Opportunities to Reuse Waste and Protect Water

Presented on March 26, 2026 as part of our Lakeside Chat series, Opportunities to Reuse Waste and Protect Water, brought together government staff and practitioners.

What do waste and water have to do with each other? More than you would think! Managing waste and promoting reuse are key strategies for protecting water resources and building sustainable communities. Improper disposal of materials -from construction, demolition, and everyday living - can impact water quality, create pollution, and strain local systems that manage waste and water. This webinar explores practical solutions that communities can implement to reduce waste, recover materials, and support water-friendly practices.

• Melissa Wenzel, Built Environment Sustainability Administrator, MPCA
• Sandy Gunderson, Community Sustainability Consultant, MPCA/MN GreenStep Cities

Recording:

Presentations: 

Connections to GreenStep Best Practices: 

• BPA 5.1 - Adopt historic preservation ordinance/regulations and encourage adaptive reuse.

• BPA 19.2 - Conduct or support multi-party community conversations, assessments, plans and actions around improving local water quality and quantity.

• BPA 22.1 - Improve city operations and procurement to prevent, reuse, recycle, and compost waste from public facilities and minimize toxics and hazardous waste.

• BPA 22.2 - Address concerns over consumer products and packaging.

• BPA 22.4 - Publicize, promote, and use businesses/services collecting and marketing used, repaired, or rental consumer goods, especially electronics, locally.

• BPA 22.8 - Adopt a construction and demolition (C&D) ordinance for demolition permits requiring recycling and reuse of building materials and soil/land-clearing debris.

• BPA 24.4 - Conduct or support sustainability education and action, building on existing relationships, networks & events.

• BPA 25.4 - Strengthen businesses utilizing local "waste" material.

Resources: 

• Explore Waste and Water Resources & Articles
• MPCA - Construction & Demolition Debris Landfill Rulemaking
• Groundwater Impacts of Unlined Construction and Demolition Debris Landfilling (PDF) (MPCA, 2019)
• Sustainable Building Group Stakeholder Process (MPCA, 2020)
• All for Reuse -ecosystem map
• Habitat Restores map 
• Statewide Environmental Assistance Grant
• Minnesota RETAP

Register for upcoming GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations workshops here. You do not need to be a GreenStep community to attend.

 Visit the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program website at www.mngreenstep.org.