Centralized Waste Collection
Facilities Centralized Collection Pilot Starting Monday November 11/4/24
SPPS is launching a Centralized Waste Collection pilot project in the Facilities Office area this Fall. Deskside trash and recycling bins will be removed and organics will be added in centralized waste sort stations in the office area, bathrooms and breakroom. This pilot is part of the Zero Hunger, Zero Waste (Zero2) Plan, a partnership between Facilities and Nutrition Services to reduce waste.
Sorting waste fosters a culture of environmental sustainability among students, staff and the wider community. Proper waste sorting reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators, conserving valuable resources. The District spends more than $1 Million dollars on our waste program every year and in Ramsey County our trash is taxed 70% (we essentially pay for it twice) whereas recycling and organics have 0% tax. Embracing this program is tangible and impactful way our District is dedicated to being a responsible steward of our environment and resources.
Waste is collected into 3 Distinct steams: Organics, Recycling and Trash. Refer to the signage posted above the bins for correct disposal guidelines. The Custodial team collect and transport recycling, organics (compost), and trash to loading docks, where Republic Services picks up and transports the material to their Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Inver Grove Heights (recycling), SET in Rosemount (commercial compost facility) or R&E Center in Newport (trash)
What Goes Where?
it is important to prevent contamination of our Recycling and Organics bins; if a bin becomes contaminated, it will have to be disposed of as trash.
Organics: food scraps, peels, BPI certified compostable packaging, coffee filters/grounds, and food soiled paper such as napkins, paper towels and pizza boxes.
Recycling: empty plastics labeled #1, #2, #5, cartons, metal cans, glass bottles and jars, paper and flattened cardboard.
Trash: When in doubt, throw it out. Everything else goes in the Trash (except hazardous waste)
Resources
SPPS Common Trash, Organics, Recycling Items (pdf 8.5x11)
Common acceptable/unacceptable recycling/organics items (ppt)
Resources from Vendors
Organics 101: SET (where our compost organics goes to)
Republic Services Recycling Guide (where our recycling goes to)
R&E Center (video- where our trash goes, waste-to-energy)
Learn more about what happens to the items you put in the recycling bin: Recycling Exists.
Many of our items we recycle, get recycled locally:
- Many plastic containers — think plastic bottles, peanut butter jars and produce containers — are going to manufacturers in Idaho, Ohio and Wisconsin to be made into new bottles
- Milk and laundry detergent jugs and shampoo bottles get made into outdoor products like plastic lawn furniture, playground equipment and decking in Minnesota.
- Many yogurt, cottage cheese and margarine tubs go to Ohio to be made into food containers and to Missouri to be made into auto parts.
- Paper and cardboard become new paper products.
- A lot of glass is sent to Shakopee to make new bottles.
- Metal cans are sent to places in Minnesota and the Midwest to be made into wire, beams and auto and appliance parts.