Description
Green to Go
In 2015, Minneapolis passed the Green to Go ordinance to reduce packaging waste. We designed this to limit harm caused by single-use food and drink containers. Restaurants and City events use these containers. The goal was to ban Styrofoam™ and other containers that people can’t compost or recycle. It also encourages the use of containers that people can reuse, recycle, or compost.
This work supports the:
- Climate Equity Plan
- Zero Waste Plan
- Strategic Racial Equity Action Plan
This work helps move us toward a low-waste, circular economy. It cuts down on hard-to-manage materials in our waste system.
Indicators
Indicators help us track our progress towards our goals. The indicator for this strategy is:
- Percent compliance to City’s Green To Go ordinance
What we’re doing now
Under the Green To Go ordinance, establishments must follow specific rules for packaging. They can only use containers that are compostable, recyclable, or reusable. Recyclable containers include only plastics #1, #2, and #5, and they exclude black plastic.
The City helps businesses follow the rules by offering:
- Education and in-person support
- Translated materials and signs
- Help from local nonprofits and Hennepin County
- Constant updates to our website
- Sharing updates through newsletters
- Creating and updating flyers translated into six languages:
- English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Chinese, and Korea
The goal of this work is to:
- Cut down on trash going to landfills or the waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerator
- Promote composting and recycling
- Move toward more reusable packaging systems
The Green to Go ordinance still allows some single- use plastic. So plastic takeout packaging is still common. Right now, there are challenges with collecting and sorting this sort of packaging. To reach these goals, we need to update the policy. This would better limit single-use plastics and give more support for reusable options.
We’re still reviewing how well the ordinance is working. To do this, we talk with businesses and other partners. We also look at changes that support both sustainability and fairness for businesses.
Request accessible format
If you need help with this information, please email climate tracker support or call 311 or 612-673-3000.
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