Environmental Services

NEWS

ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER PRODUCT REUSE ROOM REMODEL
The newly remodeled product reuse room is open!  Stop by and check it out!

JOIN THE GREAT GREEN CHALLENGE WITH KARE 11
For 11 weeks, KARE 11, led by meteorologist Laura Betker, is tackling a different aspect of going green in the workplace, like recycling, reducing waste and buying green products. As part of the Great Green Challenge, new segments will air every Tuesday during the 5 p.m. newscast. The Great Green Challenge is sponsored by Rethink Recycling.

At RethinkRecycling.com, you can pledge to recycle more at your workplace, access resources to help you start or improve your company's recycling program, and request free assistance.

Click HERE to join the Workplace Recycling Revolution promoted by KARE 11’s Laura Betker. Sponsored by Rethink Recycling.

RAIN BARREL & COMPOST BIN SALE
Pre-order your rain barrel ($45) or compost bin ($35) today!  Carver County residents must pre-order by April 8, 2013 to guarantee that a rain barrel or compost bin will be available.  To pre-order, call (952) 361-1800 or email kkoll@co.carver.mn.us with your name, address, phone number, number of compost bins and/or rain barrels, and the location of your pick-up.  DO NOT SEND MONEY.  Payment will be accepted at pick-up.

Rain barrels and compost bins will be available for pick-up at the following locations on April 22, 2013 during the following hours:

Carver County Environmental Center, 116 Peavey Cir, Chaska, MN - 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Douglas Kugler Eco-Site, 676 Industrial Blvd, Watertown, MN - 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Mackenthun's Fine Foods, 851 Marketplace Dr, Waconia, MN - 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

For more information, click HERE or call Environmental Services at (952) 361-1800.

2013 ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER FEE CHANGES
The following fee changes are now in effect: 

• Car Seats (child safety seats) - Carver County Residents - $5.00, Out of County Residents - $10.00
• Air Conditioners - $10.00
• Large Farm Tractor Tire - $25.00
• Business Batteries - $0.25/lb

2013 ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER CLOSED DAYS 
The Environmental Center will be closed on the following days in 2013:

• Saturday, May 25th
• Thursday, July 4th
• Saturday, August 31st
• Thursday, November 28th
• Friday, November 29th
• Saturday, November 30th
• Wednesday, December 25th

Carver County, in cooperation with the cities of Mayer and New Germany, opened a new residential recycling drop off site in the city of Mayer.  The site is located east of the Mayer waste water treatment facility at 15300 Co Rd 30, Mayer.  Hours of operation and materials accepted are as follows:

Hours of Operation
April through November:  Wednesdays 5pm - 8pm, Saturdays 8am - 12pm
December through March:  Saturdays 8am - 12pm

Materials Accepted
Automotive Batteries, Clothing, Plastic Bags & Shrink Wrap, Paper Recycling (junk mail, phone books, office paper, magazines, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, boxboard), Food & Beverage Containers (steel & aluminum cans, foil & trays, glass bottles & jars, food & beverage plastics #1-7), Scrap Metal, Used Motor Oil, Oil Filters, Antifreeze

***Please note - With the opening of the new Mayer site, the New Germany recycling drop off site will no longer be open on the first and third Saturday of each month.

For more information on the Mayer site, click HERE for a brochure.

OPEN BURNING PERMITS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET
Carver County Environmental Services announces the addition of Carver County to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) internet based burning permit system.  Beginning on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, individuals will be able to purchase an open burning permit over the internet.

For those individuals who do not have access to the internet, the traditional paper permits from local Fire Wardens will remain available as they have in the past.

Both types of permits will be valid from the time of purchase through the end of the calendar year in which it was purchased.

The Internet address for the on-line burning permit system is http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/burningpermits.

The on-line permit will cost five dollars ($5.00) annually and the permit will be valid for an entire calendar year.  Individuals can get their permit at the start of the year and, by the use of a telephone or internet-based activation system, can burn at that location throughout the year.

As part of this new system, all permittees within the county will have to activate their permits each day they are going to burn.  This includes the paper issued permits as well as the internet issued permits.  Activating the internet permit may be done on-line or over the phone while those with paper issued permits must call a toll free number.  After providing permit information, permittees will receive a message informing them of current burning regulations and, if they are allowed to burn that day. A confirmation number issued by the system is used to validate daily burning and must be recorded on the permit.

A valid activation number will be the key to enforcement of burning permits.  Enforcement officers will look for a valid activation number, if it is not there, the individual conducting the burn may be cited for illegal burning.

Permits will not be available to residents within the following city limits:  Chanhassen, Chaska, Cologne, Mayer, New Germany, NYA, Waconia and Watertown.  Residents residing in these cities should contact their local municipality or Fire Chief.

update Click HERE to see answers to frequently asked questions regarding the new Open Burning Permit Program.

STAPLES NOW TAKING OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND PERSONAL ELECTRONICS FOR FREE
Bring in your old office technology products to your local Staples - even if you didn't purchase them at Staples - and they will responsibly and securely recycle them for you for free. The program, now powered by HP, provides free recycling of desktops, laptops, monitors, printers, shredders, UPS devices, computer peripherals, and small office electronics like mobile phones, GPS, and digital cameras. All brands are accepted, but there is a limit of 6 items per customer per day.  Televisions, appliances, floor model copiers, stereo equipment, alkaline batteries, and certain other household electronics will NOT be accepted.

CARVER COUNTY SOLID WASTE MASTER PLAN  update
On Tuesday, March 20, 2012, the Carver County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing and adopted the Carver County Solid Waste Master Plan and Regional Solid Waste Master Plan.  Both plans detail how the county and the region will meet the waste management goals found in the 2011 Metropolitan Solid Waste Policy Plan.

Click HERE to view the 2012-2030 Carver County Solid Waste Master Plan
Click HERE to view the 2010-2030 Metropolitan Solid Waste Policy Plan
Click HERE to view the 2011-2030 Regional Solid Waste Master Plan

CARVER COUNTY OPEN BURNING ORDINANCE CHANGES  update
On Tuesday, March 20, 2012, the Carver County Board of Commissioners will held a public hearing and adopted an ordinance amending the Open Burning Chapter of the Carver County Code.

Click HERE to view the adopted changes to the Open Burning Chapter of the Carver County Code

BEST BUY NOW TAKING ELECTRONICS FOR FREE
Best Buy has announced that it will no longer charge $10 to accept electronic items with screens through its
in-store recycling program.

Consumers can now drop off any item, including TVs, monitors, DVD players, audio and video cables, cell phones and other items, free of charge and regardless of where each good was purchased. Accepted CRT TV screens can be as large as 32 inches, and up to 60 inches for flat panel screens.

For more information click HERE to be redirected to Best Buy's site.

COMPOSTABLE BAG LAW ARTICLE & FACTS & QUESTIONS. Beginning January 1, 2010, all resident must put yard waste in compostable bags. Visit HERE for more information.

ENV SERVICES WINS 2009 MN GOVERNOR'S AWARD FOR WASTE & POLLUTION PREVENTION!
Video (.mpg format) Video (.wmv format)

Protecting the Environment