Pope/Douglas Solid Waste Management is working with garbage haulers to develop sustainable and comprehensive solutions and programs to manage Organics (food scraps and soiled/non-recyclable paper) in the garbage.

Organics make up 38% of our waste stream.

Organics management options exist and more will be developed as partnerships are created and long-term programs are rolled out.

Composting is an environmentally preferable solution that diverts waste from waste to energy facilities (incinerators) and landfills. Organic waste is wet and difficult to burn and emits methane gas, a detrimental greenhouse gas, when it decomposes in landfills. The resulting compost used in landscaping and road construction projects will improve the quality of the soil, reduce soil erosion, and prevent storm water runoff from contaminating wetlands, lakes and streams in our community.

Discovery Middle School Recycling Awareness

The Life of a Strawberry. Wasting Food Wastes Everything – Water, Labor, Fuel, Money, Love

What Does Large Scale Composting Look Like?

Pope/Douglas Organics Recycling participating businesses

The list continues to grow…

Household and Event Organics Recycling Drop Sites

• Pike and Pint – Alexandria
• Walmart Supercenter – Alexandria (utilizes a third party vendor to manage organics)
• Elden’s Fresh Foods – Alexandria
• Luther Crest – Alexandria
• Copper Trail Brewing Company – Alexandria
• District 206 – Alexandria
  • Alexandria Area High School
  • Woodland Elementary – Alexandria
  • Discovery Middle School – Alexandria
  • Miltona Science Magnet School
  • Carlos Elementary
  • Garfield Elementary
  • Voyager Elementary – Alexandria
  • Lincoln Elementary – Alexandria
• District 213 – Osakis
• District 2149 – Minnewaska
  • High School/Middle School
  • Pre-School
  • Elementary
  • Minnewaska Mental Health Services (District 2149) – Starbuck
• Glacial Hills Elementary – Starbuck
• Glenwood Estates – Glenwood
• Cornerstone Buffet – Melrose
• Sauk Centre Schools – Sauk Centre
• Bethany on the Lake – Alexandria
• Lake Country Meats – Alexandria
• Glacial Ridge Hospital – Glenwood
• Ridgewood Villa – Glenwood
• Cub Foods – Alexandria
• Herby’s Bar and Grill – Carlos
• Tom’s Market – Glenwood
• Tom’s Market – Starbuck
• ALDI – Alexandria
• St. Mary’s School and Church – Alexandria
• Downtown Diner – Alexandria
• D. Michael B’s – Alexandria
• O-Town Tavern – Osakis
• VFW Post 7902 – Osakis
• Fat Daddy’s Bar & Grill – Alexandria
• Garden Center Lanes – Alexandria
• Broadway Ballroom – Alexandria
• St. Agnes School – Osakis
• Immaculate Conception Catholic Church – Osakis
• Pope/Douglas Solid Waste Management – Alexandria (employee break rooms)
• Grand Arbor by Knute Nelson (Pioneer Grill/Bountiful Bistro) – Alexandria
• Anderson Florist, Garden Center & Greenhouse – Alexandria
• Uptown Florist – Glenwood
• Minnewaska House – Long Beach
• Smokin’ Brews & ‘Ques – Alexandria
• Butterfly Hill Nature Preschool – Alexandria
• Pizza Ranch – Alexandria
• Lake Reno Bar and Grill – Glenwood
• Lake Miltona Golf Club – Alexandria
• Osakis Country Club – Osakis
• Alexandria Senior Center – Alexandria
• American Legion Club – Lowry
• Diamond Willow Assisted Living – Alexandria
• Gather Coffee + Bistro – Glenwood
• Bryce’s Beans – Alexandria
• United Methodist Church (Wood Fired Oven Pizza Events) – Alexandria
• Zorbaz – Alexandria
• District 2908 – Brandon/Evansville
  • Elementary Schools, Middle School and High School
• La Ferme – Alexandria
• Deja Bleu House of Coffee – Alexandria
• Lake Ridge Townhomes (HOA) – Alexandria
• Art Bar 39 LLC – Alexandria
• Alexandria Technical and Community College – Alexandria
• Country Inn & Suites – Alexandria
• Vista Prairie at Windmill Ponds – Alexandria
• Andria Theater/Alexandria Area Arts Association – Alexandria
• Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center – Alexandria
• Douglas County Extension Service/4H – Alexandria
• Douglas County Public Works/County Parks – Alexandria
• Backroads Steakhouse – Evansville
• Garden Bar on 6th – Alexandria
• Lakes Catering – Starbuck
• Widseth Smith Nolting – Alexandria
• Runestone Electric Association – Alexandria
• Theatre L’Homme Dieu – Alexandria
• Country Blossom Farm – Alexandria
• County Line Meats – Alexandria
• Douglas County Courthouse/Service Center – Alexandria
• Glenwood Lutheran Church – Glenwood
• Shalom Lutheran Church – Alexandria
• First Lutheran Church – Alexandria
• West Central Area Schools – Kensington
• O-Town Tavern – Osakis
• Glenwood Retirement Village – Glenwood
• Village Cooperative – Alexandria
• PrimeWest Health – Alexandria
• Alomere Health – Alexandria
• Calvary Lutheran Church – Alexandria
• Glenwood Chamber of Commerce – Glenwood
• Lowry Manufacturing – Lowry
• Lure Lakebar – Alexandria
• Minnewaska Golf Club – Glenwood
• NSI/Nutrition Services Inc/Viking Towers/Meals on Wheels) – Alexandria
• Pollard Community Center/Meals on Wheels/Senior Center – Osakis
• Starbucks Coffee – Alexandria
• St Luke’s Church – Garfield
• Central Square – Glenwood
• Douglas County Jail – Alexandria
• 700 Cedar Building – Alexandria

