Earth Day Action Quest

Take the Lead Out

Exchange your lead fishing tackle for a non-lead tackle. Tackle made from lead can poison loons, eagles and other wildlife if ingested. If you’re not sure if your tackle is made of lead, try rubbing the tackle on a piece of paper. If it leaves a streak, then it’s likely lead. Exchange your fishing tackle for free at the Ramsey County year-round collection site or the Washington County Environmental Center.

Parks, Parks, Parks!

Explore one of the 24 regional and county parks in your own backyard! Find info on Ramsey County parks here and Washington County parks here.

Find it at Your Local Library

Read a book about nature – plants, animals, climate, landscapes! Read a book from home or borrow one for free through your public library. Visit your library’s website to get started. Find Ramsey County library locations here and Washington County libraries here.

Medicine Drop Box

Clean out your medicine cabinet and dispose of your unwanted and expired medicines. Don’t throw them in the garbage or flush them down the toilet. Bring them to a free collection site in Ramsey County or Washington County and you will help protect our environment, while preventing crime, drug abuse, and accidental poisoning.

R&E Center Virtual Tour

Take a virtual tour of the Ramsey/ Washington Recycling & Energy Center here. All trash generated by residents and businesses in Ramsey and Washington counties is delivered to the R&E Center in Newport where it is processed to recover value. Processing trash also keeps it out of landfills. Can you find the control room on your tour?

Repair

Instead of tossing out broken items, challenge yourself to fix them instead. You’ll save money and feel handy. Join Ramsey and Washington county Fix-it Clinic volunteers as they demonstrate simple repairs and maintenance of everyday items in our repair video series. Didn’t find what you were looking for? Check out ifixit.com and youtube.com for more helpful tutorials on how to fix common items!

Donate

Donate your time, skills, gently used items, food and more. Donating to and buying from thrift stores is one of the best ways to reduce consumption. Donating your time by volunteering at a food shelf or by cleaning up a natural area near you are great ways to support your community and protect your local environment.

Product Reuse

Did you know that both counties have spaces where you can get free products such as paints, stains, automotive fluids, and household cleaners? When people bring these items to household hazardous waste sites, products in good condition are made available for free to residents. Come browse the shelves and see what you find! Information on Ramsey County’s Product Reuse Center is available here, and information on Washington County’s Free Product Room is available here.

Sort it Out

Recycle only items that are accepted by your hauler. When people put items in their recycling carts or dumpsters that don’t belong there, it causes problems for the workers at recycling facilities. Test your knowledge by playing the Know What to Throw game! Note: Some haulers accept different materials. Check with your hauler for information on what materials can/cannot go in your recycling bin.

Household Hazardous Waste

Dispose of household hazardous waste (HHW) at a drop-off location near you. HHW includes materials like household cleaners, paints, paint thinners, batteries, motor oils and pesticides. When not disposed of properly, HHW can pose a threat to human health and the environment. In Washington County, take your HHW to the Washington County Environmental Center. In Ramsey County, take it to the year-round collection site.

Be a Battery Hero!

Batteries can cause fires when they end up in the trash or recycling. Bring them to the Ramsey County year-round collection site or the Washington County Environmental Center or another Call2Recycle location.

Material Recovery Facility

MRF stands for “materials recovery facility,” which is where the items in your recycling bin go to be sorted for recycling. Check out what happens at Shakopee’s Dem-Con MRF and prepare to be amazed.

Food Scraps

Start collecting food scraps. You can compost food scraps in your yard or drop them off at a county drop-off site so that they can be turned back into nutrient-rich soil! Ramsey County residents, click here to get started. Washington County residents, click here.

Waste Audit

Keep track of everything you throw in the trash today. At the end of the day, look at what you threw away. Are there choices you could make to reduce how much you throw away? Reducing waste is important in creating a sustainable future. Try these easy swaps to reduce your waste!

Paper towels: Keep a stack of washable cloth rags to use instead – cutting up old t-shirts works great.
Chip bags and packaging: Buying individual bags or portions? Buying bulk is more cost effective and generates less packaging. Create your own servings with reusable containers.
Plastic sandwich bags and wrap: Consider a reusable container.
Coffee pods: Single-serve coffee pods are convenient but can be very wasteful. Instead, try reusable pods and bulk coffee.

Food: Too Good to Waste

Learn how to store your food so that it lasts longest. As a proud agricultural state, Minnesotans know the hard work and resources that go into growing food. That’s why we want to make sure food gets eaten and doesn’t go to waste! When we throw away food, we waste money and all the resources it took to grow, ship and keep that food fresh. Click here for food saving tips.

Ramsey/Washington Earth Day Action Quest Gift Card Giveaway – OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

1.  PROMOTION DESCRIPTION: The Ramsey/Washington Earth Day Action Quest Gift Card Giveaway (\”Sweepstakes\”) begins on April 1 2022 and ends April 30 2022 (the \”Promotion Period\”).

