City Recycling Resources
Community Clean-up COVID-19 Best Practices
To protect the health of residents during community clean-ups, it is important to implement procedures that take into account social distancing. If you need assistance or have additional questions, please reach out to Max Dalton at 651-430-6714. View best practices here.
Recycling Grant Program
The County offers a municipal recycling grant program to assist cities and townships in Washington County with residential recycling program expenses. Grant funding levels are dependent on recycling program activities. A base amount is provided to cover administrative and basic recycling program expenses and is dependent on the number of households in a community. A second level is targeted to specific grant projects that are related to achieving broad and general recycling goals. A third level, additional project funding, is tied to targeted projects such as multifamily recycling and away from home recycling. Cities and Townships are encouraged to apply for the maximum level of funding.
2021 Municipal Recycling Grant Guidelines & Continuum
A recycling best practices continuum has been developed to assist communities in generating ideas for project level grant funding. It is the intent of these projects to increase education and awareness among city residents regarding residential recycling. These efforts will help guide a community towards increased recycling rates. View the continuum here.
The Department of Public Health and Environment hosts quarterly meetings for city and township recycling coordinators. The meetings provide the platform for community to community discussions, providing valuable learning opportunities and enhancing the potential for collaboration.
Meeting topics include the County’s recycling grant program, resources available for use and distribution at community events, and discussions on innovative ways to reinvigorate residential recycling and waste reduction programs. The department publishes electronic agendas and meetings materials for the recycling coordinators.
Educational Resources for Recycling Coordinators
Download the corresponding social media message to use with each graphic.
Be a Battery Hero Campaign
A social media campaign to promote residential battery disposal best practices. The "Be a Battery Hero" campaign is shared between Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington Counties, created through the Partnership on Waste and Energy (PWE).
Communication Toolkit: 2021 Recycling & Energy Center Tipping Fees and Hauler Rebates
The Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board has made two recent decisions regarding pricing at the Recycling & Energy Center. A variety of communication tools are available at here to support municipalities in communicating with residents on this topic.
Image files that can be used for educational print materials like brochures, flyers or recycling guides, or for use on community websites. To save a photo from our photo gallery, right click on the photo and select "Save picture as".
Single Sort Curbside Recycling Images
Compostable Materials Images
Washington County Environmental Center Facility Images
Through the recycling performance scorecard development process, the County realized the need to research and develop a standard list of items to be collected in all recycling programs in the county. It was our intent to provide a list to communities to be included in ordinances, hauler licenses and/or recycling contracts as a curbside residential recycling requirement. With the assistance of a private consultant, the following list was created based on the following specifications:
The department has a variety of educational resources available for use at the community level. These include a Recycled Products toolkit, a Compost toolkit, and a Trash Trunk that help educators teach community groups about composting, recycling and trash. Visit our Education Resources page for more information on how to request a learning kit.
The Recycling Association of Minnesota has an online catalog of free recycling signs and labels that you can download and print yourself or have professionally printed at a site they suggest.
To protect the health of residents during community clean-ups, it is important to implement procedures that take into account social distancing. If you need assistance or have additional questions, please reach out to Max Dalton at 651-430-6714. View best practices here.
Recycling Grant Program
The County offers a municipal recycling grant program to assist cities and townships in Washington County with residential recycling program expenses. Grant funding levels are dependent on recycling program activities. A base amount is provided to cover administrative and basic recycling program expenses and is dependent on the number of households in a community. A second level is targeted to specific grant projects that are related to achieving broad and general recycling goals. A third level, additional project funding, is tied to targeted projects such as multifamily recycling and away from home recycling. Cities and Townships are encouraged to apply for the maximum level of funding.
2021 Municipal Recycling Grant Guidelines & Continuum
Recycling Best Practices Continuum
A recycling best practices continuum has been developed to assist communities in generating ideas for project level grant funding. It is the intent of these projects to increase education and awareness among city residents regarding residential recycling. These efforts will help guide a community towards increased recycling rates. View the continuum here.
Recycling Coordinator Meetings
The Department of Public Health and Environment hosts quarterly meetings for city and township recycling coordinators. The meetings provide the platform for community to community discussions, providing valuable learning opportunities and enhancing the potential for collaboration.
Meeting topics include the County’s recycling grant program, resources available for use and distribution at community events, and discussions on innovative ways to reinvigorate residential recycling and waste reduction programs. The department publishes electronic agendas and meetings materials for the recycling coordinators.
Educational Resources for Recycling Coordinators
Recycle Better Social Media Graphics
A series of social media graphics to promote residential recycling best practices.These core messages are based on the Recycling at Home postcard and the standard list of residential curbside recyclables. To save a photo from our photo gallery, right click on the photo and select "Save picture as".Download the corresponding social media message to use with each graphic.
Yes - Cartons
No bagged recyclables
Yes - Glass
No plastic bags
Yes - Metal
No shredded paper
Yes - Paper
No tanglers
Yes - Plastics
Food Scraps Drop-off Program Materials
| Food Scraps Handout | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Pail Sticker | Window Cling |
| Social Media Image |
Be a Battery Hero Campaign
A social media campaign to promote residential battery disposal best practices. The "Be a Battery Hero" campaign is shared between Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington Counties, created through the Partnership on Waste and Energy (PWE).
Download the campaign messages to use with social media graphics and in newsletters. Social media posts should link to the Washington County battery disposal webpage.
A variety of Be a Battery Hero communication tools are available at here to support municipalities in communicating with residents on battery safety and disposal.
Communication Toolkit: 2021 Recycling & Energy Center Tipping Fees and Hauler Rebates
The Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board has made two recent decisions regarding pricing at the Recycling & Energy Center. A variety of communication tools are available at here to support municipalities in communicating with residents on this topic.
Images
Image files that can be used for educational print materials like brochures, flyers or recycling guides, or for use on community websites. To save a photo from our photo gallery, right click on the photo and select "Save picture as".
Single Sort Curbside Recycling Images
Compostable Materials Images
| Coffee grounds and Tea bag | Compostable paper |
Food scraps | Fruit scraps |
| Veggie Scraps |
Washington County Environmental Center Facility Images
| Environmental Center Ad | Free Product Room 2 | Spring WCEC facility photo 1 | WCEC drop-off lane |
| Free Product Room 1 |
Free Product Room 3 |
Spring WCEC facility photo 2 | WCEC map |
Displays
Displays
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Standard List of Residential Curbside Recyclables
Through the recycling performance scorecard development process, the County realized the need to research and develop a standard list of items to be collected in all recycling programs in the county. It was our intent to provide a list to communities to be included in ordinances, hauler licenses and/or recycling contracts as a curbside residential recycling requirement. With the assistance of a private consultant, the following list was created based on the following specifications:
- Adequate supply of material
- Haulers can collect the material and accepts material
- There is demand by processers, manufacturers, exporters, etc
- Long-term market stability
Learning Kits
The department has a variety of educational resources available for use at the community level. These include a Recycled Products toolkit, a Compost toolkit, and a Trash Trunk that help educators teach community groups about composting, recycling and trash. Visit our Education Resources page for more information on how to request a learning kit.
Regional Resources
The Recycling Association of Minnesota has an online catalog of free recycling signs and labels that you can download and print yourself or have professionally printed at a site they suggest.