Free e-waste recycling Oct. 1-4 for county residents

By Robert Williams

Editor

Becker County is starting an organics recycling program with funding assistance of a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grant, which began on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Organics recycling is separating organic waste (food waste, paper napkins, etc.) from the trash and keeping it out of the landfill. It gets taken to a compost facility where, after 6-9 months, it becomes usable compost that returns the nutrients from the food back to the earth. Organics recycling is also often cheaper to dispose of than trash. It also lowers greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.

Items that are allowed:

• All food, including dairy and meat

• Food-soiled paper

• Napkins

• Pizza boxes

• Paper egg cartons

• BPI Certified compostable foodware

• Must have BPI logo (see right)

• Plates, bowls, cups

• Other compostable items

• Coffee grounds/filters

• Wooden chopsticks, utensils

• Hair

Items not allowed:

• Yard waste

• Leaves

• Branches

• Grass clippings

• Recyclables

• Metal

• Plastic (unless it has the BPI logo)

• Cartons

• Glass

• Liquids

• Cooking grease

• Oil

• Drinks

• Foodware not certified compostable

• Coated with plastic or printing

• Non-paper

• Others

• Styrofoam

• Gloves

• Aluminum foil

• Diapers

• Pet wasted

• Menstrual products

Beginning Thursday, Sept. 18, a free starter kit for households will be available. It will consist of a kitchen pail, one roll of compostable bags, and informational sheets about the program. They can be picked up at the Becker County Environmental Services Office, on the 3rd floor of the Becker County Courthouse, 915 Lake Ave, Detroit Lakes on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

All organic waste needs to be put in a BPI certified compostable bag or paper bag.

Drop off compostables at a County recycling drop site:

Detroit Lakes: M State- 900 St Hwy 34; Davis Ave- 504 Davis Ave; Ice Arena/County Fairgrounds- 1308 Rossman Ave

Audubon: Near Orton’s Gas Station- 129 2nd St

Lake Park: Behind the American Legion- 2051 2nd St

Business recycling is also available. For business pick up call (218) 846-7310 or email envservices@co.becker.mn.us to sign up.

The county will provide collection carts, bins for sorting indoors, some large compostable bags, signage, and information pamphlets to help get you started.

The county will come to your business and help you determine how and to what capacity you would like to do organics recycling and provide training to staff.

More information is available at the Becker County website under Environmental Services.

E-waste

Becker County residents will be able to recycle outdated electronics free of charge from Oct. 1-4 and the Becker County Transfer Stations in Detroit Lakes and Osage.

“We’ll take all types of e-waste, which is going to be your screens, with a limit of five when you’re bringing them in,” said Environmental Services Administrator Steve Skoog.

Allowed items include: computer towers, printers, iPads/tablets and cell phones. Monitors, televisions and laptops are limited to five per visit.

The Detroit Lakes Transfer Station will accept e-waste all four days from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 1-3 and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4. The Osage location will only be accepting e-waste one day, Saturday, Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“This is a trial run to see how it works and how people respond to it,” said Commissioner Phil Hansen.

Skoog stated the stations will track the volume that is recycled and report back to committee on what the impact is and if there was a noticeable increase from the event.