News & Events

Minnesota Waste Wise in the News

"CommonBond Communities Teams Up with GE and Minnesota Waste Wise to "Green" Affordable Housing"
MarketWatch.com, September 8, 2008
CommonBond Communities, the largest nonprofit affordable housing organization in the Upper Midwest, is working to bring the benefits of sustainability to its properties and residents.

"Yellow School Buses Will Go Green - Under the Hood"
OakdaleLakeElmoReview.com, August 7, 2008
Shortly after the beginning of the school year, a majority of buses that transport youth in District 622 will have a complete makeover.

"Energy Help: A Primer for Smaller (and Bigger) Companies"
GreenBiz.com, June 22, 2008
As fuel and electricity prices have ratcheted up, so, too, have the queries about what to do: where can companies, especially smaller ones, go for help?

Waste Wise Members in the News

"Green(er) Printing with Big Ink"
Treehugger.com, September 26, 2008
BIG INK Display Graphics partnered with Image Haus of Minneapolis to create green inspired vehicle graphics that would garner customer and industry attention to their green efforts. They wrapped a fleet of four Toyota Priuses for their sales force. The cars feature one of four integrated designs and the simple yet powerful message of, "Little Things Make a BIG Difference" and the customer response has been tremendous.

Commentary, Marian Nikel, Hermantown, "Pro/Con-Are Plastic Bags Evil?"
Duluth News Tribune, September 8, 2008
When it comes to plastic bags I’m reminded of the dieter’s maxim: a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. Give the words a slight twist and the same can be said for the ubiquitous plastic shopping bag: a moment in your hand, a lifetime on the land. The statistics are staggering: hundreds of billions of plastic bags are used every year, according to reusablebags.com.

"Recycling Changes Coming for Rice County"
Faribault Daily News, July 25, 2008
In less than two weeks, recycling will get much easier in Rice County. Beginning on Aug. 4, county residents will no longer need to sort their recyclables as Rice County makes the switch from source-separated recycling to co-mingled, single-stream recycling.

Waste Reduction and Recycling News

"Wal-Mart to Cut Global Plastic Bag Waste by 33 Pct"
BusinessWeek.com, September 25, 2008
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to slash its global plastic shopping bag waste by 33 percent over the next five years, eliminating more than 135 million pounds of trash. If the plan succeeds, the world's largest retailer would cut the equivalent of 9 billion plastic bags from stores each year.

"Will People Recycle More If They Get Rewarded?"
StarTribune.com, October 1, 2008
Judy Piche and her husband recycle "everything." The Maple Grove residents pack their blue 18-gallon bin and often fill a cardboard box beside it. In early 2009, the couple will begin receiving rewards for their recycling beyond the feel-good kind.

"These Envelopes Get Two Lickings"
StarTribune.com, September 1, 2008
They call themselves the "Green Girls" -- and with good reason. The women who own and operate Minneapolis-based ecoEnvelopes are trying to greenify a large and unlikely industry: the mail. While some green-lifers would argue that mass mailings and paper bills and statements are harmful to the environment and only cause waste, ecoEnvelopes has a different angle -- and a solution. EcoEnvelopes are made largely of recycled paper and can be mailed back to the sender as reply envelopes. To open, users pull a perforated zipper. To send back, they lick a second adhesive strip to reseal.

Upcoming Events

Minnesota Waste Wise Annual Meeting
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Dakota Lodge
1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul
Learn what Minnesota companies are doing to develop sustainable business practices while saving money in the process. Keynote speaker Judy Purman of Sebesta Blomberg will discuss strategies to identify and manage key operations that tie energy efficiency. solid waste management practices and green house gas emission reductions.

To register for the event, click here.