Dan The Recycling Man

Regular Recycling Schedule for the Holidays

2011-12-21T11:22:00.001-06:00

Many times during the holidays our recycling schedule is affected, but not this year! So, this is my reminder for everyone to put your recycling cart out on your regular day by 6:30 a.m. the week of Christmas and New Years. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Light Recycling

2011-12-07T09:46:00.001-06:00

Do you have your strands of Christmas or holiday lights strung? Maybe you found that some of your old ones don't work. Well don't just put them in a pile for spare lights or throw them away...Recycle Them! Here is a link to find all of the free recycling drop off locations for unwanted holiday lights...

http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/campaigns/ryh-11-12#map

The closest sites in Brooklyn Park are the Hennepin County Recycling Center at 8100 Jefferson Hwy and Cherokee Hardware. The closest site in New Hope is Frattallone's Hardware. Happy Recycling!

What happens to your recyclables?

2011-11-14T10:03:00.001-06:00

Kare 11 did a nice video at the Waste Management recycling facility following recycleables. Here is a link to the video...

http://www.kare11.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1267215425001

Pumpkin Recycling

2011-11-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

Now that Halloween is over, don't forget to give your pumpkin a second life...recycle them! Okay, it is not really recycling, it is composting, but you get the idea. Drop you pumpkins off from Nov. 1 - Nov. 7 at the Central Park parking lot across the street from the Operations & Maintenance shop at 8300 Noble Ave N. Please remove candles and have fun throwing the pumpkin in the dumpster!

#1 - #7 Plastic Recycling

2011-10-19T07:08:00.001-05:00

You can now recycle #1 - #7 plastic bottles and containers in your recycling cart in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, and New Hope. This includes items such as butter tubs, yogurt cups, medicine bottles, flower pots, fruit/deli containers and much more, but NO plastic bags and NO Styrofoam. Plastic bags often clog and break down the sorting equipment at the recycling facility we contract with, other programs may take plastic bags, but for now we are not able to accept them. Plastic bags may be recycled at many grocery/retail stores and the Hennepin County Recycling Center at 8100 Jefferson Hwy. in Brooklyn Park.

Public Input Wanted on Trash Collection in Brooklyn Park

2011-08-04T11:29:00.000-05:00

On June 6, 2011, the Citizen Long-range Improvement Committee (CLIC) presented a recommendation to the City Council to hold a public hearing and pass a resolution of intent to organize the garbage collection system consistent with the goals outlined in their Solid Waste Collection system study which are to be a city, proactive and committed to being "Economically Green", improving the City's environment, while promoting a possible lower cost of service with high efficiency, adding more safety in our neighborhoods and conserving our streets.

The city council took the recommendation under consideration and asked staff to develop a community engagement plan to get more feedback from residents on the issue of organizing the garbage collection system.

Staff is planning three community cafe style public meetings, one in each voting district in the City. The meetings will be facilitated by members of CLIC, with staff assistance as needed. They will include an overview of organized garbage collection by staff from the MN Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and insights from CLIC on their two year study of garbage collection and their recommendations. The rest of the cafe will be spent in roundtable discussions getting input from attendees on solid waste and recycling collection.

Community Cafe Schedule

August 8th from 7:00-8:30pm at Brooklyn Park Evangelical Free Church- 7849 West Broadway Brooklyn Park, MN 55445

August 11th from 7:00-8:30pm at Grace Fellowship- 8601 101st Ave Brooklyn Park, MN 55445

August 15th from 7:00-8:30pm at Discover Church- 1400 81st Ave N Brooklyn Park, MN 55444

All of the comments and findings from the cafes will be consolidated into a report and presented to the City Council targeted for August 29th or September 6th.

For more information contact me at dan.ruiz@brooklynpark.org Please come be part of the process!

Don't Fry Day

2011-05-23T15:50:00.000-05:00

This sounds pretty "corny", but the message is a good one, The Friday before Memorial Day is “Don’t Fry Day,” a time to remind people at the start of summer about the dangers from exposure to the sun’s harmful rays. Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is on the rise in America and is the most common cancer among young adults aged 25-29. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SunWise program and the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention have partnered to provide simple tips on protecting yourself that could save lives.

“Many people still do not realize that unprotected sun exposure can lead to skin cancer and other health problems,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “Simple steps such as using sunscreen, putting on sunglasses or wearing a hat can protect us and our families, while still enjoying the great outdoors.”

One American dies from skin cancer every hour. It is the most common type of cancer in the United States, where skin cancer affects more than two million people each year, outnumbering the cases of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. One in five Americans will develop the disease in their lifetime. Over exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer.

Although skin cancer risk factors are always present even during the winter, the dangers are greater during the summer months, when the days are longer and more people are outside for longer periods of time. As millions of Americans kick off the summer season this Memorial Day weekend by enjoying the great outdoors, EPA encourages families to learn about sun-safe practices and to reduce overexposure to UV.

For “Don’t Fry Day,” (May 27 this year), EPA encourages Americans to take these few, easy precautions when they are outside:

• “Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap.” Slip on a shirt. Slop on SPF 15+ sunscreen. Slap on a hat, and wrap on sunglasses to protect your body from overexposure to the sun

• Seek shade. Find shade during the sun’s peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to reduce the risk of too much sun exposure

• Check the UV Index. When planning outdoor activities check the UV Index to identify the times that pose the greatest risk for overexposure to the sun

Old Drugs

2011-04-19T09:19:00.000-05:00

Time to raid the old medicine cabinet and get rid of old drugs, medicine, pharmeceuticals...whatever you call them. Hennepin County is hosting two free drop off events:

Saturday April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Brooklyn Center City Hall, 6301 Shingle Creek Pkwy
Thursday, June 2 from 3 to 7 p.m., Richfield Ice Arena, 636 66th St. E, Richfield

Visit http://hennepin.us/medicine for more information.

