Northlanders Work Toward Increasing Minnesota’s Recycling Rate

In recent years the Minnesota recycling average has hovered around 50 percent.

DULUTH, Minn. – The United States has an average recycling rate of almost 35 percent.

In recent years, the Minnesota average has hovered around 50 percent.

With Earth Day happening April 22, experts are reminding folks it’s not too late to do a little more recycling for the benefit of the environment.

This is what a typical day looks like at the Materials Recovery Center in Duluth.

It’s a place where you can come drop off your recycled goods.

The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) stresses how recycling is important not just for Earth Day but every day.

“We know that it’s not always possible to recycle, but we ask people that when they can to separate that material and not send it to a landfill,” said WLSSD Environmental Program Coordinator AJ Axtell. “The material in our area if it does go to a landfill, right now, it ends up in the city of Superior Municipal Landfill.

Just last year WLSSD recycled more than 60,000 tons of waste and has a 54 percent recycling rate.

Recycling has become easier over the years.

WLSSD incorporates a single stream recycling system.

“It’s kind of a no-brainer. People know that you just don’t feel good about putting that sort of stuff in the trash anymore,” said Axtell. “So they’re separating it out. they bring it to us and then we make sure it moves along and gets recycled and made into new products.

If some things aren’t ready for the trash the reuse area has old toys, bicycles and furniture where people can shop for free.

Businesses in Duluth are not far behind with their recycling efforts.

For 2017 Vikre Distillery in Canal Park set a goal of becoming a zero waste company.

“We want to be good citizens and good neighbors and for us part of that is really trying to protect and honor the land and the place that we’re from, because without it we don’t have anything,” said Vikre Distillery Co-founder Emily Vikre.

The distillery practices what it preaches by using recycled glass bottles and compostable plastic straws.

“A, because they’re nice, but B, because glass is something that’s infinitely recyclable,” said Vikre.

Recycling can have many benefits from boosting the economy to conserving natural resources and reducing air and water pollution.

And there are also several locations all across the area where you can drop off your recycled materials.