Number of questionnaires returned: 22
Demographics
- Educator: 4
- Local leader: 3
- Business owner: 1
- Community member: 5
- UMM student: 9
1. How did you hear about today’s meeting and why did you decide to attend?
- Personal invite: 5
- Flyer/Poster: 4
- On-line including email, discourse, Facebook etc.: 10
- Via network membership: 6
- Radio: 1
- Specifically mentioned Syd: 8
Interested in the topic
Wants to lessen the effect of waste on the environment.
Wanted to learn about local waste process.
Interested in ideas/goals/policy.
Wants to reduce waste.
Wants to do something about climate change.
Interested in sustainable communities.
2. On a scale from 1 (I know nothing!) to 10 (I know so much!) how much did you know about local waste systems before and after this meeting?
Everyone said they learnt something.
3. What are some of your big take aways from today’s event?What is something you will continue to talk/think about after you leave?
Waste management is expensive.
Recycling is expensive.
Garbage in recycling is a problem
Transportation is a huge part of waste management.
A whole lot of money is spent on hauling and disposal.
Our waste travels a long way.
News on the usefulness (or lack there of) of recycling was discouraging.
Recycling is not the panacea we imaging it to be.
We need more composting.
Reducing garbage/plastic/Amazon packaging would be useful.
What we use in an instant takes money and time to be dealt with.
Gained a better understanding of the system, made it visible.
The whole system is important from local to state level to federal level and how business interacts with all those levels. This is complicated!
Waste is a big problem and there is much to be done but there are people who care about the issue.
The whole community needs to know how complicated and expensive this is.
4. Who is someone you think would benefit from the information discussed here today?
- Everyone, especially those who generate waste, regardless whether they are in/outside the city limits.
- Civic groups.
- Business leaders and owners, especially restaurant owners.
- The hospital.
- Day care providers.
- Elementary students PK-6.
- School system administrators/employees.
- UMM students, especially policy students.
5. What are topic suggestions you have for future West Central MN Climate Network Meetings? What are things you would like to learn more about?
What can we personally do to fix recycling/composting/landfill situations.
Tips and tricks for personal waste management. Sharing waste reduction strategies.
Tips on recycling electronics.
Where/how to find accurate info on recycling options.
How to compost.
How to reuse items.
How to reduce consumption of single use containers.
Educational field trips to see what happens to our waste.
Water. The whole system including plumbing, water treatment and waste water treatment.
Energy.
Efficiency in the community both homes and businesses.
How to get more solar energy locally.
Energy sources and their costs
Costs our local government is grappling with.
Permaculture
The Morris Model
Carbon sequestration and tillage.