A follower's follow up...Do I have to rinse?

2011-02-25T07:38:00.000-06:00

One of my followers (that sounds weird to say) read an article about rinsing out recyclables and thought it was worth sharing. Here it is...

http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/02/clean-food-containers-recycling

The article points out that it could be more wasteful to clean/rinse recyclables than the benefit of recycling it. I use a couple guidelines in my house when it comes to rinsing. One is the smell factor. I don’t want to leave food in a container that will cause my recycling cart to stink. Most of the time I give soup cans, etc. a quick rinse. The other factor is the economic factor. I will use a spatula to get the last bit of pasta sauce out of a jar…it turns out to be enough sauce for a kids portion of pasta. There is a reason that restaurants use spatulas to get every ounce of product out of cans. It effects their bottom line.

Take a somewhat hypothetical pasta jar example. If a jar of sauce costs $2.50 and has 10 servings in the jar, if you don’t use a spatula you may only get 9 servings and you are wasting 10% of the product or $0.25 per jar. My family goes through about 4 jars a month. If I wasted 10% of every jar it adds up to $12 per year and that is just pasta sauce, it doesn’t count peanut butter, mayo, etc.

With all that said, I agree with the article on clean recyclables and I agree that it is a waste to scrub containers clean with water and paper towels. What are your thoughts on this?

Reduce waste on Valentines Day

2011-02-14T07:50:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine's Day has a long history of romance and love, which has, in recent years, become centered on cards and gifts. Approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the United States (making Valentine’s Day the second most popular holiday for sending cards), and over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year. It is also the top holiday for fresh flower purchases.

This year, consider putting a little more thought into your valentine’s gift. It will show your loved one that you care about him or her and that you care for our environment. Instead of the standard cards, flowers, and chocolates try:

• Buy a card that is made from recycled materials, or make one from materials you already have
• Consider sending an e-card to friends and family rather than a paper card
• Buy local, fair trade, organic chocolates—it will support the producers and cut down on waste used to transport or chemicals used in production
• Choose locally grown, organic flowers
• Make a donation to an organization close to your valentine’s heart
• Look for antique jewelry rather than buying new
• Plan a trip, concert or other experience that you could do together
• Walk to dinner at a local restaurant, or make dinner yourself using locally grown ingredients.
• Buy candles made with soy or beeswax, or make your own

However you decide to celebrate this Valentine’s Day, a little extra thought and personalization can keep your valentine and your environment happy. Thanks to my friends at http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/ for the tips. If you have any other tips, please share them!

Let your voice be heard

2011-02-11T11:46:00.000-06:00

Want to help shape the future of recycling? Join your neighbors at one of Hennepin County's recycling forums. There will be discussion on improving recycling and hopefully some snacks. I'll have to check on the snacks before I RSVP to go. The closest one to us is March 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Crystal Community Center, 4800 Douglas Dr. N. Visit http://www.hennepin.us/recyclingfeedback for more information. They are asking you to RSVP at 612.348.4168, but I'm sure they will not turn you away if you just show up.

Christmas Trees

2010-12-28T10:20:00.000-06:00

Now that Christmas is over, it is time to take down the tree and put it away or get rid of it. If you are like me and get a fresh tree each year, it has to go out for disposal. Most garbage haulers will pick it up (for a fee) the first week or two in January, but you have to call them to make arrangements for it to be removed. If you don't call, you may be stuck with it...or like me, just use it for the first bonfire of the spring.

Goodbye Pumpkins

2010-11-08T15:00:00.000-06:00

Who would have thought we would get so many pumpkins? Not me, but we recycled (composted) over 19,000 lbs. of pumpkins from Nov. 1 to Nov. 7. Thank you residents of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal and New Hope! We also had one resident reuse pumpkin stems that she dug out of our container. Take a look at the velvet pumpkin crafts she gave us as a sample.

The Great Pumpkin was Spotted in Brooklyn Park!

2010-11-03T14:18:00.000-05:00

Can you spot the Great Pumpkin? Who can guess how many pounds of pumpkins are in the container? Take a guess!

Pumpkin Recycling Continues

2010-11-02T18:29:00.001-05:00

Great start to our pumpkin recycling. After our 1st full day, we have collected about 1000lbs. of pumpkins! Keep them coming and I'll keep you posted on how many we get.

Pumpkin Recycling

2010-10-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

Get ready to recycle your pumpkins. A roll-off container will be placed at Central Park in the same parking lot as the free wood mulch, which is across the street from Brooklyn Park's Operations & Maintenance facility, 8300 Noble Ave N. Residents of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, and New Hope may place pumpkins in the container starting November 1 and continuing until November 7. We will empty the container as necessary and the pumpkins will be composted into new dirt to grow more pumpkins next year.

Free Drug Recycling

2010-09-23T12:02:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, Sept. 25th there is a National Drug Take Back Initiative. This is a first of its kind chance to properly recycle/dispose of all your old or unwanted precription medicine. See http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/takeback/ for more information and to search for the nearest collection site. The sites in Blaine, Andover, and St. Louis Park are probably the closets for you, but check it out!!!

Did you get a postcard?

2010-09-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

Starting today residents in the 2010 Bulky Waste Curbside Clean Up collection area should start receiving a reminder postcard to get ready for the event on Sept. 18th. If you live in the area north of 85th Ave N and South of 93rd Ave N you are in the collection area. Single family through eight unit households may participate by putting out general junk, up to two appliances, mattresses, carpet, furniture, scrap metal and much more. Please call 763-493-8006 with questions or send an e-mail to bpom@brooklynpark.org

Recycling #5 plastic

2010-08-30T07:47:00.000-05:00

I received a question about recycling #5 plastic this morning and I thought I should share the recycling options. #5 plastic is most commonly used for yogurt cups, butter containers, and some take out containers. Here are a couple options for recycling #5 plastic…

1) Here is a link to the City of Coon Rapids recycling center. They accept #1, #2, #4, #5, and #6 plastic that is labeled with the plastic number. http://www.ci.coon-rapids.mn.us/recycling/recyclecenter.htm

2) You can also recycle #5 plastic containers at the Whole Foods grocery store in Minneapolis or St. Paul or you can mail #5 to the “gimme five” program. Here is a link on this http://www.preserveproducts.com/recycling/gimme5.html

We are always trying to add more plastic items to our curbside recycling program, but no contractor offered this service when we went out for bid last year. Happy Recycling!

Reuse Ideas

2010-08-24T09:40:00.000-05:00

There are so many ways to reuse old stuff and a fellow blogger asked me to share some of their ideas. Here is a link...http://www.environmentalsciencedegrees.net/blog/2010/15-crafts-using-recycled-materials/

2 for 1

2010-08-03T14:06:00.000-05:00

After not blogging for quite some time, I'm giving you a 2 for 1 (2 posts in 1 day). The social media workshop I went to today was great and I have many new ideas to connect better with people out there. I'm going to look more into Facebook (thanks Brian), twitter, and Youtube, since everyone uses them. I'm going to set up some google analytics on our website, look into tweetdeck and I may even create a listening dashboard.

To more timely news, don't forget to visit with your neighbors tonight for National Night Out. And if they don't have a recycling container out for the celebration, bring one over and tell them "Dan made me do it".

Social Media

2010-08-03T07:44:00.000-05:00

I'm going to learn about social media today. Maybe it will help me write a more regular (and interesting) blog. Or, if you have any tips, please let me know. Wish me luck!

Free Wood Mulch

2010-07-22T15:50:00.000-05:00

We get a bunch of calls about our free wood mulch, so moving forward I thought I would try to update whether we have some or not on the blog. WE HAVE FREE MULCH! It is at Central Park in the parking lot across the street from 8300 Noble Ave N. I'll let you know if when we run out and when we get more. Stay tuned!

Saving Water

2010-07-15T07:01:00.000-05:00

I got a press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week talking about saving water and it got me thinking. It's easy to forget about our most precious resource in the world, water. We take it for granted. Turn a knob and there it is. Worldwide approximately 1.2 billion people (15% of population) do not have access to clean water. Here in the U.S. we are blessed with water, but every year there are cases of drought and water shortages in every region of the country. This year has been a wet one in Minnesota, but we are still dealing with a drought that has ground water levels 5-15 feet lower than normal. Here are a few tips from the EPA on saving water:

· Check toilets for silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank; if the color shows up in the bowl indicating a leak, fixing it may be as simple as replacing the toilet’s flapper.
· Twist on a WaterSense labeled bathroom faucet aerator to use 30 percent less water without a noticeable difference in flow.
· Replace a showerhead with a WaterSense labeled model that uses less water and energy, but still has all the power of a water-hogging model.

For more water saving tips visit http://www.epa.gov/watersense/

Rain Garden Workshop Tonight

2010-06-24T09:09:00.000-05:00

This is a bit late notice, but Brooklyn Park is hosting a rain garden workshop tonight, Thursday, June 24th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at city hall, 5200 85th Ave N. The cost is $10 and each paying attendee can bring a guest for free. Come learn the what, why, and how on rain gardens!

Juice Boxes and Milk Cartons

2010-05-20T08:47:00.000-05:00

Did you know that all residents in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal and New Hope can now recycle paper juice boxes and milk cartons in the recycling cart? That's right, juice boxes and milk cartons are made of mostly paper (70-85%), but they also have barrier layers of aluminum and plastic. A new process allows the layers to be separated and recycled. juice boxes can recycle and that includes other items like orange juice cartons and tomato juice boxes. Please throw away your straw (for now).

Thanks Jill (a blog follower) for requesting information about recycling juice boxes and milk cartons!

Happy 40th Earth Day

2010-04-22T09:14:00.000-05:00

Today is a great day to celebrate the great things we do to keep our environment clean for future generations, but more importantly it is a great day to do more. Here are a few little things you can do that add up when we all do it.

When you are done with your soda at lunch, if there is not a recycling container around, take it home with you and put it in your recycling container. Repeat 260 times each year (1x for every work day) and you will save the equivalent energy of 12 gallons of gasoline.
Plant a tree, you already know this but food and lemonade tastes better in the shade on a hot day.
Bring your reusable bag to the grocery store, it makes cents (about 5 cents at some stores)

Happy recycling and Happy Earth Day!

Cell Phone Recycling Week

2010-04-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

Did you know that April 5-11 is National Cell Phone Recycling Week? I didn't until today, but I thought I would pass along some information about it. You've heard it before, but every phone counts. Recycling one cell phone saves enough energy to power a laptop for 44 hours. Wow!

You can always recycle cell phones for free at the Hennepin County Recycling Center at 8100 Jefferson Hwy. in Brooklyn Park.

The Environmental Protection Agency has more information on cell phone recycling opportunities as well at: http://www.epa.gov/cellphones

Yard Waste Site Now Open

2010-04-01T14:18:00.000-05:00

I think we can officially say spring is here. It is 76 degrees out, the sun is shining, and most importantly the Maple Grove Yard Waste Site is open! Bring all your leaves, tree branches up to 10-inch diameter, and (eventually) grass clipping to the site. There is no charge at the gate for residents of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal, and New Hope. The site is open April 1st through November 30th, Mon-Sat 8am to 7pm and Sundays Noon to 7pm. For more information visit www.mgyardwaste.com

Cash for Appliances

2010-03-01T07:33:00.000-06:00

As some of you may know, more federal stimulus money is up for grabs. Whether you agree with the funding or not, if you have an old refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher or washing machine, this is a good opportunity to trade up and save up to $200. The idea is to get some of these energy "hogs" off the grid and replace them with Energy Star models that use about 1/3 of the energy. Your old appliance must be recycled. Details are available at www.mnappliancerebate.com

The rebates will go fast and you can apply to reserve your rebate starting at 8:00 a.m., today, March 1st.

Hangover

2010-02-22T15:48:00.000-06:00

I've had writer's block (loser's hangover) since my last post, because every time I look at it I see Vikings and I'm still not over that game (and won't be until we get to and win a superbowl). Enough about my Vikings.

Today I'm promoting a great opportunity for Brooklyn Park residents to get involved in our community. Nearly 400 people gathered at community cafe's and more recently, 31 community members came together in a 3-day strategic planning session. Both are part of the process of making BP a better place in the future. We are looking for more community members to help by joining an action team geared towards three areas; resources, diversity, and youth. The deadline to join an action team is Feb. 26th. Please see our video clip or www.brooklynpark.org for more information. GO BP!

Do not recycle part 2

2010-01-22T08:11:00.000-06:00

I'm continuing my series of things we should not recycle (in the curbside recycling cart). If you are like many Minnesotans, you may be enjoying a pizza this Sunday evening while watching the Vikings game. The pizza came in a box that you might think is recyclable, but it is not. Once a little grease and cheese get on the box, it should go in the trash. When grease and cheese sit on the pizza box for a while, mold starts growing and that is the last thing you want when you are trying to turn an old box into new cereal boxes and other boxes for food. Thanks for not recycling (pizza boxes) and GO VIKES!

Do not recycle part 1

2010-01-08T12:41:00.000-06:00

I'm starting a series on items that we should not recycle in your curbside recycling cart. Today it is plastic bags. Please do not put plastic bags in your recycling cart and please do not put recyclables in plastic bags in your recycling cart. Plastic bags fowl up the sorting systems that are used at material recovery facilities. They get stuck in the conveyors and wind up as trash.

So what should you do with plastic bags...?

Don't use white or black trash bags for your recyclables at home, use a paper bag or put the recyclables in the cart without a bag. Personally, I use a small plastic trash container without a bag. When it is full, i walk it to my recycling cart and dump it - no bag needed!
Bring your own reusable bag when shopping
If you buy a small item, tell the cashier you don't need a bag
Recycle your plastic bags at Drop Off sites such as Festival Foods, Cub Foods, Lunds, Byerly's, or the Hennepin County Recycling Center (8100 Jefferson Hwy.,Brooklyn Park)

Thanks for not recycling (plastic bags in your cart).

Recycle your boxes!

2009-12-28T13:37:00.000-06:00

Now that Christmas is over, don't forget that all the boxes from your Christmas presents are recyclable. Stuff them in your cart or put them in a bundle next to your cart. The bundle must be less than 3 feet by 3 feet by 6 inches thick and taped or tied. I fold boxes down and use duct tape on each end of my bundles. Thanks for recycling!

Christmas Week Recycling Reminder

2009-12-21T18:23:00.000-06:00

Christmas week is here and with all the hustle and bustle, sometimes it's tough to remember what day it is, much less when recycling day is. Fear not, I'm here to tell you that everyone has regular recycling this week except Brooklyn Park residents with Friday recycling collection. Your recycling collection will be delayed one day to Saturday this week.

One more thing, I was out in the snow chasing recycling trucks with our trusty communications coordinator, you can check out where we went at this link...just press play. http://www.brooklynpark.org/sitepages/pid675.php

Recycle Christmas Lights for Free at Snyders and the Hennepin County Recycling Center in Brooklyn Park!

2009-11-25T12:41:00.000-06:00

I don't have the scoop on this news flash, but I want to help spread the word. You can recycle old Christmas/Holiday lights for free at participating Snyder Drug Stores through Jan. 10, 2010. The closest one is in New Hope at 2705 Winnetka Ave N. Snyders also gives you a coupon for $5 off a $20 purchase for bringing in old lights. You can also recycle Christmas lights in Brooklyn Park at the Hennepin County Recycling Center (8100 Jefferson Hwy.), through Jan. 10th as well. Other participants are WCCO and X-cel energy, but who knows how to get something to them? Not me.

I have to admit, I just through out 5 strands of old icicle lights last weekend. The good news is my trash day isn't until Thursday, the bad news is I have to dig to the bottom of my trash to get the lights out. Once I'm done digging, I'm off to Snyders!!!

America Recycles Day - Nov. 15

2009-11-13T11:36:00.000-06:00

On Sunday (Nov. 15) we celebrate America Recycles Day. In my opinion it is a day to do two things. One, give yourself a pat on the back. Recycling has been a successful way to reduce trash and energy to make new things. Two, do more recycling! Did you know we recycle less than 50% of aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles? Pledge to do more and don't forget to recycle your bottles and cans when you are on the go. It is not that tough to carry the empty can or bottle home and put it in your recycling cart. Recycling just 1 aluminum can saves enough electricity to run a TV or computer for 3 hours or a 60watt compact fluorescent light bulb for nearly a day! Did you ever leave a light on all day and think it was wasteful? Now you know one aluminum can in the trash is just as wasteful. I'm not trying to guilt you into recycling, just spreading the work that a little effort saves a huge amount of energy. Happy America Recycles Day!!!

Sustainability Roundtable

2009-10-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

Better late than never...there is a community sustainability roundtable today at the Brookdale Library, 6125 Shingle Creek Pkwy, Brooklyn Center. A workshop for city staff is from 3 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., reception/networking from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and a community workshop from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The roundtable will discuss energy reduction initiatives, active living for better health, and much more. For more information visit the Alliance for Sustainability at www.afors.org

See you there!

A good cold day.

2009-10-15T15:45:00.000-05:00

Temps in the 20's with snow and wind was not the best way to spend Saturday, Oct. 10th, but when you have 1,280 friends come to see you, I would call it a good cold day. We had a great turnout at our recycling drop off day, thanks to all who worked in the cold and thanks to all those that participated in a successful event. With that I concluded my spree of five Saturday clean up events from Sept. and Oct. that had me pretty worn down. This Saturday I think I'm going to sleep!

Drop off reminder, junk details

2009-10-09T08:40:00.000-05:00

Please see my Sept. 30th post for information about our Special Material Drop-off event tomorrow, Oct. 10th.

Results are in from our curbside clean up in Brooklyn Park from Sept. 19th (we don't get the official results until we get the bill and now I have the bill). We recycled 960 appliances and 45 tons of scrap metal. We also collected 300 tons of bulky junk like couches, carpet, mattresses, etc. To put it another way we averaged 17 lbs. of scrap metal per household and 113 lbs. per household of bulky junk. Nice job Brooklyn Park residents!

And the winner is.....

2009-10-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

The person who guessed 417 cans is 1st and the person who guessed 400 cans is 2nd. What am I talking about you may ask? I had a "block" of crushed aluminum cans at my recycling display this past Saturday at our Operations & Maintenance open house. The person guessing the closest wins a gift certificate to Girvan Grille, the next closest gets a free pizza from Godfathers. So how many cans were there? Exactly 427. Thanks to everyone who came to the open house and took a guess!

More stuff to get rid of...?

2009-09-30T11:25:00.001-05:00

The curbside clean up continues in Crystal and New Hope this Saturday, Oct. 3rd. See www.hrg-recycling.com for more details. We are 2/3 done in Crystal and New Hope and completed the 2009 area in Brooklyn Park. So what have we seen? We saw participation from 60%-80% in different neighborhoods, we also saw many items that grew legs and jumped into the back of cars and trucks. Reuse is great, but if you notice a problem with scavenging, call 911.

One thing we didn't take at the curb was TV's and computers, but we will take them for free on Saturday, October 10th from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 8300 Noble Ave N, which is the Brooklyn Park Operations & Maintenance Facility. Other free drop-off items include oil, oil filters, antifreeze, batteries, bicycles, scrap metal, and household donations for the Vietnam Vets of America. Car tires cost $1/tire for recycling, pickup truck tires cost $2/tire. Appliances cost $10/unit and air conditioners are $15/unit.

Free food, trucks and trash

2009-09-17T14:24:00.000-05:00

I bet I can get you to say yes...and if you do, then you have to take part in one of these events. Do you like trucks? Do you have some junk to get rid of? Do you like free food? See, I knew you would say yes to at least one of them.

Junk, trash, recyclables...whatever you call it, if you have them, I'll help you get rid of them. On Sept. 19 we have a curbside clean up in Brooklyn Park. If you live both east of Noble Ave N and South of 85th Ave N put out your old couch, carpet, mattress, appliance, or scrap metal and we'll haul it away for free! This curbside clean up is also being done in Crystal and New Hope starting Sept. 19. Don't wait, get a hold of me at 763-493-8007 or e-mail me with questions at dan.ruiz@brooklynpark.org

Maybe Trucks and Free Food got you to say yes and if they did, you can't miss our 1st Annual Brooklyn Park Operations & Maintenance Facility Open House on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 8300 Noble Ave N. There are tours, free food, kids activities and plenty of trucks to see and climb into.

19 million TV's

2009-09-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

I just read an interesting piece that said Americans will buy over 19 million televisions next year. Let me qualify that, 19 million 40" or larger televisions! Wow, I'm behind the times. My 25" TV is feeling pretty inadequate right now.

On a somewhat more serious note, being who I am, I thought about all those old TVs that may be destined for the basement, garage or recycling center. Remember, TVs can't go in the trash, but they can be recycled for free at the Hennepin County Recycling Center in Brooklyn Park.

I also thought about the power that those big boys suck from the outlet and so did the EPA, at least a little. Have you ever heard of Energy Star? If not, check it out (http://www.energystar.gov/tvspec ) Starting May 2010 large TVs that want the Energy Star label have new energy standards where they will have to use 50% less energy than old TVs.

Made in Minnesota

2009-08-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

This post is long overdue...I get many phone calls from people wondering what happens to their recyclables when they are collected. Thankfully, they are made into new products right here in Minnesota! I borrowed some information from our friends at Anoka County on this list, but here is a sample of what some recyclables are made into and where they are made:

Glass Bottles - goes to Anchor Glass in Shakopee to be made into new glass bottles and jars.
Newspaper - goes to Rock-Tenn in St. Paul to be made into cardboard liner board.
Cardboard - goes to Liberty Paper in Becker to be made into cardboard boxes and paper bags.
Metal Cans - goes to Gerdau Ameristeel in St. Paul to be made into rebar for construction.
Plastic Bottles - goes to Master Mark Plastics in Paynesville to be made into plastic lawn, garden and building supplies.

So, there you have it, your recyclables are at work here in Minnesota!

