Like many major companies, Land O’Lakes has become increasingly committed to sustainability initiatives in recent years. For example, Purina Animal Nutrition, a Land O’Lakes subsidiary, recently set out to develop a cost-effective recycling solution for used Purina feed tubs, a difficult and logistically-complex objective. Land O’Lakes called on Northstar Recycling, their recycling partner for all of the United States and Canada, to handle this challenge. Purina feed tubs present recycling issues because, by necessity, they need to be constructed of heavy, durable material—often rigid pla ..read more

Like many major companies, Land O’Lakes has become increasingly committed to sustainability initiatives in recent years. For example, Purina Animal Nutrition, a Land O’Lakes subsidiary, recently set out to develop a cost-effective recycling solution for used Purina feed tubs, a difficult and logistically-complex objective. Land O’Lakes called on Northstar Recycling, their recycling partner for all of the United States and Canada, to handle this challenge. Purina feed tubs present recycling issues because, by necessity, they need to be constructed of heavy, durable material—often rigid pla ..read more

Northstar Recycling attended the first-ever Mars Wrigley Confectionery supplier summit in Chicago last month, and we were extremely honored to receive the Value Leadership Award for consistently driving significant cost savings. As one of Mars’ waste vendors, Northstar Recycling continuously works to provide sustainable and cost effective waste alternatives while maintaining Mars’ Zero Waste to Landfill status.  As part of our ongoing efforts to drive savings, Northstar regularly proposes new waste stream options to Mars. As part of one such project, Northstar was able to divert 25.7 million ..read more

Minnesota Public Radio’s website (MPR News) recently ran an article titled, “When it comes to recycling, you’re (probably) doing it wrong.”  The focus of this piece was to remind individuals that it is just as important to recycle the correct materials as it is to recycle in the first place. While this is true for all recycling programs to a point, articles like this fail to address the different factors affecting business recycling, and what large manufacturing and distribution facilities can and should recycle. When articles, like that of MPR News, state that things like plastic bags, food ..read more

For some people, recycling is as common a daily routine as brushing their teeth – they do it for the immediate “feel good” effect as well as for long term motives. However, what about those people that still don’t recycle? In this post, we strive to provide businesses with some tools to increase the culture of recycling at their workplace. Before you begin trying to change company culture, try to establish a baseline and goals for your efforts. For instance, if possible, try to record what your current recycling participation rates are as well as what your would like them to be. Once you have ..read more

As author Rachel Nuwer noted in her New York Times article, “Polymers: Why Some Recyclable Items Just Don’t Mix,” “not all plastics are equal,” and many plastics cannot be recycled together. However, thanks to researchers at the University of Minnesota (UMN) and Cornell’s Tisch University, this might change. On February 24, 2017, UMN and Tisch researchers published an article in Science, explaining how they have created a new additive that should make it possible to combine two of the most popular types of plastic: Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP). According to an article on the subje ..read more

As author Rachel Nuwer noted in her New York Times article, “Polymers: Why Some Recyclable Items Just Don’t Mix,” “not all plastics are equal,” and many plastics cannot be recycled together. However, thanks to researchers at the University of Minnesota (UMN) and Cornell’s Tisch University, this might change. On February 24, 2017, UMN and Tisch researchers published an article in Science, explaining how they have created a new additive that should make it possible to combine two of the most popular types of plastic: Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP). According to an article on the subje ..read more

Northstar Recycling attended the first-ever Mars Wrigley Confectionery supplier summit in Chicago last month, and we were extremely honored to receive the Value Leadership Award for consistently driving significant cost savings. As one of Mars’ waste vendors, Northstar Recycling continuously works to provide sustainable and cost effective waste alternatives while maintaining Mars’ Zero Waste to Landfill status.  As part of our ongoing efforts to drive savings, Northstar regularly proposes new waste stream options to Mars. As part of one such project, Northstar was able to divert 25.7 million ..read more

Minnesota Public Radio’s website (MPR News) recently ran an article titled, “When it comes to recycling, you’re (probably) doing it wrong.”  The focus of this piece was to remind individuals that it is just as important to recycle the correct materials as it is to recycle in the first place. While this is true for all recycling programs to a point, articles like this fail to address the different factors affecting business recycling, and what large manufacturing and distribution facilities can and should recycle. When articles, like that of MPR News, state that things like plastic bags, food ..read more

For some people, recycling is as common a daily routine as brushing their teeth – they do it for the immediate “feel good” effect as well as for long term motives. However, what about those people that still don’t recycle? In this post, we strive to provide businesses with some tools to increase the culture of recycling at their workplace. Before you begin trying to change company culture, try to establish a baseline and goals for your efforts. For instance, if possible, try to record what your current recycling participation rates are as well as what your would like them to be. Once you have ..read more