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Organics Recycling

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1. Why is the City starting an organics collection program?

The City of Edina strives to be a leader among municipalities in sustainability.

In response to the State of Minnesota directing the counties in Minnesota to reduce the amount of waste that goes to a landfill, Hennepin County revised an ordinance to require the cities in the county make organic collection available to the residents by Jan. 1, 2022 in cities with a population greater than 10,000.

Edina’s Energy & Environment Commission received information regarding collection options and recommended a the city-wide residential curbside collection program to the Edina City Council. The Edina City Council approved a curbside residential collection program in March 2019, to go into effect in the spring of 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the program has been delayed until June, with carts arriving at homes in early June. 

The organics program was built using the same model as the existing recycling program, where every single-family, double- and multi-unit properties up to eight will receive a cart in order to increase participation in the program.

2. What are the benefits of organics recycling?

• Reduces trash. Organic materials make up roughly 25 percent of our current waste stream.
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions. As organic materials decompose in landfills, they generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Diverting organics to composting helps to reduce landfill methane emissions.
• Improves soil and protects water. When added to the soil, it reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides. It also helps the water retention of soils, which reduce runoff and erosion that can pollute our water and helps to conserve water.
• Supports a local economy. About 700 jobs are supported by Minnesota’s composting industry, which produces $148 million in gross economic activity per year. The composting industry supports four to eight times more jobs on a per ton basis than landfilling operations.

3. How do I get started?

You will receive an organics recycling cart in early June. If you already have a Vierkant Disposal organics cart, you will still receive a new cart and your current cart and service will convert to yard-waste only. Organics collection begins sometime in June once carts have been delivered to all homes.

Collect organics in a BPI-certified compostable bag. These bags can be purchased at retail locations such as Jerry’s Do It Best Hardware and Linden Hills Co-op. Remember, only bags labeled "BPI Certified Compostable” that meet ASTM D6400 standards may be used.

People typically line an old ice cream pail or small trash can with a compostable bag to collect food scraps. Once the bag is full, tie it up and place it in your organics cart. Organics carts are picked up weekly on your trash day.

4. I am overwhelmed by this. I am unsure of how to get started?

It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by this, and this is new to a
lot of people. Our recommendation is to begin in the kitchen with your basic
food scraps. Make small changes which are easy to turn into habits and worry
about perfecting your system later. For example, maybe you are not ready to
collect all your food waste just yet, but you could start by putting your
coffee filter and grounds into a compostable bag every day.

5. I am not sure that I want to do this.

If you are on the fence about this program, then we
recommend giving it a try for a couple weeks just to see how it goes. You could
end up surprising yourself with how much you can put in the new carts! You may
always request the cart to be picked up later.

6. What if I am already signed up for Vierkant's organics program?

If you’re currently a Vierkant customer, you will not be charged twice. You will still get a new organics cart from Vierkant in June. Your current Vierkant organics cart will remain and become a yard-waste only cart. 

Vierkant will no longer accept co-mingled organics and yard waste because the commercial composting facility the organics are taken to will not accept the materials together. If you have concerns or questions, please call Vierkant at 612-922-2505.

7. Can tea bags go into the organics bin?

Yes, tea bags can go in there. A couple things to make sure
of first though: 1) make sure it is the paper bag kind of tea bag, not the
plastic netting ones. The plastic ones are usually triangular. If they are the
plastic kind, you can open them up and put the leaves into your organics bin,
but the plastic part must be disposed of in the garbage can. 2) If your tea bag
has a small metal staple on the top, remove that beforehand putting it in the
bin.

8. I do not have much stuff to put in the cart.

Even if you only have a banana peel and some coffee grounds
to add into cart every week, that is still helpful and contributes to our
city’s goals! Every little bit of material we divert from the landfill has a
positive impact.

9. What can I recycle in my organics cart?

• All food: fruits and vegetables; meat, fish and bones; dairy products; eggs and eggshells; pasta; beans and rice; bread and cereal; and nuts and shells.
• Food-soiled paper: pizza boxes from delivery, napkins and paper towels and paper egg cartons.
• Certified compostable products: compostable paper and plastic cups, plates, bowls, utensils and containers (look for the term “compostable” or the BPI logo on certified products).
• Other compostable household items: coffee grounds and filters; hair and nail clippings; cotton balls and swabs with paper stems; houseplants and flowers; tea bags and wooden items such as chopsticks, popsicle sticks and toothpicks.

Yard waste is not allowed.

10. Is there a smaller sized cart available?

Currently the only size we have is the 35 gallon carts which
have been delivered. However, we will possibly have a smaller size available in
the future as an option. If/when those are available, then we will put out an
information release for residents.

11. Can I opt out or decline a cart?

You can decline or return your cart by contacting the Organics Recycling Coordinator Twila Singh at 952-826-1657 or TSingh@EdinaMN.gov. Email is preferred so that the address is as accurate. While you are not required to keep the cart, this is a new citywide utility in addition to our traditional recycling. The cost is $5.50/month which will appear on your quarterly utility statement. At this time, we do not have the option to remove the charge from your account. Just like traditional recycling, even if we choose not to recycle aluminum and carboard, we are all paying into the organics program to encourage maximum participation.

12. When does the fee for curbside organics recycling start?

As the organics recycling carts will be dropped off throughout the month of June, the monthly fee for the program will not begin until July of 2020. The fees will be included in the quarterly utility bill.

13. How much does this program cost me?

The monthly price per household is $5.50.

The charge will appear on quarterly utility bills from the City of Edina, beginning in July 2020.

14. How often is my organics cart picked up?

Vierkant Disposal will pick up organics recycling every week
on your regular recycling day of the week.

If your organics cart collection is missed, call Vierkant at
612-922-2505.

