Waste Reduction and Reuse

Starting a demolition or renovation project? Remove items for reuse or salvage instead of sending them to the landfill. Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy offers grants to support deconstruction. 

When you're starting on a construction project, consider purchasing materials secondhand to save money and make a positive impact on our environment. 

Building Materials Deconstruction & Reuse (Ramsey County)

Don't throw out your broken item, learn how to fix it! Bring in clothing, small appliances, and electronics to a Ramsey County Fix-It Clinic for free repair help. 

Fix-It Clinics (Ramsey County)

Do you need a tool for your next home, yard, or craft project? 

Borrow what you need from Minnesota Tool Library. They have over 8,000 tools to lend out. 

Minnesota Tool Library

If you have a child 5 years old or younger, this the perfect alternative to buying new toys.  

Similar to a book library, you can check out up to five toys and exchange them for new ones when the toys are returned.  

Minnesota Toy Library

Ramsey County maintains a guide to local reuse opportunities. Visit their website to find ways to repair, donate, and shop secondhand.

Ramsey County's Reuse & Donation Opportunities 

Reuse Minnesota is a nonprofit uniting local individuals and reuse organizations. Find ways to get involved with the statewide reuse economy. 

Reuse Minnesota 

Borrow books, music, movies, and more from your local library. From cookbooks to children's books to DVDs, there's so much to explore at our libraries.

Visit your local library to get a library card and begin borrowing materials.

Saint Paul Public Library

Grocery Shopping Tips and Resources

Creating a Shopping List

• Check your fridge and pantry to see if you already have any of the things on your shopping list.
• Make a store list to avoid buying food you already have at home.

Use our shopping list template to help you check what you already have before heading to the store.

Shopping List - English Shopping List - Hmong Shopping List - Oromo Shopping List - Somali Shopping List- Spanish  

Video: Tips for Buying Less

Check out this video for advice on how to only buy what you need at the grocery store. This video was produced by King County, Washington.

Food Prepping Tips and Resources

• Prep and store your fruits and veggies as soon as you get home from the grocery store.
• Prepping ahead of time makes it easier to quickly prepare meals later in the week.
• Freeze food that you won't be able to eat in time. You can freeze bread, meat, sliced fruit, leftovers, and more.

Video: Prepping Food to Reduce Waste

Sharpen your knife skills with Chef Instructor Nathan Sartain and students from Saint Paul College. They show you how to prepare common fruits and vegetables, plus share ideas for cooking with leftover food scraps. 

Food Storage Tips and Resources

How to Organize Your Refrigerator

• Don't overpack. Cold air needs room to move around.
• Use the top shelf to store leftovers and ready-to-eat foods like yogurt.
• Lower shelves are the coldest part of your fridge. Store eggs, dairy, and meat here.
• Crisper drawers are for fruit and vegetables. If you can control the humidity, set one draw to high and one to low.
  • High humidity is good for leafy greens and vegetables.
  • Low humidity is good for vegetables and fruit that rots fast, like mushrooms.
• Doors are the warmest part of your fridge.
  • Store beverages and condiments in the door.
  • Don't store dairy or eggs in the door.

How to Understand Date Labels

• "Best If Used By": This is when the food will have the best flavor or quality. It's not a purchase or safety date.
• "Sell By": This tells the store how long to shelve the item. It's not a safety date.
• "Use By": This is the last date recommended for eating while at peak quality. It's not a safety date except on infant formula.
• "Freeze By": This is when to freeze a product to maintain quality. It's not a safety date. 

Learn More About Food Safety (Department of Agriculture) 

Leftover Tips and Resources

• Make a list of what food in your home needs to be eaten first.
• Use this list to meal plan or prioritize which leftovers to eat.
• Designate a part of your fridge for leftovers so they're easier to find.
• Label food that needs to be eaten soon with a sticky note.

Video: How to Use Leftovers

We partnered with El Burrito Mercado to show you a few ways to use leftover pico de gallo. Pico de gallo goes great with many different meals. Making pico de gallo is also a great way to use leftover produce from your refrigerator.

English Version

Spanish Version