Cardboard

2009-08-06T11:31:00.000-05:00

It's not glamorous and if you have a bunch of it, it is a pain to get rid of it. On trash day there is quite a bit of it out there. What is it?...Cardboard. Many things we buy come in cardboard boxes, but overall we don't do a very good job recycling cardboard. Is it because the box is too big? Do we forget? Don't we care? Well, we try to make it as easy as possible to recycle cardboard - just put it in your recycling cart. If it doesn't, fold/cut it down into a bundle 3 foot by 3 foot by 6 inches thick and tape/tie the bundle and place it next to your recycling cart. We'll take as much as you have!

Remember, you have to put it out on trash day anyway, but how about putting it in the recycling cart instead of the garbage?

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-01T09:41:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post. Last night at a family function I told a few people about the blog and it lit a fire beneath me to get back in the blog saddle. Speaking of fire, I hope everyone gets out and enjoys some fireworks this weekend and who knows, maybe you'll have a beverage or two watching the show. I challenge you to try something new with your empty beverages - take them home with you and recycle them. Then go a step further. The next time you buy a beverage on the go, don't drink it and throw it away in the first trash can you see, take it home with you and recycle it too.

Did you know that in 2007 only 24.6% of plastic bottles were recycled in the U.S.? That means we throw away 3 out of 4. Aluminum cans are better, but only 53.8% are recycled, which means we throw away 1 out of 2 cans. I think most people think we are doing a good job recycling, but away from home, too many things get thrown away. Yes, I know we need to get more recycling containers in more places. I'll work on that, and maybe you can bring a can or bottle home with you too.

Have a Happy 4th of July weekend!

Summer energy saving tips

2009-05-14T12:09:00.000-05:00

It doesn't feel like summer in MN yet, but I'm an eternal optimist and when it warms up get ready for high summer energy prices once again. They say the average home spends over $2,200 per year on energy. Here are a few energy saving tips to cut down expenses (courtesy of EPA):

Set your programmable thermostat to save while you are away or asleep. Using it properly can save up to $180 per year in energy costs.
Run ceiling fans in a clockwise direction to create a wind-chill effect that will make you “feel” cooler. Remember that ceiling fans cool people, not rooms -- so turn them off when you leave the room.
Inspect your duct system for obvious signs of leaks and disconnections (most houses leak 20 percent or more). Seal any leaks with foil tape or a special sealant called “duct mastic.” Also consider insulating ducts in unconditioned areas (like the attic, basement or crawlspace).
Seal air leaks around your home to keep the heat out and the cool air in. The biggest air leaks are usually found in the attic or basement, but also come in around doors, windows, vents, pipes and electrical outlets. Use caulk, spray foam or weather stripping to seal the leaks. And add more insulation to keep your home cooler this summer.
Maintain your cooling system. Check your system’s air filter every month at a minimum and change the filter every 3 months. Remove leaves, dirt and other debris from around the outdoor components to improve air flow and efficiency. Have a qualified professional tune-up your system with a pre-season maintenance checkup and, if it’s time to replace your old system, look for models that have earned EPA’s Energy Star.
Turn off office lights and equipment when not in use so they don’t generate unnecessary heat.
Replace incandescent light bulbs in your desk lamp with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs which use two-thirds less energy and generate less heat than conventional bulbs.

More tips on to how to save energy at home: http://www.energystar.gov

More tips on how to save energy at work: http://www.energystar.gov/bizcooling

More hot tips for a cool summer: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-summer.htm

Recycling, Running and Rain

2009-04-30T10:12:00.000-05:00

Most everyone has heard of the 3 R's, right? Rain, Running, and Recycling. If you are in a spring softball league these 3 R's are more prevelent than Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Last night at Noble Sports Park I personally witnessed the first set of 3 R's, it was raining, our team was running and the recycling carts are back at the park!

So don't forget, when you're at the softball fields or on the go, don't throw away that bottle or can, look for a recycling cart! It's just 1 can you say, well recycling 1 aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for 3 hours!

Results from Spring Recycling Day

2009-04-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday we had our Spring Special Material Drop-Off. We set a new record for one of our events with 1,692 vehicles brought in t.v.'s, computers, appliances, etc for recycling. That's serving over 4 vehicles per minute. We received 110,000 lbs. of electronics, 500+ appliances, 1,400+ gallons of oil. Great job to the people who brought things in for recycling and great job to the workers that made things go smoothly!

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T07:14:00.001-05:00

What can I say, it is the day that started it all. Do something good today, something for you, something for someone else, something for mother earth. Do a little thing that makes a difference. Drive the speed limit (this can be an eye opening experience for some), walk that extra few feet and put that paper in the recycling bin, park in the back of the parking lot and walk a few more extra steps. Turn out the lights when you're not in a room. These little things can make a big difference! Happy Earth Day!

National Cell Phone Recycling Week

2009-04-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

I don't think there are any unclaimed weeks or months left anymore, you know, real exciting things like National Estate Planning Week (Sept. 20-26 last year), or national fitness month (May). Personally, I'm looking for a National Napping Day. What? Wait...it really does exist? (National Napping Day was March 9th) I missed it!

Anyway, my plug is for National Cell Phone Recycling Week, which is next week April 6-12. I don't want to spoil the exciting details, so you can see the details at the link above.

I wonder if there is a National Blogging Day?...Why do I even question it's existence, Google says it exists.

Recycle Bottle Caps

2009-03-26T11:39:00.000-05:00

Did you know that most bottle caps that go in the recycling bin do not get recycled? I know, shouldn't all plastic that goes into a recycling cart be recycled? In a perfect world, yes, in the real world there are more types of plastics than are current recycling equipment can handle.

So how can you recycle your bottle caps? Bring them to Aveda, a local beauty salon and salon product manufacturer. They accept all sorts of bottle caps from water bottles, milk bottles, laundry bottles and the list goes on. Aveda stores are in Blaine, Bloomington, Minneapolis, and Edina.

