparing to launch organic recycling program
Aug. 2—A refuse facility in Newport is slaying an environmental dragon — landfills.
The plant, operated by Ramsey and Washington counties, is annually sending only 10 percent of its waste to landfills. And, next year a $43 million expansion at the Ramsey/Washington Recycling Energy plant will launch the largest organic food-scrap recycling program in the state.
The plant is a product of years of collaboration by the two counties as they try to improve environmental practices. But not everyone is cheering.
Some environmentalists worry about the side-effects of the program. The plant reaches its landfill goals in part by burning garbage in incinerators in Red Wing and Mankato.
"It's nothing we should emulate," said Lynn Hoffman, co-president of Eureka Recycling, which manages recycling for St. Paul. Hoffman said the plant's aggressive approach fails to address the bigger issue — too much garbage produced by consumers and manufacturers.
"Our big concern is this is not so much of a vision. This is not so ambitious," said Hoffman.
STATE GUIDELINES
The plant managers say they are doing exactly what the state asked them to do. Guidelines established in 1989 say that landfills are the worst possible place for garbage. State officials prefer that garbage is handled by — ranked in order — reduction, re-use, recycling, composting and incineration. They want landfills to be the last resort.
Nikki Stewart, senior environmental resource manager of Washington County, said work on the addition to the plant is now underway. It is expected to result in 30,000 tons of organics recycled annually, plus 34,000 tons of other recyclables.
Stewart said she is proud of the plant's environmental record — processing 445,000 tons of garbage last year, recycling 14,000 tons of metal, and generating electricity for 1,250 homes. The plant sent only 10 percent of waste to landfills, a rate about one-third that of any other metro-area counties.
That record will only improve with organic recycling, said Peder Sandhei, principal planner with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
ORGANICS ARE ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF MOST MUNICIPAL GARBAGE
Organics comprise about one-third of most municipal garbage. That's why targeting organics for recycling could improve the state's overall recycling rate, which has been stuck around 44 percent for several years.
Washington County's Stewart said the Newport plant benefits from the partnership of two counties.
By pooling resources, the counties were able to buy a privately-owned processing plant for $24 million in 2016. Another $15 million was spent on various improvements, and now another $43 million will be invested in the organic recycling operation. The organic addition brings the total to $82 million — a sum far beyond the reach of most single-county waste programs.
Supporters also applaud the Newport program because the counties voluntarily spent the money — it wasn't not required.
Most other counties spend far less because the state guidelines are suggestions, not rules.
TEN PERCENT LANDFILL RATE
According to a 2019 survey by the MPCA, nine counties put more than 80 percent of garbage into landfills. Most counties recycle between 10 and 30 percent.
The Ramsey/Washington partnership hit the 10-percent landfill rate largely through the processing plant in Newport.
The plant is launching the most vigorous waste-management program in the state, recycling and reusing garbage four ways — curbside recycling in separate bins, metal recycling at the plant, incineration for electricity, and organic recycling.
It will widen the gap between counties that do virtually no recycling. "Each county charts its own course," said the MPCA's Sandhei.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS DIVIDED
Environmentalists are somewhat divided over the Newport plant. Paul Austin, director of the non-profit Conservation Minnesota, supports organic recycling in any form. Aaron Klemz of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy said he loves the idea of organic recycling. He said he participates in organic recycling in Fridley, and regularly picks up his share of compost from the local facility.
Eureka's Hoffman said she supported the goal of reducing landfill use, yet questioned the methods. Consumers will be asked to sort their organics into compostable bags and throw them away, so they can be plucked out of the waste stream at the Newport plant. Plenty could go wrong with that plan, said Hoffman.
"How many bags will break?" she said. "How much will get lost in the trash?"
She predicted that many customers will mistakenly toss the bags into recycling bins, along with their cans and paper.
"They are both recycling. It would be an easy mistake to make," said Hoffman. And, having three recycling approaches also requires many miles of trucking, she noted.
Fuel is also used in the waste-to-energy program, in which garbage is trucked 90 miles to an incinerator in Mankato, or 50 miles to one in Red Wing. Incinerators have been criticized for giving off air pollution and for producing ashes equal to one-fourth of the weight of the burned garbage, which is put into landfills.