15. What is the difference between biodegradable vs compostable?

In terms of organics recycling, compostable items are
materials which will break down at the commercial composting facility.
Biodegradable items may also be compostable, but some of these items take
hundreds of years to break down and therefore we do not want them in the
curbside organics carts. An example of this would be chewing gum.

16. Can I change the size of my organics cart?

Residents may request to change the size of their cart. After a review of the materials in the cart (no yard waste is allowed), Vierkant Disposal will change the size one time in a 12-month period. To make such a request, call Vierkant at 612-922-2505.

The standard size of the organics carts being delivered to homes is 35 gallons – the smallest available.

17. Can I use regular plastic bags to collect organics?

No. Plastic bags are not compostable and are a contaminant. You risk turning an entire load of compostable material into garbage if you use plastic bags. Use bags labeled “BPI-certified compostable.” These bags can be purchased at retail locations such as Jerry’s Do it Best Hardware, Cub and your local co-op.

Paper bags may be used as long as they are 100% compostable. 

18. Who will collect my organics recycling?

The City of Edina selected Vierkant Disposal for city-wide collection based on their low price and reputation as a trash hauler. They can be reached at 612-922-2505.

19. How is organics recycling different from backyard composting?

You can compost more materials with organics recycling than in your backyard compost bin. Large-scale commercial composting facilities maintain higher temperatures than backyard compost bins. These temperatures are needed to kill bacteria and break down items that cannot be composted in a backyard compost bin, including meat, bones, dairy products and compostable plastics. Backyard composting is still a great option for recycling fruit and vegetable scraps and yard waste into a soil amendment that you can use at home.

20. Will collecting organics make my house smell?

Organics won’t smell any more than your regular garbage smells. Remember that with organics recycling, you’re simply moving the organic materials from your garbage cart into your organics cart.

Help prevent odors by using a collection container, lined with a compostable bag, that has a vented lid or don’t use a lid. Food waste starts to decompose and creates odors more quickly when access to oxygen is cut off. You can purchase a pre-made kitchen pail with a vented lid, or you can make one using an ice cream pail or other container.

21. What should I do if I'm already backyard composting?

If you’re currently composting, please don’t stop. Backyard composting is higher on our waste reduction strategy than curbside organics recycling, and it’s a practice that should be celebrated. 

Use your organics cart for the items that are harder or more difficult for backyard operations. These include pizza boxes, tissues, egg cartons and compostable utensils. These items often don’t break down as fast in backyard operations because they require higher temperatures and more time.

22. Where do my organics go?

The organics collected curbside are taken to a commercial facility in Shakopee, Minnesota, and recycled into compost, a nutrient-rich material that is used in landscaping and road construction projects to improve our soil.

23. Do other cities in the area have organics programs?

Hennepin County requires all cities in the county have an organics recycling program in place by Jan. 1, 2022. St. Louis Park and Minneapolis already have the program. Bloomington is planning to add organics recycling to its next collection contract. 

24. Does the City provide free kitchen pails?

No. You can use any small bucket, ice cream pail or crock for collecting organic material. Some residents use larger under-the-counter bins or stand-alone cans in their kitchens for collection. Look online or check with your favorite local store if you wish to purchase your own indoor collection bin.

25. Can businesses in Edina participate in the organics recycling program?

 Not this specific one, but several businesses in Edina do participate in organics recycling through their refuse hauler. All large businesses in Hennepin County are required to start doing this by January 1, 2022: https://www.hennepin.us/business/recycling-hazardous-waste/organics-recycling The City of Edina is working with Hennepin County to ensure that organics recycling is successful in our local businesses. There are even grants available to help businesses get started!

26. Will residents of multi-family dwellings be charged for the program?

Apartments and multi-family homes are not currently part of the City program and will not be charged or receive a cart. Only single-family, double- and multi-unit properties up to eight will be charged for the program and receive a cart from the City of Edina. 

The City hopes to work on an organics program for larger multi-unit complexes sometime in the future.

27. I want to promote this on social media. What hashtags should I use?

#EdinaRecycles

28. I use my garbage disposal for food scraps. Should I keep doing that?

Although using a garbage disposal and flushing food scraps is better than landfilling it, composting uses less water and energy than water treatment systems do. Water treatment costs are rising as well. In order to protect our treatment facilities or our beautiful lakes, it’s preferred that food scraps go into the organics recycling cart.

29. I live in an apartment/condo and I would like to participate. How do I get started?

Your housing association can work directly with your current
waste hauler to see if they offer this service. If not, you can collectively
find and bargain with a hauler to get this service started for you all.
Apartments and condos, and all high-density housing complexes can have a
significant environmental impact. It’s important that organics recycling is
offered to everyone.

30. I want to do the right thing, but I do not have space in my garage.

There’s a couple of solutions you could try: 1) Replace your
yard waste cart with lawn and leaf bags. Most people do not use their yard
waste container 6 months out of year anyways. 2) Store your cans outside. 3)
Share a cart with your neighbors who have bigger garages!

31. Brown paper bags acceptable?

Yes, and so are lawn and leaf bags. These types of bags are good for drier items like fruit peels. Paper bags are not ideally suited for wet items like coffee grounds, and we highly recommend using the green compostable film bags for dairy and meat products to reduce pests.

32. How do I know if the item is recycling or for the compost/organics recycling?

Items which go in the organics recycling bin need to say
"100% compostable" on them. If it has a number in a triangle on it,
it does not belong in the organics cart.

33. I really like these handle bags that I received with my cart. Can I get some more?

Yes, you can email: jacknorman@polybestinc.com and
speak with them about purchasing more, or they are commonly sold online and in
stores as "t-sacks" or "t-shirt" bags. Remember to ensure
you purchase bags that are 100% compostable.