They also have a program for kids to get a cap recycling program at their schools. Kids bring in the caps from home, they fill up a box at school and Aveda pays for the shipping and recycling. Visit http://aveda.aveda.com/aboutaveda/caps.asp for more information on the caps they accept and how to start a program at a school.

Earth Hour

2009-03-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of Earth Hour? Me either until about 10 minutes ago. Well someone, somewhere (Sydney, Australia to be exact) came up with the idea in 2007 for everyone to turn off their lights for one hour to "vote" for elected officials to take action on climate change. This year you can "vote" by turning off your lights on March 28th at 8:30 p.m. for one hour. There is more information and a sign up to have your vote counted at http://www.earthhour.org/

So, if you choose to participate with over 1 billion people worldwide, go for a walk, go to bed early or do something fun by candlelight!

Driving Gizmos and Gadgets

2009-03-04T15:14:00.000-06:00

In my exciting line of work I read popular magazines like Resource Recycling, MSW Management, Waste News, etc. Okay, they don't compare in circulation to People or the National Enquirer, but they do highlight some interesting gizmos and gadgets.

Today I read about a driving device that monitors your driving expense in real-time. It shows how much your trip costs and your cost per day on fuel. Anyone with elementary school math could figure these costs out with a simple calculation or two, but as Americans we like gadgets that talk to us immediately. Here is a link: http://www.fuelefficiencycenters.com/fuel_efficiency_adviser.php

If you get one of these gadgets, let us all know if it works and if you changed your driving habits to save some dough!

Free T.V./Computer Recycling - Sat. Apr. 25th

2009-02-23T09:14:00.000-06:00

Come join me and 1,400 of your neighbors at our T.V. and computer recycling drop-off event Saturday, April 25th, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00p.m. at the Brooklyn Park Operations & Maintenance facility, 8300 Noble Ave N. Did I mention it is free for residents of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Crystal and New Hope? Try and find anything free nowadays! We recycle many other things for free such as cell phones, radios, monitors, oil, oil filters, antifreeze, bicycles, scrap metal, and vehicle/household batteries.

We also recycle appliances for less than anywhere in town. Appliances are $10/unit and air conditioners are$15/unit. Car tires cost $1/tire and pickup truck tires are $2/unit and up depending on if you're bringing in tires from the farm tractor for recycling. A more comprehensive list of acceptable items is on our website. See you in April!

Top ten reasons your recycling wasn't picked up?

2009-02-12T10:04:00.000-06:00

10. The recycling cart was not set out before the truck went by (should be out by 6:30 a.m.)

9. The recycling cart grew arms and rolled itself to Florida for the winter.

8. The cart had unacceptable items in it such as clothes, leaves, wood, t.v.'s, or an album of
Bing Crosby's greatest hits (the cover would have been okay).

7. The cart had aspirations to be a magician and perfected the disappearing act (please contact us for another cart).

6. It was out on the wrong day, recycling is only collected once every other week.

5. It was your significant other's turn to take out the recycling (they may have told you they did it, but they really forgot)

4. One of six holidays (New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas) fell somewhere between Monday and Friday and pushed back your collection by one day

3. Oops!

2. The cart was pulled in before the truck made it through the route (the truck broke down and by the time it was fixed they barely finished the route by 6:30 p.m. to avoid getting fined by the city.

1. Gremlins, they still exist, and they attacked the driver and stole the truck right before they got to your street.

Superbowl Boosts Recycling

2009-02-02T14:18:00.000-06:00

100 million people (give or take a few) and I watched the Superbowl last night. If they were like me they helped boost recycling with the number of cans and bottles collected for recycling this week. Let's do the math together. To simplify my experiment, say everyone consumes an extra 2 cans of their preferred beverage, which is a conservative estimate for many people that watch the game. Yes, some live it up a bit more with bottled beverages and wine, but let's talk aluminum cans.

100,000,000 people * 2 extra cans/person = 200,000,000 cans. "WikiAnswers" says about 28 empty cans equals a pound. 200,000,000 cans divided by 28 cans/lb. gives us 7.14 million pounds of extra recyclable cans from the Superbowl. Converted to money, at $0.60/lb. that's over $4.28 million dollars in aluminum! Wow, the Superbowl really does boost recycling!

What's your impact?

2009-01-23T08:46:00.000-06:00

In my tangled "green" network I received a link to an interesting website. It has many environmental and home improvement tips, and a calculator that measures your environmental impact. If you would like to try it go to http://www.lowimpactliving.com and click on the "Impact" tab. I gave it a try and found out that I'm about "average" (it hurts to be reminded how average I am). Anyway, I'm taking that as a challenge and plan to use a few of the website tips to save energy such as using power strips to shut off electronics (T.V., stereo, etc.) that use energy even when they are turned off, and try some water conservation tips. In the grand scheme of things I'm not too concerned about my score (by the way it was 104), but I'm looking to improve it. Give it a try and let me know what your score is!!!

2009 Calendars

2009-01-12T09:35:00.000-06:00

Is it me or have you noticed the lack of 2009 calendars this year? The economy has cut back on businesses sending me the usual 5 or 6 calendars that I used to get. This is not a bad thing, though, cheers to waste reduction! If you are looking for a 2009 calendar, you should have received one from me.

Our 2009 Brooklyn Park Recycling Calendar was mailed to all residents at the end of December. Residents of Brooklyn Center, Crystal, and New Hope also were sent the 2009 HRG Recycling Calendar. They were redesigned to color coordinate the recycling collection map with recycling collection days. For example, if you live in southwestern Brooklyn Park your recycling day is every other Monday and it is highlighted in orange to match the orange recycling zone on the map. If you live in the southwest part of Crystal/New Hope your recycling day is every other Tuesday and it is highlighted in yellow to match the yellow recycling zone on the map.

