Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board /
Round 12 Final Summary Report
January 2014
Prepared by Laurie Gustafson, LG Consulting, LLC
651-252-1487
Table of Contents / PageExecutive Summary / 1
Project Summaries / 3
Project Highlights: People Taking Action to Reduce Waste / 5
Ways Waste Reduction Messages Are Shared / 8
How Projects Will Be Sustained / 9
Lessons Learned / 11
Feedback on the Community Education Toolkit / 14
Executive Summary
In 2012, a total of 19 projects were funded: 11 Community POWER projects by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board, plus nine additional projects through county-specific supplemental contributions from Dakota, Ramsey and Washington Counties.
New in 2012, the Community POWER team offered two grant funding categories—mini grants (up to $5,000) and traditional grants (up to $12,000). In addition, Ramsey County designated funding for four business education grants. The results of the Ramsey County Business Education projects have been summarized in a separate document. The maximum grant amount was $12,000.
All projects educated residents, engaged them in waste reduction activities and promoted long-term lifestyle changes. Typical projects included helping residents start recycling, learn about proper disposal of hazardous materials, getting off junk mail lists, preventing waste, reuse instead of throwing away items, composting and planning green events.
All of the projects contain elements that will be sustained beyond the grant year and any grantees’ replicable resources have been posted online at www.rethinkrecycling.com/grants/grantee-projects.
In addition to grant money, Community POWER helps community organizations create and implement high-quality waste and toxicity reduction projects by providing:
· Grantee training meetings that offer technical information on waste reduction, plus networking opportunities for community groups.
· Individual meetings with grantees to offer resources and plan projects.
· Workshops and presentations by county staff and other experts.
· Evaluation of long-term outcomes experienced by past grantees to uncover sustainability strategies.
· An expanded website showcasing outcomes of each grantee project and disseminating grantee-created resources.
How many people were reached?
Through Round 12 Community POWER projects, 23,839 residents of the metro area were engaged in active waste reduction activities. Active engagement activities include things like attending a class or workshop, developing a video, taking part in revised or new curriculum, attending a train-the-trainer session, interacting at a booth or event with Rethink Recycling, county or other materials, and receiving technical assistance.
Follow up surveys with 1,199 people who participated in these projects show that 79% them documented at least one long-term waste or toxicity reduction behavior change because of a grant project, and many made more than one change.
An additional 519,945 people were reached with waste reduction messages through the marketing and communication efforts of grantees. Most of these messages included Rethink Recycling information and/or RethinkRecycling.com. These messages were shared through distributing newsletter or e-newsletter articles, a press release or column in newspaper, a display of Rethink Recycling, county or other materials or information posted on website and/or social media.
Traditional grantees were asked to reach out to peer organizations to let others know about their project and how they could do the same. Through meetings and presentations, the seven traditional grantee project leaders informed an additional 3,540 people.
Long-Term Behavior Change
For the past eight years, Community POWER grantees have been required to follow up with a select number of participants in their projects to determine if Community POWER projects result in sustained lifestyle changes. This year with the changes in funding levels, only grantees receiving traditional grants were required to submit data. All seven of the traditional grantees submitted long-term behavior change data.
The data show that 79% of the people studied reported making at least one sustained behavior change due to information learned through a Community POWER project. Most people reported making more than one change.
Grantees may evaluate up to 28 different ways the participants in their projects have made lifestyle changes. The following chart shows the most typical actions promoted through grantee projects, and the percentage of grantee projects that educated people about each issue.
Behavior Change Action / % grantees who focused on each topicAll grantees focused on recycling education, such as what materials can be recycled, recycling away from home, etc. / 100%
Donate used goods & Shop used / 43%
Start using canvas/reusable bags for shopping trips / 43%
Avoid junk mail / 29%
Plan green meetings and events / 29%
Buy products with reduced packaging / 29%
Compost to reduce food and yard waste / 14%
RethinkRecycling.com Use
In addition to the long-term behavior change questions, traditional grantees also asked respondents about their use of RethinkRecycling.com. Twenty-nine percent of the respondents report using RethinkRecycling.com and 39% report learning about it through their participation in the grant project.