Grant County Organics Recycling participating businesses – started December 2019

Program Roll-out: Grant County Herald Newspaper Article

• West Central Area Schools – Elbow Lake
• Jim’s Market – Elbow Lake
• Prairie Ridge Hospital & Health Service – Elbow Lake

Great Solution to reduce your garbage created!

Great Solution for restaurants, care facilities, grocery stores, schools and others that create a lot of food waste/soiled papers.

Great for your environmental footprint.

Great for your environmental commitment to the next generation.

Pope/Douglas Organics Recycling (763-9340)

Organics Recycling for Commercial and Business Brochure

Get signed up for Commercial/Business Organics Recycling Service.  Contact Pope/Douglas today.

‘Pope/Douglas Organics Recycling’ is a contracted hauler to provide organics recycling service for all customers in the two county area – no matter who their primary hauler is.  As part of this service, entities who are signed up for organics recycling should work with their primary hauler to reduce costs through decreasing garbage pickup frequency and/or size of garbage carts/dumpsters.

• Great Solution to reduce your garbage created!
• Great Solution for restaurants, care facilities, grocery stores, schools and others that create a lot of food waste/soiled papers.
• Great for your environmental footprint.
• Great for your environmental commitment to the next generation.

Collected organics are brought to Midwest Recycling Solutions in St. Cloud for composting and marketing of the finished compost.

FREE downloadable posters and signs to help educate your waste and recycling program!

Organics for Composting Signs

• Organics (8 1/2″ x 11″)
• Organics (4 1/4″ x 14″)
• Coffee Shop Organics (8 1/2″ x 11″)
• Fast Food Organics (8 1/2″ x 11″)

Paper Towels for Composting Signs

• Paper Towels for Composting (8 1/2″ x 11″)
• Paper Towels for Composting (4 1/4″ x 14″)

Single Sort Recycling Signs

• Single Sort Recycling (8 1/2″ x 11″)
• Single Sort Recycling (4 1/4″ x 14″)
• Coffee Shop Recycling (8 1/2″ x 11″)

Cardboard Only Recycling Signs

• Cardboard Only Recycling (8 1/2″ x 11″)
• Cardboard Only Recycling (4 1/4″ x 14″)

Trash Signs

• Trash Only (8 1/2″ x 11″)
• Trash Only (4 1/4″ x 14″)
• Coffee Shop Trash (8 1/2″ x 11″)
• Fast Food Trash (8 1/2″ x 11″)

Other Sign Options

• Pope Douglas Organics Bin Label (cart and dumpster label)

Do the Three Sort. Color Coded Signs and Bins helps reduce contamination in the bin.