If you did not receive the calendar and want one sent to you, please give us a call at 763-493-8007 and we can mail one out. If you are still looking for a "regular" 2009 calendar, try Fleet Farm.

Now that Christmas is over...

2008-12-29T07:39:00.000-06:00

Christmas is over and my annual ritual of breaking down gift/cardboard boxes is complete. I was hoping to be setting out a box from a new 52" T.V., but Santa delivered it to the neighbors. Instead, I got to recycle a couple boxes from new lamps. Many items from Christmas gifts are recyclable, such as toy boxes, shoe boxes, and cardboard boxes too. Our recycling hauler tells me that gift wrap is not recyclable, but the rolls from gift wrap are. I know this recycling thing can still be confusing, but try to bear with me.

Christmas trees are going to start showing up at the curb and please remember that most garbage haulers require you to call them to set up Christmas tree recycling. Some charge a small recycling fee and most only pick up through the first week or two into January. There is also a free Christmas tree recycling drop-off site for Hennepin County residents at RRT Processing Solutions at 630 Malcolm Ave SE, Minneapolis. They only accept them for a limited time in January. For more information call 612-331-3993.

Too Many Phonebooks

2008-12-17T10:22:00.000-06:00

Do you ever wonder why we receive seventeen phonebooks each year? Yes, I'm exaggerating a bit, but it sure seems like a waste to get more than one phonebook. Some people don't even use a phonebook, they just look up a number online or call for directory assistance (if you like free directory assistance try 1-800-GOOG-411, but the City and I are not officially endorsing it of course).

Back to phonebooks, if you want to stop getting them go to www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.com and you can opt out of getting white pages and/or yellow pages. I did this and I haven't received a phone book since!!! Okay, that was only last week but I will see how long it works.

Need more space?

2008-12-02T09:53:00.000-06:00

After the long Thanksgiving weekend I know I could have used more space. More space on my plate, more space in my belly, and more space in my recycling cart. All the cans and bottles from food preparations and spirits couldn't fit in my first recycling cart, but my second recycling cart had plenty of room. Did you know you can get a second recycling too? E-mail me at dan.ruiz@brooklynpark.org and I can get you a second recycling cart or if you don't have room for a second cart you can get a larger cart. We have 3 sizes: 35, 64, or 96 gallon carts.

Star Tribune Article

2008-11-19T15:04:00.000-06:00

Barb (commented on the last post) - I'm glad you found some useful recycling/disposal information. I hope the blog reaches people that we might have missed in the past and we will be sending out a 2009 Recycling Calendar that lists what paper and plastic items can be recycled. You could put this on the fridge with a magnet or piece of tape. Years ago we used to send magnets with the calendar, but not any more. Those darn budget cuts take the fun out of everything :)

In case anyone out there is interested, the Star Tribune had a nice article about the blog http://www.startribune.com/local/north/34493334.html?elr=KArksUUUU

America Recycles Day

2008-11-17T08:02:00.000-06:00

In case you missed it, Saturday November 15th was America Recycles Day. What is America Recycles Day you may ask? Basically, every Nov. 15th is a day to remind us that recycling is important and we all could do a little more of it. One way of doing this is to take the pledge to recycle more. Studies show that we are more likely to do something if we go online and promise to do it. Okay, studies may not support this, but here is a link anyway: http://nrc-recycle.org/takethepledge.aspx

Recycle Your Grill at the Recycling Center in Brooklyn Park

2008-11-10T07:26:00.000-06:00

This blog thing is still pretty new to me, so I'm not sure what the best way is to respond to comments. I'll try it here anyway. A question came in on where to recycle an old grill. An old grill can be recycled for free at the Hennepin County Recycling Center, 8100 Jefferson Hwy, Brooklyn Park. This will probably be my response for many recycling questions because we have the best recycling center in the state, right here in Brooklyn Park! For more recycling information go to www.hennepin.us and do a keyword search on "drop off facility". They have a complete list of stuff they take for recycling. Or you can always ask me!

2008-10-31T12:43:00.001-05:00

Halloween weekend is here and so is the darkness when daylight savings time ends Sunday. Soon it will be dark when we go to work and when we come home from work too. Why don’t we just set the clocks back 5 hours? I don’t know about you, but I would rather work all day in the dark and come home with a few hours of daylight. While light is on my mind, one thing I have done is switch out all the lights in my house from regular light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL’s). Most people call these the swirly or curly lights. “They” say CFL’s use 75% less electricity than regular light bulbs and last 10 times longer. “They” also say CFL’s save $30 of electricity costs over their life. Doing the math, a CFL costs about $3, 30-3 is 27, so they should save $27 each. I’ll let you know if my electric bill goes down. I can’t end this entry here, my conscience says I have to tell you how to recycle your old CFL’s, because there are a few duds out there too. Recycle them for free at Menards, Home Depot, and the Hennepin County Recycling Center (www.hennepin.us keyword search “drop off”).

Who Am I?

2008-10-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm Dan the Recycling Man and I'm the recycling guy for the Cities of Brooklyn Park, Brooklyln Center, Crystal and New Hope. I'm starting a blog because a few people put me up to it. I am just learning how this blog thing works, but I hope to use it as a way to get information out about recycling. Part of my job also includes working in Public Works for the City of Brooklyn Park.

Thanks to all the Brooklyn Park residents who participated in the 2008 Spruce Up The Park Curbside Cleanup. We collected more than 40 garbage trucks full of stuff. We could have filled 10 more but scavengers turned your trash into their treasure.