Project Summaries
SWMCB-Funded Projects
Ce Tempoxcalli, Ramsey and Dakota Counties
Ce Tempoxcalli staff and volunteers reached 4,000 Latino, Chicano and West Side Neighborhood residents through targeted outreach, the Mother Earth Fest, as well as reaching out to area families. In addition, they trained 13 youth from Dakota and Ramsey counties, as part of the Green Youth Leadership Intensive on Zero Waste, to become community trainers in waste reduction, event greening and recycling.
CarpenterSt. Croix ValleyNatureCenter, Washington County
TheNatureCenter educated over 1,000 students and their families about decreasing the amount of waste involved in a typical lunch. The NatureCenter also provided educational materials and training to encourage “green event planning” for on-site weddings and corporate events in the new pavilion.
Laura Jeffrey Academy, Ramsey County
An initiative to use recyclable products in the classroom to solve real world problems was the focus for 7th and 8th grade LJA students. They researched the intersection between nutrition, food choices, packaging and environmental racism. Then, worked to educate fellow students on packaging choices, nutrition and lunchroom waste. LJA scholars analyzed their purchasing choices but limited action has been reported. Most of the behavior changes have occurred around packaging and food waste reduction in the lunchroom. The project reached 300 students and staff plus an additional 600 community members.
Macalester-Groveland Community Council, Ramsey County
Residents reduced their waste through participation in the innovativeMacalester-GrovelandOrganics Recycling Drop-off Site; through home visits from trained volunteers; by attending community educational forums and events on organics diversion, recycling, green events, and commercial composting; and through newsletter articles, web content, and social media.They increased participation in their Organics Recycling Drop-off Site to 210 households (567 residents).
NE Seniors Living at Home, Ramsey County
The NE Seniors Living at Home Toxicity and Waste Reduction Project reached 281 people through eight presentations that were provided throughout the community. Medication drop-off information was given to medical clinics and the local Walgreens, where an informational poster is now displayed. Waste and toxic reduction information was also shared with sister agencies. Twenty-one community seniors had home toxic and waste reduction inspections.
New American Academy, Hennepin County
The goal of the East African Immigrant Recycling Project was to increase recycling and reduce the amount of toxic products used in East African homes, located within the Eden Prairie school district and surrounding southwest metro communities. The activities of the project reached almost 2,000 people and included community outreach and education about waste reduction, toxicity reduction, recycling and related topics; curriculum development and educational tool kit dissemination/distribution; and partnerships with governmental, school, business, non-profits, and other community resources.
Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Hennepin County
MountOlivetLutheran Church reduced the amount of trash that the church generates, added organics recycling, and improved other recycling rates. They evaluated their use of toxic chemicals with a professional. The adult education classes and kids camp have advanced awareness, knowledge, and application of these issues among church members. They educated over 5,000 staff and the congregation to make changes at church, home, and influence their community by example.
Eagan and Lakeville Resource Center, Dakota County
Going Green project reached over 7,000 people and increased awareness and use of low-cost methods of sustainable living in low-income households. Going Green focused on adults and children in low-income households. Training sessions were held to reach the adults, and a Going Green Carnival was held to engage the children.
Al-Amal School, Anoka County
Al-Amal School educated the school community and Islamic Center of Minnesota (ICM) about the how to recycle and the benefits of recycling with the goal of increasing awareness and the practice of recycling in the building and at home.Students and parent volunteers reached about 1,000 families, students and staff about recycling and reducing waste. Their actions resulted in an increase of recycling pick up service at the school from a two-yard container picked up once a week to a three-yard container picked up two times a week.
A Better Society, Carver County
A Better Society staff and volunteers created a repeatable program, called SecondLife-in-a-Box, which enabled youth to successfully organize the collection/redistribution of reusable items. By providing an easy-to-use template and program support, more youth groups were able to implement projects and have a bigger community impact on waste/toxicity reduction. Through program marketing at events, residents and businesses were educated about this important practice.They supported six drives that were run by youth/adults in the community and reached over 1,600 residents.
