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Gem Lake News Page 3 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br />Recycling in Minnesota – How Does it Work? <br /> <br />Have you ever questioned if recycling is worth it? Short <br />answer: yes. Beyond saving energy and protecting <br />natural resources, recycling also supports vital <br />industries. <br /> <br />Recycling is the process of collecting materials that <br />would otherwise be thrown away and turning them into <br />new products. Our cans, bottles and paper are dropped <br />off at a local facility where people and machines sort the <br />recycling into material types which are sent to many <br />different companies: <br /> <br />• Paper and Cardboard are made into <br />newspapers, toilet paper rolls and cereal boxes <br />at five paper mills in Minnesota <br /> <br />• Cartons like juice boxes are sent to a company <br />in Wisconsin that make a material for new paper <br />products <br /> <br />• Aluminum Cans get turned into new cans, wire, <br />siding and more at plants in the South. <br /> <br />• Steel cans like those used for soup are made <br />into steel beams in Chicago. <br /> <br />• Plastic bottles with a number 1 like water <br />and soda bottles are shipped to other states to <br />be made into new bottles, deli food containers <br />and carpet. <br /> <br />• Plastic containers with a number 2 like milk <br />jugs are transformed into low-maintenance <br />lumber by companies like Avon Plastics in <br />Paynesville. They are also made into more <br />bottles or irrigation tubing for farmers. <br /> <br />• Cottage Cheese and other plastic tubs with a <br />number 5 are used to create food containers, <br />car parts, paint cans and more by companies in <br />other states <br /> <br />• Glass bottles and jars are sorted by color in <br />Saint Paul. Clear glass goes to Anchor Glass in <br />Shakopee to make condiment bottles. Brown <br />glass is sent to Illinois to make beer bottles. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Our recycling is wanted by many companies in our state <br />and across the country. Help support local recycling <br />business: <br /> <br />• Stick to the basics: Recycle the items listed on <br />the left. <br /> <br />• Keep it loose: Empty recycling into your bin – no <br />plastic bags. <br /> <br />• Check with your recycling hauler or Ramsey <br />County (RamseyRecycles.com/AtoZ or <br />651-633-3279) for everything else. <br /> Don’t Feed The Deer That Hang <br />Around Your Yard <br /> <br />Okay, sometimes they are cute and gentle, but those <br />deer are also wild animals. The Minnesota Department of <br />Natural Resources has feeding and attractant bans in <br />place across the state to prevent concentrations of wild <br />deer in areas with a higher risk of disease. This includes <br />Ramsey County. These bans are precautionary steps the <br />DNR took when deer that tested positive for chronic <br />wasting disease (CWD) were found in both wild and on <br />deer farms. Feeding bans encompass wider areas <br />because food sources can concentrate deer and allow for <br />close contact—one of the mechanisms for CWD. <br /> <br />Deer feeding includes placement or distribution of grains, <br />fruits, vegetables, hay and other food capable of <br />attracting deer. <br /> <br />Deer attractants are natural or manufactured products <br />that are capable of attracting or enticing deer, including <br />salt or food scents. <br /> <br />People who feed birds and small mammals must do so in <br />a manner that prevents deer access, such as placing <br />food at least six feet above ground level. Food placed as <br />a result of normal agricultural practices is generally <br />exempt from the feeding ban. For more information go to: <br />www.dnr.state.mn.us/cwd/feedban.html <br /> <br /> <br />