North Loop Launches Waste Reduction Effort
The North Loop Neighborhood Association (NLNA), in a partnership with Clean Water Fund (CWF), is launching a new “Waste Reduction Innovation District” in the neighborhood to drastically reduce the trash we create, increase what we recycle and learn to re-use items we would normally throw away. The initiative will be officiallly launched at Fulton Taproom on Saturday, August 22.
Waste reduction has become more urgent because the garbage burner continues to burn 1,000 tons of garbage every day, despite city and county officials agreeing it needs to close. The Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), commonly referred to as “the garbage burner,” is located in North Loop next to Target Field.
One of the challenges to closing the garbage burner is that no other city wants to take in garbage from all over Hennepin County, as the current burner does. “If society can learn different ways of handling our daily trash, a huge dent in the current garbage is possible, and the need for the current garbage burner won’t be as great,” explained David Crary, vice president of the North Loop Neighborhood Association.
“We know it’s impossible to eliminate all garbage, but it’s our goal that the North Loop can become the example for other communities throughout Hennepin County to learn from our experience and reduce waste too,” said Crary. “In order to do that, each one of us has to be open to changing the way we handle our garbage.”
The HERC is in the North Loop, next to Target Field. Photo taken from HERC YouTube video.
Businesses, Condo/Apartment Buildings Can Make a Difference
The NLNA’s partnership with Clean Water Fund includes securing grants that will be used for ongoing public education for residents, property managers and businesses to learn how to reduce their waste and, in turn, their operating costs due to fewer pounds of garbage being picked up every week.
“We’re excited to bring our extensive experience in waste prevention and resource conservation to the North Loop,” said Christian Balden, a zero-waste organizer with Clean Water Fund. CWF’s ReThink Disposable program helps businesses replace single-use products like silverware and to-go containers with reusable or non-toxic alternatives. “This can save a business thousands of dollars a year, since they’re purchasing fewer items and creating less trash that needs to be hauled away,” explained Balden.
The North Loop is unique in that most residents live in condos and apartments that share trash and recycling bins, making it hard for residents to realize how much trash they generate, because it gets tossed into large, shared trash bins. “We see that challenge as an opportunity,” said Balden. “We hope to show that the same shared trash infrastructure can become the foundation for one of the most innovative waste reduction efforts in the country. Reinventing shared spaces has always been part of the North Loop’s story.”
Launch Event
The first neighborhood event will take place on Saturday, August 22 from 11 to Noon at Fulton Taproom. Through interactive information stations featuring waste-reduction ideas from around the world, community visioning activities, and a brief presentation, attendees will discover practical ways to reduce waste and help imagine what Minnesota’s first practically waste-free neighborhood could become.
Fulton’s Sustainability Choices
Visitors who enjoy a cold glass of Lonely Blonde and plate of nachos at Fulton probably don’t realize how intentional the serving choices are to reduce waste, said Jill Drum, Fulton’s Director of Hospitality.
“It starts over at our brewing facility in Northeast,” Drum explained. “We’ve made really sustainable choices. We have a large solar array on the roof of our building. And we have a sustainable wastewater treatment program that we’ve worked with the University of Minnesota for a number of years to make sure the things we’re putting back in to the environment are a little bit cleaner than when they came to us. So even from how our Lonely Blonde is getting made, we’re making sustainable choices as well.”
Fulton serves food on reusable metal trays, with paper liners that can be composted. Photo credit: Fulton Taproom
In the taproom, Fulton uses re-usable, washable glassware, silverware and metal trays. The napkins and paper liners for the trays are compostable, and guests separate organics, recyclables and trash when they bus their tables.
Ongoing Efforts
The NLNA has a history of supporting environmentally-friendly initiatives. Since 2021, the North Loop has had two organics recycling bins, one behind Colonial Warehouse and the other behind The Freehouse.
This year, the NLNA hosted its first SWAP Meet, where those taking part brought hundreds of clothes and accessories to swap with others, giving those items a chance to be re-used. Items that weren’t swapped were donated to the Salvation Army, which has its own extensive recycling and reuse program.
“The Waste Reduction Innovation District is taking those efforts to the next level,” said Crary. “It may take a few years, but I really believe that all of us working together can make this happen.”
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Time: 11 to Noon
- Where: Fulton Taproom, 414 N. 6th Ave.
- Free; open to residents, property managers and North Loop business owners and managers
— By Mary Binkley, NLNA President