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Eco Living – Feed your pumpkin to livestock to keep it out of the landfill

Composting your Halloween jack-o'-lantern is a good way to keep it out of the landfill. So is giving it to a local farmer.

A 'learning year' begins for Minnesota’s new boat wrap stewardship program

Minnesota is the first state to require producers fund boat wrap collection and recycling.

Recycling recovery

Each year, Minnesotans throw away more than 850,000 tons of recyclables, worth around $153 million. Here's how we're reducing those numbers in Greater Minnesota.

Minnesota farmers welcome MPCA staff for educational tour of operations

MPCA staff toured three farms in southeastern Minnesota. The purpose of external communications is to show that the agency cares about education and outreach, and we get out in the field to learn on site.

Developing a sustainable purchasing policy

What an organization buys, who it buys from, and how it uses the goods and services once bought is a reflection of the organization's values. Sustainable purchasing policies shows a commitment to…

Minimizing fish kills in Minnesota

While hundreds of fish kills occur in Minnesota every year, mostly in lakes and ponds, fish kills on trout streams in southeast Minnesota are much less common.

Former golf course in Baxter becomes new stormwater garden to help the Mississippi

The MPCA gave an environmental award to the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, which sold land so it could become a watershed wetland in Baxter. The project is being finalized in summer 2024.

A smoky summer ahead? What wildfire season could mean for air quality

The frequent wildfires in California and elsewhere, brought on by climate change, are affecting air quality for thousands of miles. That includes Minnesota.

Purchasing resources for vendors

Responding to complex, technical product specificationsAsk questions! Use the Q&A process outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Bid (RFB)Some sustainability improvements lead…

Towing company uses MPCA grants to clean up its fleet of diesel trucks

The MPCA is granting $4.4m from VW settlement funds to replace dirty diesel trucks with cleaner drivetrains. Similar previous grants show how the program works.

Alternative landscaping equipment

Gas-powered landscaping and snow removal equipment is bad for the environment. Battery-powered equipment has a lot of benefits.

With an MPCA grant, Reuse Minnesota’s mend-it clinics save clothes from the landfill, one stitch at a time

MPCA Environmental Assistance grant program puts spotlight on mend-it clinics and other reuse and waste reduction efforts.

Eco Living — How to start backyard composting

Spring is the time for awakening gardens from their slumber and cleaning up the yard. It’s also a good time to start thinking about a backyard compost pile. Here’s how to build one that’ll enhance soil health and that your neighbors won’t mind.

Eco Living – How new Minnesota laws are helping shoppers reduce exposure to PFAS

What consumers should know about new Minnesota laws prohibiting PFAS in consumer products and the MPCA’s efforts to minimize PFAS pollution by keeping it out of commonly used household products.

MPCA presents conservationist award to advocate who keeps waste off lake ice

Robyn Dwight is the 2024 winner of the Community Conservationist Award given by the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and MPCA. She helped expand Keep It Clean, which keeps garbage off lake ice.

Minnesota GreenCorps opportunities

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency places members with host sites throughout Minnesota each year. Members serve full-time for 11 months (Sept. 2026 through Aug. 20227) at environmental nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions.