SAINT PAUL – With the goal of a zero-waste campus, the Minnesota Department of Administration (Admin) is rolling out a new recycling program on the State Capitol Complex. Developed in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s Waste Wise Foundation, the program will put in place recycling practices that have been proven to increase recycling rates in other organizations. 

With the new recycling system, Admin expects to increase recycling rates to over 90 percent on the Capitol Complex. Hands-on audits of state trash sent to landfills determined that there were additional opportunities to recycle including composting, changing deskside recycling practices, and educating employees to maximize recycling.

“The State of Minnesota is all in when it comes to sustainable operations,” said Commissioner of Administration Matt Massman.“Our data shows the Capitol Complex can recycle over 90 percent of its waste, effectively making us a zero-waste campus. Every step we take in that direction has clear operational, economic, and environmental benefits for Minnesota.”

The biggest change is the addition of organics recycling to all offices. Organic material will be recyclable anywhere on the Capitol Complex, which is currently limited to certain cafeterias. Audit data showed over 60 percent of what was thrown in the trash – over 600 thousand pounds of waste – could be recycled through organics recycling. 

The program also removes deskside trash bins and provides employees with more opportunities for recycling. Eliminating deskside trash bins will eliminate over 3,250 pounds of empty or near-empty plastic trash bags that are thrown away each year, saving the state about $16,000 annually. Complementing these changes will be education, training, and simplified signage at user-friendly recycling stations. 

Nearly 9,000 employees work on the Capitol Complex, and an additional 300,000 people visit each year, generating approximately 3.7 million pounds – or 1,850 tons – of solid waste. Admin crews currently recycle about 70 percent, or nearly 2.6 million pounds, of waste annually. State facilities in the metropolitan area are mandated by law to achieve 75 percent recycling rates by 2030.

All of the buildings managed by Admin, including the Governor’s Residence and those on the Capitol Complex, will be upgraded to the new recycling program by November 2016. The State Capitol will also be furnished with the new equipment when it reopens in January 2017.

The recycling upgrades are one of Admin’s many efforts to improve sustainability. Earlier this week, Lt. Governor Tina Smith introduced the state's new Office of Enterprise Sustainability. The office, housed in Admin and led by director Larry Herke, is helping agencies fight climate change by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and water usage, increasing their energy efficiency, improving their recycling rates, and more. More specifically, the office is committed to ensuring the state’s buildings are energy efficient, its fleet of vehicles are fuel efficient, and its purchasing and contracting decisions consider sustainability.

Detailed information about the new recycling program can be found at mn.gov/admin/recycling.