Dive Brief:
- Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges is pushing for the city to adopt an expanded organic waste recycling program.
- The mayor proposes that food waste be collected and composted beginning in Minneapolis next year.
- Tentative plans for the estimated $8 million program include food waste recycling would be widely available to all residents in apartment buildings with four units or less.
Dive Insight:
The proposal could see recycling rates increase by more than 20%, supporters claim. Minneapolis has been grappling with low recycling rates that are hovering around 37%.
The city is taking numerous steps to move forward in its sustainability goals. Single-stream recycling was launched in 2013, and efforts are underway to expand awareness about the program in the hopes of bumping up the recycling rate.