The Ramsey County Environmental Center, which opened earlier this year, is built on a foundation of intelligent, community-centered environmentalism.
By Carol Marchel
What is the smartest building in Roseville? Maybe one of the schools? The library? No. It can be argued that the smartest building in Roseville is the new Ramsey County Environmental Center at 1700 Kent Street.
The Center is “smart” in many ways,all aimed at increasing awareness of recycling and reducing the waste flow.
First the building. According to Ramsey County Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire, the Center clearly illustrates the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle. To begin with, the site foundation was prepared with over a thousand yards of compostable food scraps. Indigenous plants now grow in the lush loam in an ever-evolving garden. Trees felled for construction are now part of a rain garden and habitat for birds, insects and small animals. Geothermal and solar energy systems provide almost all the heating and cooling in the building. The shelves in the Reuse Room are made of beautiful, recycled Ash trees from Minnetonka. A walkway around the building’s front patio is lined with recycled pavers removed from University Avenue when the light rail was built. Finally, the building boasts electric vehicle chargers and geothermal snowmelt sidewalks.
What the building DOES is even smarter. Of course people can drop off hazardous waste, scrap metal, food scraps and a variety of household recyclables. Beyond recycling, as much as possible, items are salvaged for reuse. For example, the Reuse Room holds recycled paint, camp fuel and automotive and cleaning products available for free. Paint dropped off for recycling is mixed and strained on-site. Events such as monthly Fix-It Clinics, paper-shredding events and school supply drop-offs are already underway, with plans to expand in the future. According to Daniel Schmidt, environmental health division manager, Ramsey County continually plans for ways the Center can expand what it recycles, increase markets for recyclable items and augment the work it already does.
The Center’s work is built on outreach, and continual collaboration with recycling networks strengthens its mission. For example, the Center works with Repowered, a nonprofit organization that refurbishes and recycles electronics. Future goals include relationships with organizations like Bridging to connect usable household goods with those who can use them.
Finally, publicity for the Environmental Center is part of a well-planned and organized media campaign aimed at helping citizens become recycling stewards. Every home gets a recycling guide annually, full of information on the Environmental Center and the full network of recycling efforts in Ramsey County. Online information is located in several efficient places, like The A to Z Recycling Guide and the Green Ramsey County newsletter,which contains up-to-date information about recycling in the County.
The Center is smart, but it does not do everything. Rose Lindsay, communications and public relations director for Ramsey County, encourages everyone to check the Recycling Guide before dropping off items at the Center. The Environmental Services website also provides helpful tips, such as the best times to drop off recycling with the shortest wait.
The smartest building in Roseville will show itself off on Tuesday September 23rd from 6-8 pm at its Fall Open House. Stop by and see why the Environmental Center is the smartest building in Roseville.