This landfill material is not counted in Newport's totals, because it is technically generated in other counties.
FORTY PERCENT PARTICIPATION RATE PROJECTED
Newport plant co-manager Stewart said the organics program is projected to have 40 percent participation rate, after a five-year start-up period.
That will include Ray McCoy of St. Paul. He dropped off excess vegetables from his garden at the Midway Collection Center on Friday. "I harvested them, but didn't get to eat them," he said.
McCoy likes the idea of the new organic recycling system. "It makes sense to me," he said, as spoiled potatoes plopped into the bin.
That will not include Louise Watson.
She composts her own food scraps in her back yard, she said, so she won't be putting them into plastic bags. Watson, a board member of Sustainable Stillwater, said she thought the program sends confusing messages about environmental priorities.
And, she said the organic recycling program doesn't address a more urgent concern — the flood of consumer plastics.
"That is more important locally than food scraps," she said. "How many 'we-have-tos' are there? How do we tell which ones to do?"
Watson noted her comments were her own and not reflective of Sustainable Stillwater.
Eureka's Hoffman said a more fundamental concern is reduction of the amount of garbage produced.
She wondered how much impact $82 million might have on programs to reduce the garbage flow upstream — with manufacturers who make it, and consumers who throw it away.
"If you invested more in re-using," said Hoffman, "you would get more bang for the buck."
BREAKING DOWN ORGANIC WASTE
Changes are coming for anyone who throws away anything in Ramsey and Washington counties. Anticipated questions are listed here, with answers provided by the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Center, the MPCA, non-profit environmental groups, and industry websites.
WHAT IS ORGANIC WASTE?
Any garbage that is biogradable — coming directly from an animal or a plant. Most of it is food scraps from the kitchen. It also includes non-recyclable paper such as napkins, paper towels and egg cartons.
HOW WILL THE ORGANIC RECYCLING PROGRAM WORK?
Customers will order special bags, delivered at no cost. These are made of thick tear-resistant plastic that decomposes. They put food scraps into the bags, tie them shut, and put them in the garbage.
INTO THE GARBAGE, REALLY?
That's right. Machinery at the Newport plant will pluck the bags out of the waste stream.
THEN WHAT?
It will be trucked to a composting plant, which turns organic waste into fertile soil.
WHAT WILL BE THE COST?
One dollar more per month. This applies to all waste-removal customers in Washington and Ramsey counties. Through your taxes, you have already paid $82 million for a processing plant in Newport.
WHAT IF A CUSTOMER ALREADY RECYCLES?
Organics make up about one-third of landfill waste. Recycling it helps the environment in many ways.
SUCH AS?
It reduces the volume of garbage going into landfills, it reduces production of the greenhouse gas methane, and it produces a useful by-product — compost.
ARE RESIDENTS REQUIRED TO DO THIS?
No. This is voluntary, just like recycling programs for metal, plastic and paper. The organic recycling program will begin in 2022.
CAN CUSTOMERS STILL COMPOST IN THEIR BACKYARD?
Yes. In fact, you are encouraged to do that — it saves money and fuel, and creates fertile soil. But the new organics program is a back-up, because most consumers can't or won't maintain compost piles.
WILL THIS STUFF BE INCINERATED?
No. Only the shredded garbage from the plant is sent to incinerators. That garbage is burned in Mankato and Red Wing to generate electricity.
IS YARD WASTE ORGANIC?
Yes, but it is handled separately. Yard waste — mostly raked leaves and wood from removed trees — is hauled to yard waste sites, not landfills. The organic recycling program doesn't affect yard waste.
WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THIS PROGRAM?
Experts say any of the following methods is preferable to just throwing out organic waste:
— Create less of it. Don't waste food.
— Compost it by tossing it on a compost area, food scraps eventually turn into fertile soil.
— Take it to an organic recycling center and drop it off. Drop-off sites are scattered around the metro area, operated by cities and counties.
For locations, regulations and to register, visit the websites of counties or cities including ramseycounty.us and co.washington.mn.us.
