Survey seeks to gauge public interest in garbage reduction

Changes in waste management are coming for the North Shore. Currently, trash from the Arrowhead is hauled to the Superior Landfill in Superior, WI, but that facility is slated to close in 2026. The Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP) is working to help address the looming waste management questions by working with Lake and Cook Counties, as well as Grand Portage, to coordinate on waste reduction. Their efforts currently focus on recycling and composting in the area.

The group is beginning with a survey to determine feasibility of a compost project in the area, and increasing recycling. The survey is open to households in the area, and aims to gauge interest in and knowledge about the subject. This will help the RSDP determine the needs of different communities across the region. The survey will be available through a mix of on-line delivery and paper copies in order to reach a wide variety of respondents.

The RSDP will also hold public meetings to allow further community engagement with the recycling and composting program concepts they are exploring. They invite any interested members of the public to attend the meeting at the Log Cabin in Grand Marais on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m., or at Birch Grove in Tofte on Feb. 27 at 5 p.m.

WTIP’s Mark Abrahamson spoke with Natalie Lavenstein, an AmeriCorps Sustainability Project Coordinator working with the Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships. They discussed the main goals of the project and the public survey.

Kirsten Wisniewski February 5, 2024