St. Paul, Minnesota, begins cart rollout

St. Paul, Minnesota, has begun delivering wheeled recycling carts to 78,087 households with the help of The Recycling Partnership, Falls Church, Virginia. The nonprofit is providing grant dollars, technical assistance and educational resources.

“St. Paul has adopted an incredibly aggressive timeline, and they’re on track to have the last cart on the ground just after the holiday season,” says Justin Gast, The Recycling Partnership’s technical assistance coordinator. “City staff is able to move confidently with speed while still being very thoughtful, looking for ways to improve the user experience for residents at every turn.”

One example of St. Paul’s attention to detail, according to The Recycling Partnership, is in its presentation of acceptable materials. In the past the city used eight material categories to depict and describe curbside recyclables to residents. As part of the cart rollout, city staff have boiled that down to three—containers, papers and boxes—to simplify the message and increase comprehension.

“Moving from single-stream bins to single-stream carts will provide our residents more convenience with a heightened level of service,” says Kris Hageman, environmental coordinator for the city of Saint Paul Department of Public Works, says. “We anticipate a 15 percent increase in participation and a 35 percent increase in tons collected.”

She continues, “Throughout this launch we will continue to use every means available to maximize results, and our partnerships with Ramsey County, Eureka Recycling and The Recycling Partnership are proving invaluable to that end.”

Gast says, “This is our 11th cart grant since 2015, and through each one we learn as much as we share. Communities continue to operate under strapped budgets and overcommitted staff time, yet programs like St. Paul’s show the power of an informed, efficient team and a well-thought-out plan. It’s a privilege to partner with such a capable, forward-thinking group of recycling professionals.”