By Robert Williams

Editor

Becker County Environmental Services Administrator Steve Skoog presented the county’s new organics recycling program to the Frazee City Council on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

A Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grant of $178,000 was used to accumulate nearly 900 2.5-gallon pails and rolls of compostable bags that are free for those who choose to utilize the program.

“It’s basically taking food scraps or compostable things like paper or cardboard and turning it into a valuable product rather than putting it into landfills,” Skoog said.

Composting also reduces greenhouse gases and returns nutrients back to the soil. According to Skoog, about 25 percent of household garbage is food waste that could easily be composted.

“As you look at the whole waste stream, Becker County generates, of garbage, probably 21,000 to 22,000 tons a year and about half of that goes to the incinerator in Perham,” Skoog said. “That’s not counting the stuff that we convert right now in the form of cardboard and plastics. We generate a lot of garbage. As you take out more things out of that waste stream the residual you’ve got is more concentrated, which is food waste.”

According to the county’s report on organics, food waste does not burn well at the Perham incinerator, since it’s wet and must be sent to the landfill if not brought to organics recycling.

Organics will be transferred to Starbuck, processed and sold as compost.

“Eventually, if we collect enough of it, maybe we’ll build a composting facility at our solid waste campus in Detroit Lakes,” said Skoog.

Many things can be accepted for recycling, including all food, food-soiled paper like napkins, egg cartons and pizza boxes; coffee grounds, filters, wooden chopsticks, toothpicks and hair. Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certified foodware can also be recycled assuming it has the BPI logo.

Skoog noted that free drop off sites in Detroit Lakes have been filled weekly since the program started. Drop-off sites will be located at pre-existing county recycling sites and picked up weekly. 

Schools and businesses are also being approached to join the program.

Skoog also stated he has been approached by residents of Frazee to start the program here.

Currently, the Frazee recycling program is run by the Tri-Powers coalition of Burlington Township, Silver Leaf Township and Frazee. 

County Commissioner Phil Hansen will discuss the issue with Tri-Powers in a meeting Friday, Dec. 12. That decision will determine if drop-off sites could be placed at the recycling center by Frazee Rescue and potentially at the town halls of both townships.

Currently, free pails are available at the Becker County courthouse. If approved for Frazee, they will eventually be available at City Hall.