1. Use BLUE bins to capture single sort recycling.
2. Use GREEN bins to capture organics recycling or paper towels from bathrooms/hand-washing areas.
3. Use GRAY or TAN bins to capture the trash.

Pope/Douglas Organics Recycling Cart/Dumpster Options

• 65 gallon (42 3/8″ high, 25 1/8″ wide, 29 1/2″ depth)

• 95 gallon (45 3/8″ high including casters, 27 1/2″ wide, 33 1/4″ depth)
  • Carts/dumpsters are labeled to reduce contamination (of non compostable items).

• 2 yard dumpster (48 3/4″ load height, 50″ max height, 78″ wide, 49 3/4″ depth)
  • Carts/dumpsters are labeled to reduce contamination (of non compostable items).

As part of your organics recycling program – you must use compostable bags.  The use of plastic or ‘degradable’ bags are not allowed as they do not break down in the composting process.  Use of compostable bags keeps recycling bins, carts and dumpsters cleaner.

Some entities use paper bags, lawn and leaf paper bags and produce boxes to place items into.

Bags that are certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) – third party certification organization – are required.  Bags that are labeled as ‘degradable’, ‘biodegradable’, or ‘made from plants’ are not compostable.

Plates, cups, and utensils that are used must also be certified compostable, if you intend to place them in the organics recycling.

• Eco Products (bags/utensils/compostable products)
• Envision Compostable Bags
  • Cooperative Purchasing Connection (888-739-3289)
    • Eligible to schools, counties, cities, nonprofits including hospitals and nursing homes, and other governmental.
  • Innovative Office Solutions (320-309-6919)
    • Eligible for businesses and all other groups.
    • Crystal Brink  cbrink@innovativeos.com
  •  Hillyard (320-223-0630)
    • Eligible for businesses and all other groups.
    • Chad Peterson CPeterson@Hillyard.com
• Heritage ‘BioTuf’ Compostable Bags
  • US Foods
  • Sysco
  • Bunzl
  • SuperValu
  • Unisource
  • Dalco
  • Litin Paper
  • Cole Papers
  • Dacotah Paper
• BioStar Compostable Bags
  • TriMark Strategic – St. Cloud (320-257-8837 or 320-309-3541)
  • Rick Zimmer  RZimmer@strategicequipment.com
• BioBag Compostable Bags
  • info@biobagusa.com
• More vendors (bags/utensils/compostable products)
  • Hennepin County Organics Recycling
• Webstaurant
• World Centric (bags/utensils/compostable products)
• Henry’s Foods – Distributor
• Organix Solutions
  • 763-972-1102 or customerservice@organixsolutions.com

As part of your organics recycling program – you must use certified compostable bags.  The use of plastic or ‘degradable’ bags are not allowed as they do not break down in the composting process.  Use of compostable bags keeps recycling bins, carts and dumpsters cleaner.

What size bag to buy to fit the organics recycling receptacles I want to use?

‘Household Kitchen Style’  measures 24″x30″

’32-33 gallon Brute Style’  measures 33″x48″

’55-60 gallon Brute Style’  measures 42″x48″

’64-65 gallon roll cart’  measures 48″x60″

’30 gallon/Tall Slim Jim Style’  measures 30″x39″

Backyard Composting is similar to Small Site Composting.

Community Gardens and Small Site Composting Sites can be developed in sync with each other.

