Food scraps composting program expands to new cities in Washington County

The Ramsey and Washington County food scraps program has expanded to 19 more cities, meaning people in those areas can recycle their food scraps by placing them in a food scrap bag and tossing it in the trash.

Some 20% of trash in Ramsey and Washington counties is food scraps, according to Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy. If those food scraps go to a landfill, they not only take up space but also create methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

This week's expansion will add some 28,000 households to the food scraps program, for a total of more than 100,000 households, according to Trista Martinson, the executive director of Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy.

"We're excited to continue expanding a program that offers a convenient option for residents to turn their food scraps into a valuable resource and contribute to a more sustainable future," she said in a statement.

The new cities added to the program include: Afton, Bayport, Baytown Township, Birchwood Village, Dellwood, Denmark Township, Grant, Lake Elmo, Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, Mahtomedi, Oak Park Heights, Pine Springs, Stillwater, Stillwater Township, St. Mary's Point, West Lakeland Township and Willernie.

The program has been available for several months in Cottage Grove, Grey Cloud Island Township, Landfall, Maplewood, Newport, North St. Paul, Oakdale, St. Paul Park and Woodbury. The food scraps program will roll out over several years and eventually be available for all cities and townships in Ramsey and Washington counties.

The program is part of the state's goal of recycling 75% of the solid waste generated by a metro county by 2030.

The food scrap bags are free and can be ordered at the Food Scraps Pickup Program website or by calling 651-661-9393.

The free program converts food scraps into compost and will eventually roll out to all of Ramsey and Washington counties.