Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Center

Through Ramsey Washington Recycling Energy (RE), Ramsey and Washington counties aim to protect health and the environment while striving to meet the state's 75% recycling goal. RE views waste as a resource and focuses on extracting maximum value from discarded materials. The center offers deconstruction grants to support projects involving the dismantling of buildings for material reuse. Additionally, the Business Pollution Prevention Program assists businesses in transitioning to modern, high-efficiency equipment. Visitors are encouraged to participate in the Food Scraps Pickup Program to recycle residential food scraps and can also benefit from BizRecycling, which provides technical assistance and grant funding to reduce waste. The center processed 389,705 tons of trash in 2024, recovering 11,569 tons of metal for recycling and producing enough fuel to power 12,878 homes for a year while reducing CO2 emissions by 99,893 metric tons. The Partnership on Waste and Energy (PWE) facilitates collaboration among Ramsey, Washington, and Hennepin counties on waste and energy management, including policy development and legislative advocacy.