The biggest difference is the much larger amount of materials that are allowed to be composted on-site and is a great fit for institutions like:

• Schools, Colleges and Educational Sites
• Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals, Clinics, Nursing Homes, Group Homes
• Churches and other Places of Workship

‘Included in the definition of small compost sites is a provision limiting their size to no more than 120 cubic yards of material on site at any given time.

The size limit applies to all food scraps, yard waste and other feedstocks brought to the site as well as any active or finished compost. Compared to a typical backyard compost pile, this size limit is fairly large. 120 cubic yards is approximately the size of a semi trailer. Small compost sites are not required to obtain a permit from the state.’

Small Site Composting Resources

• MN Composting Council: Educational and Technical Information

Community Garden Resources

• American Community Gardening Association: Educational and Technical Information

Large generators of food scrap are able to contract with a farmer or recycler – where your food scraps will be hauled away and processed into food for pigs.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health permits swine/hog farms who wish to feed food scraps/food waste to their livestock.  The programs used are the ‘Garbage Feeding’ – Class A permit or the ‘Exempt Materials Feeding’ – Class B permit.

Food-to-Animal

Farms collect your business’ food scraps on-site. Then, as part of their diet, the scraps are fed to the livestock.

Garbage Feeding (Class ‘A’ Meat and Non Meat Food Wastes Accepted)

• Your Farm?  Let Pope/Douglas know if your hog farm is interested in accepting food scraps to feed the pigs!

Exempt Materials Feeding (Class ‘B’ Non Meat Food Waste Accepted):

The following farms provide food-to-livestock programs:

• Your Farm?  Let Pope/Douglas know if your hog farm is interested in accepting food scraps to feed the pigs!
• Becker, Troy Home Farm: 320-760-0865 (Ottertail County)
• Becker, Troy Farm: 218-267-2199 (Ottertail County)
• Dreyer, Daniel Farm: 218-731-0601 (Ottertail County)

MN TAP (MN Technical Assistance Program)

• Food to Livestock Farms – Minnesota farm locations
  

Food-to-Animal (Feed Processing)

ReConserve collects and processes food by-products to create livestock feed ingredients.

• ReConserve – Recyclers of Food By-Products

Food Banks/Food Shelves make donating edible food easy from businesses.

Businesses are protected by donating food to Food Banks from any liabilities under the United States’ Good Samaritan laws, donating food is safe and legal.

Instead of trashing perfectly good foods – they are saved for an important need.

Food Banks in Minnesota have a statewide network with supplying our area food shelves.

Food Shelf/Food Donations

• Douglas County Outreach Food Shelf 320-762-8411

Food Bank Organization

• North Country Food Bank, Inc. 218-281-7356

Setting up organics recycling (food scraps, etc) is an important step.  The use of finished compost that is created from the composting process and growing local foods is even better!

Build your own raised beds at your place of business, home or wherever to increase access to local foods, eat healthier and use the nutrient rich compost.

Required Materials

• Four 8 foot long 2-by-6s
• Two 8 foot long 2-by-6s cut in half
• One 6 foot long 4-by-4 cut into four 16” tall corner posts
• Weed suppressing landscape fabric
• 32 3” screws
• 32 cubic feet of finished compost

How-To-Guide

1. Prepare the location by removing grass and weeds.
2. Outline the bed dimensions on the ground using chalk or string.
3. Dig along the outline using vertical strokes to bury about half of your first wood board.
4. Put down a layer of newspaper or weed-suppressing landscape fabric that extends to the outside edges of the outline.
5. Set a 4-foot 2-by-6 on its thin edge on pavement, and place a 16” post at one end. Secure post with two 3” screws. Repeat at other end of board. Repeat with other short board.
6. Join short sides with an 8-foot board; and secure with two screws. Add other long side. Add second layer of 2-by-6s.
7. Place the bed into the outline made in step 3.
8. Fill the bed with potting soil.
9. Alternative: amend soil with completed compost.

Pope/Douglas Solid Waste is in the planning stages of developing a regional organics composting site to have local access to compost for use in gardening and landscaping projects.