Two recycling recovery rate studies have been conducted in Hennepin County. The studies can be used to measure the overall success of recycling programs and help assess the potential to increase recycling.
Target recycling rates
The 2004 Hennepin County Solid Waste Master Plan sets a goal of achieving and maintaining a 50 percent recycling rate. To reach this outcome, a strategy identified in the Master Plan is to conduct residential waste and recycling composition studies.
Recycling recovery rate studies
Minneapolis Recycling Recovery Rate Study
The Minneapolis Recycling Recovery Rate Study, conducted in 2006, was the first study conducted in this region. The region and county were long overdue for an assessment of recycling recovery rates, the best measure of overall recycling success and how well residents are recycling individual materials. The households in the Minneapolis study had a multi-sort recycling program and no organics collection.
Suburban Recycling Recovery Rate Study - St. Louis Park and Minnetonka
The Hennepin County Suburban Recycling Recovery Rate Study for St. Louis Park and Minnetonka was conducted in 2009. This study included households in Minnetonka with single-stream recycling and St. Louis Park households with a dual-stream recycling program. In addition, some of the sampled Minnetonka households were participating in curbside collection of source-separated organics.
