The U.S. generates about 46 pounds of e-waste per capita annually.1
In the fall of 2022, 15 Minneapolis neighborhoods sponsored an electronics recycling event. Over 16 tons (32,000 pounds) of electronics and small appliances (e-waste) were collected! In response to seeing this demand for e-waste recycling, the Tangletown Environmental Committee hosted a series of events focused on how to reduce e-waste by prolonging the life of our electronics and small appliances, and how to properly recycle these items at the end of their useful life. Our goal is to create awareness and develop skills in our community to adopt conscientious e-waste reduction strategies.
PAST EVENTS:
WHAT HAPPENS TO ELECTRONICS, APPLIANCES, AND OTHER TECH WASTE?
On October 26, 2023, e-waste experts discussed the impact of electronics and technology waste, the risks of batteries in our waste stream, and what really happens to electronics when they are recycled.
Panel guests include:
- Amanda Cotton, Electronics Waste Coordinator, MN Pollution Control Agency
- Kellie Kish, Recycling Coordinator, City of Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling
- Maria Jensen, Recycling Electronics for Climate Action (RECA)
RESOURCE SHARING AND THE IMPACT OF BORROWING
On November 16, 2023, resource sharing experts defined different types of resource sharing and discussed the impact of repairing, borrowing, and gifting items vs. buying new. Learn about toy and tool libraries, Fix-It Clinics, Buy Nothing groups, and more.
Panel guests include:
- Nancy Lo, Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist, Hennepin County
- Rebecca Nutter, Director, Minneapolis Toy Library
- Martha Garcés, Buy Nothing Kingfield/East Harriet/Tangletown volunteer moderator
HENNEPIN COUNTY FIX-IT CLINIC
On January 13, 2024, Tangletown hosted its first Hennepin County Fix-It Clinic. 141 attendees brought 200 small household appliances, clothing, electronics, mobile devices and other items to the Hennepin County Fix-It Clinic at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Tangletown. They received free guided assistance from over 60 volunteers with repair skills to disassemble, troubleshoot and fix their items. 75% of the items were fixed (or are on their way to being fixed), diverting 878 pounds of waste from our trash. Check out the photos below to see what people brought in for repair!
Photo credit: Matthew Tiede
LUNCH & LEARN: HOW TO GET MORE LONGEVITY OUT OF YOUR TECHNOLOGY
On March 23, we gathered at Fuller Park to enjoy a light lunch from Curry in a Hurry while learning best practices for caring for your personal technology devices.
Experts from local repair company Gophermods presented tips and tricks for extending the life of your cell phone, laptop, and other battery-powered personal technology. Topics included best practices for software updates, data storage, and how to properly charge and clean devices.
About our speakers:
- Anthony Berens is proud to be managing the Gophermods store in Minneapolis. He has a passion for learning how things work and helping people keep their devices going. He previously worked in the food industry with a focus on sustainability and enjoys helping others make decisions that are better for our environment.
- Benjamin Kenote is the Director of Operations at Gophermods. He has been in the industry for the past 15 years and is currently working with a worldwide organization to develop sustainable practices at Gophermods.
About Gophermods:
Gophermods is your go-to technology solutions partner. Whether it’s fixing a device, upgrading your device, or general tech information and troubleshooting, we are committed to finding a sustainable solution that fits your needs.
E-WASTE COLLECTION EVENT
On June 29, 2024, neighbors brought their old data-bearing devices such as cell phones and laptops for reuse or recycling. Tangletown partnered with Repowered to host this e-waste collection event for data-bearing devices from 9 AM–noon in the Fuller Park parking lot. Repowered, a leader in electronics recycling, secure data destruction, and quality refurbished tech, securely wiped data from or shredded all data-bearing devices we collected.
2,821 pounds of the following items were collected at the event:
Cell phones
Tablets and E-readers
Laptops and desktop computer towers (no monitors)
Power/charging cables and cords
Peripherals: external hard drives, keyboards, computer mice (no printers)
A representative from Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling was also at the event to answer questions about curbside and drop off recycling of non-data-bearing electronics (such as TVs and computer monitors), appliances (such as microwaves and refrigerators), batteries, and more. As a bonus, they were able to collect several boxes of small e-waste items (totaling ~100 pounds) that Tangletown and Repowered were unable to accept. These items are examples of e-waste that the City of Minneapolis will collect from residential customers if set out on their recycling day in a box or bag labeled “for solid waste.” Items included cordless phones, clocks, speakers, and computer monitors. Residents can search the city’s online disposal guide or Hennepin County’s Green Disposal Guide to find out how to recycle, reuse, or dispose of specific items.
1United Nations 2020 e-waste monitoring report
This project is supported by the Hennepin County Green Partners environmental education program. For more information: www.hennepin.us/greenpartners