The sponsor of this Sweepstakes is Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (“Sponsor”). By participating in the Sweepstakes, each Entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor is responsible for the collection, submission or processing of Entries and the overall administration of the Sweepstakes. Entrants should look solely to Sponsor with any questions, comments or problems related to the Sweepstakes. Sponsor may be reached by email at info@recyclingandenergy.org during the Promotion Period.

2.  ELIGIBILITY: Open to residents of Ramsey County, MN and Washington County, MN who are age 18 or over (the \”Entrant\”). Sponsor, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies and each of their respective officers, directors and employees (the \”Promotion Entities\”), are ineligible to enter the Sweepstakes or win a prize. Household Members and Immediate Family Members of such individuals are also not eligible to enter or win. “Household Members” shall mean those people who share the same residence at least three months a year. “Immediate Family Members” shall mean parents, step-parents, legal guardians, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, or spouses. This Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

3. PRIZES:

Grand Prize: Three (3) winners will receive one (1) $25 Visa Card (approximate retail value or “ARV”: $25)

Only one prize per person and per household will be awarded. Gift cards are subject to the terms and conditions of the issuer. Prizes cannot be transferred, redeemed for cash or substituted by winner. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to award a substitute prize of equal or greater value if a prize described in these Official Rules is unavailable or cannot be awarded, in whole or in part, for any reason. The ARV of the prize represents Sponsor’s good faith determination. That determination is final and binding and cannot be appealed. If the actual value of the prize turns out to be less than the stated ARV, the difference will not be awarded in cash. Sponsor makes no representation or warranty concerning the appearance, safety or performance of any prize awarded. Restrictions, conditions, and limitations may apply. Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen prize items.

This Sweepstakes is open to residents of Ramsey County, MN and Washington County, MN and Prize will only be awarded and/or delivered to addresses within said locations. All federal, state and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. Failure to comply with the Official Rules will result in forfeiture of the prize.

4. HOW TO ENTER: Enter the Sweepstakes during the Promotion Period online by visiting the entry form, which can be found on the following website at earthdayactionquest.com

Automated or robotic Entries submitted by individuals or organizations will be disqualified. Internet entry must be made by the Entrant. Any attempt by Entrant to obtain more than the stated number of Entries by using multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations, logins or any other methods, including, but not limited to, commercial contest/sweepstakes subscription notification and/or entering services, will void Entrant’s Entries and that Entrant may be disqualified. Final eligibility for the award of any prize is subject to eligibility verification as set forth below. All Entries must be posted by the end of the Promotion Period in order to participate. Sponsor’s database clock will be the official timekeeper for this Sweepstakes.

5. WINNER SELECTION: The Winner(s) of the Sweepstakes will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible Entries received throughout the Promotion Period. The random drawing will be conducted about one (1) week after the Promotion Period by Sponsor or its designated representatives, whose decisions are final. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible Entries received.

6. WINNER NOTIFICATION: Winner will be notified by email at the email address provided in the Entry Information approximately one (1) week after the random drawing. Potential Winner must accept a prize by email as directed by Sponsor within four (4) weeks of notification. Sponsor is not responsible for any delay or failure to receive notification for any reason, including inactive email account(s), technical difficulties associated therewith, or Winner’s failure to adequately monitor any email account.

Any winner notification not responded to or returned as undeliverable may result in prize forfeiture. No substitution or transfer of a prize is permitted except by Sponsor.

7. PRIVACY: Any personal information supplied by you will be subject to the privacy policy of the Sponsor. By entering the Sweepstakes, you grant Sponsor permission to share your email address and any other personally identifiable information with the other Sweepstakes Entities for the purpose of administration and prize fulfillment, including use in a publicly available Winners list.

8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Sponsor assumes no responsibility or liability for (a) any incorrect or inaccurate entry information, or for any faulty or failed electronic data transmissions; (b) any unauthorized access to, or theft, destruction or alteration of entries at any point in the operation of this Sweepstakes; (c) any technical malfunction, failure, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or communications line failure, regardless of cause, with regard to any equipment, systems, networks, lines, satellites, servers, camera, computers or providers utilized in any aspect of the operation of the Sweepstakes; (d) inaccessibility or unavailability of any network or wireless service, the Internet or website or any combination thereof; (e) suspended or discontinued Internet, wireless or landline phone service; or (f) any injury or damage to participant’s or to any other person’s computer or mobile device which may be related to or resulting from any attempt to participate in the Sweepstakes or download of any materials in the Sweepstakes.

If, for any reason, the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned for reasons which may include without limitation, infection by computer virus, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which may corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes in whole or in part. In such event, Sponsor shall immediately suspend all drawings and prize awards, and Sponsor reserves the right to award any remaining prizes (up to the total ARV as set forth in these Official Rules) in a manner deemed fair and equitable by Sponsor. Sponsor and Released Parties shall not have any further liability to any participant in connection with the Sweepstakes.

9. SPONSOR: Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board, 100 Red Rock Rd, Newport, MN 55055, info@recyclingandenergy.org.

Express Thanks

Thank a favorite restaurant for its green practices, such as offering reusable dishes or using sustainable ingredients. This thank you can be in person in an online review.

Start your Earth Day Action Quest today!

Challenges