Dakota County-Funded Project
West Saint Paul YMCA, Dakota County
The West Saint Paul YMCA engaged over 300 people in a composting project throughout the West Saint Paul and Saint Paul communities. The Leaders Club, a group of 6th through 12th grade middle and high school students, led these activities. The Leaders Club participants developed skills as they engaged in research, created educational materials and planned opportunities to share what they learned. These young people gave interactive presentations to teens of other Leaders Club groups, younger children of the YMCA’s Moreland Afterschool Program and community members of area apartment complexes.
Minnesota Zoo Volunteer Conservation Corps, Dakota County
The Composting Awareness program was presented at nine onsite Minnesota Zoo events, one offsite community event, three onsite Farmers Market events and at 10 Zoo Volunteer mini-training sessions. Zoo volunteers were presented with how they can actively participate in the Zoo's onsite food waste composting efforts, Zoo guests and community participants were presented with options for at home food waste and yard waste composting via games, demonstrations, and RethinkRecycling Composting 101 handouts. Over 2,300 people engaged in active education through the Zoo’s project and in addition, the project reached over 32,000 through displays and their website.
Ramsey County-Funded Projects
Asian Outdoor Heritage, Ramsey County
Asian Outdoor Heritage's (AOH) project goal was to educate Hmong hunters, leaders and community on recycling, waste and toxicity reduction and to promote green events for Asian-Minnesotans. AOH was able to educated 570 members, hunters and youth by incorporating waste and toxicity reduction education into their Fire Arms Safety class. In addition, they educated many Hmong community members at the Hmong New Year held at the Excel Energy Centre and at an annual July 4th event.
Payne Phalen District Five Planning Council, Ramsey County
District Five staff hosted four educational workshops that included work sessions with residents and guest speakers. East Side Rising, an informal community network of 15 young Hmong spoken word artists, promoted recycling, hosted events and outreach efforts. All efforts supported increased Hmong community engagement in the Greening Payne Phalen goals of increased recycling, household hazardous waste reduction, and reuse strategies. Two East Side Rising artists coordinated efforts and hosted an open mic event, produced a public service announcement and social media video. Separately, the Railroad Island Task Force of District Five, a team of 10 volunteers and staff distributed reusable bags to 300 households in Railroad Island. A separate focus on property maintenance issues was tied to Community POWER recycling and neighborhood clean up efforts. And finally, District Five launched the Environmental and Livability Committee with 35 participants, who will carry forward the mission of the project.
Washington County Funded Projects
Oltman Middle School, Washington County
Oltman Middle School teachers worked with 25 students in the AVID program to research, create awareness, and take action against waste in waterways. The students worked all year on this project and educated more Oltman Middle School students and staff about plastic waste and the need for reduce it and recycle more, as it is a big waste problem in lakes, rivers and oceans, reaching an additional 800 people. In addition, students then held a plastic water bottle and bag drive, collected over 10,000 plastic water bottles and 2,000 plastic bags for recycling.
Project Highlights: People Taking Action to Reduce Waste
The following are a sampling of testimonies from grantees about proud moments and results during their Community POWER grant activities, which illustrate how people are taking action to reduce waste.
[At the Mother Earth Fest, the project demonstrated that] youth leadership was so integral to building community project... The youth were very visible, competent, and eager.
-- Zea Leguizamon, Executive Director, Ce Tempoxcalli
The two senior staff members who spearheaded these efforts had different highlights. For the K-12 school lunch component, it was wonderful to hear the enthusiastic feedback from teachers and parents. A local teacher was eager to take back all she learned at the Nature Center and help her school do a better job at decreasing waste. A few teachers and students commented they have experienced these efforts at CNC and now expect it every time they visit.
The naturalist working with site rentals had a more difficult task and found small victories when watching wedding guests approach the waste receptacles. They would look carefully at the signage, look at their item and then select the correct bin.
The Carpenter Nature Center hosted events and continues to infuse waste reduction into the thought processes of our partners, caterers and vendors. As each event is hosted, these vendors now know our goals and have thought through the best methods for reducing waste from utilizing compostable plates, cups and utensils, to selecting items with less packaging. Throughout the year it was encouraging to see these event planners approach us with their methods of reducing waste before we could remind them about our goals.