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Organics Bingo Challenge
Have you heard that curbside organics recycling is coming to Hopkins January 1? To help make this transition a fun learning experience, residents are invited to participate in an Organics Recycling Bingo Challenge, beginning January 10.
Compete with friends and family while reducing waste to see who can get a Bingo. Winners will be entered into a drawing to win three boxes of BPI bags.
The goal of the Bingo challenge is to motivate residents to reduce waste and manage organics in a way that will help encourage behavior change.
How to Play
Download the Organics Recycling Bingo Challenge playing card. Read and follow the instructions for each Bingo space below. All submissions for a bingo must include a photo.
Submitting a Bingo
Participants who have completed their Bingo must show which row, column or diagonal they have crossed out on the Bingo card, along with the five corresponding photos (four if you claimed the free space) in an email to pyang@hopkinsmn.com.
When submitting, the subject of your email should read “Organics Bingo Challenge, First Name, Last Name” make sure it includes the bingo card and the correlating photos.
Winners will receive an email shortly after the challenge ends.
Free Space Box
If you have not signed-up for organics yet and CAN sign-up, please do so to claim this box. If you are living in a multifamily home where curbside is not applicable to you, you may claim the free space.
- 1. Take the Organics Recycling survey
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By taking the Organics Recycling Survey, we can analyze how residents are managing their organics. Your feedback lets us know how to improve accessibility, resources and education on recycling organics. Take a photo or a screenshot to show you have completed the survey and submit it along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 2. Read the Hennepin County Organics Recycling Guide
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Thoroughly read over Hennepin County’s Organics Recycling Guide. On a sheet of paper or in a notes app, write down what you thought was the most useful tip. Submit the photo/screenshot along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 3. Visit the City of Hopkins Organics Recycling webpage and review accepted/ unaccepted items
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Visit the City of Hopkins Organics Recycling webpage and review the accepted and unaccepted items lists. Submit a photo of at least three accepted items and three unaccepted items you may have around you or print a copy for your fridge. Send a picture along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 4. Take your organics to the curb for pick-up OR bring them to the drop-off site
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Bring your bagged organics to your curbside bin and take a picture, or bring your organics to the 24/7 Minnetonka-Hopkins Recycling Center located at 11522 Minnetonka Boulevard and take a picture of you dropping off your organics. Submit the photo along with the rest of your Bingo pictures.
- 5. Share a meal with a friend or neighbor
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Use up those leftovers! Share a meal with a neighbor or cook with a family member or friend! Take a photo of yourselves cooking or eating the shared meal you made together. Submit the picture along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 6. Take a photo of your countertop organics bin
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Take a photo of your organics countertop bin if you already have one or find something to use as a countertop bin. You have plenty of options (an ice cream bucket, food grade buckets, litter container, coffee can, etc.). Submit your photo along with the rest of your Bingo pictures.
- 7. Learn strategies to reduce odor for countertop organics bins
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Organics can get smelly and dealing with odor can be irritating, especially if you have a sensitive nose. Research tips on how to manage odor and write useful strategies down on a piece of paper or in your phone’s note app to help remind you how to deal with odor. Take a picture/screenshot of your tips and send it in along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 8. Meal-prep for the week
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Meal prep for an entire week and take a picture of your packed meals. This will save you time and help you reduce waste. Send in a picture of your prepped meals along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 9. Purchase BPI recycling bags and visit the BPI website
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Buy a box of BPI bags and take a photo or simply take a photo of what you already own if you have BPI bags. Make sure to also check out the BPI website to learn more about labeling, certification, BPI products, or anything else that may interest you. Submit a picture of your BPI bags along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 10. Recycle your toilet paper roll and paper towel tubes
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Toilet roll tubes and paper towel roll tubes are great to mix in with your organics. These items help absorb the moisture and liquids in your bin. At the composting facility, they are the perfect ingredients to add into compost mixtures. Take a photo of tubes you plan on recycling and submit them along with the rest of your Bingo pictures.
- 11. Have a conversation about organics recycling
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Have a conversation about organics. Talk about it to friends over coffee, bring it up at family get-togethers, text a colleague or co-worker. Whatever you do, don’t forget to take a photo of who you’re talking to with a caption of what you specifically talked about. If the conversation was over text, you may take a screenshot. Send it in along with your other Bingo photos.
- 12. Have a ZERO waste day
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- Challenge yourself within this challenge! Have a ZERO waste day. Make a list on your phone’s note app or write down your zero waste actions on a sheet of paper. (For example: used a reusable water bottle instead of buying a drink at work, packed your own reusable utensils, did not use a plastic straw, did not get takeout today, etc.). Take a photo/screenshot of the list of actions you did and send it in along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 13. Make broth out of veggie scraps
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Make a broth out of your veggie scraps. Try something new or look up recipes. Get creative and find out what you can do with what you have. Send in a picture of your broth along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 14. Make a grocery list before shopping
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Often times, we buy too much of what we need and end up wasting food, or we get impulsive at the grocery store. Make a grocery shopping list and keep yourself on track. Send in a photo/screenshot of your list along with your other Bingo pictures.
- 15. Eat a lunch or dinner using leftovers
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Eat a meal using your leftovers or just eat your leftovers. No need to throw leftovers away if they are still good to eat. Send in a photo of your leftover meal with a caption of when you made it prior to the photo. Submit it with the rest of your Bingo pictures.
- 16. Share ideas with a friend, family member or neighbor on how to reduce organic waste
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Share ideas on how you can reduce your organic waste with friends, family and acquaintances. Send a screenshot of a text conversation or a selfie with who you talked to along with a caption of what your shared ideas were. Make sure your submission is sent in with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 17. Donate food to ICA or your local food shelf
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Do you have extra food sitting in your pantry for a while that you don’t feel like eating anymore? Instead of trashing them or letting them take up space, donate your items to a food shelf like the ICA food shelf located at 1588 K-Tel Drive in Minnetonka. Take a photo of your donations and send it in with the rest of your Bingo pictures.
- 18. Recycle a pizza box or paper egg carton
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Here’s an easy one: If you recently had pizza or just finished up the eggs from a paper carton, you can throw those straight into your curbside recycling bin. Take a photo of your pizza box/paper egg cartons in the bin and submit it along with the rest of your Bingo pictures.
- 19. Encourage a Hopkins resident outside your household to take the Organics Recycling Survey
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Have someone else take the Organics Recycling survey. Show proof of sending the link to another Hopkins resident or get a picture of them having completed the survey. Submit the picture along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 20. Pack a lunch for work 3+ times
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Pack a lunch three times to work and take a photo for every day that you have packed a lunch. Make a collage and submit this along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 21. Utilize your freezer
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Use your freezer for managing organics or reducing waste. You can freeze your organic waste, store prepped meals in the freezer, steam vegetables in bulk and freeze, and so on. Whatever you do, show us how you’re utilizing your freezer. Take a photo and send it in along with the rest of your Bingo pictures.
- 22. Set-up an EAT FIRST bin in your fridge
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It’s easy to forget about groceries pushed into the back or tucked somewhere in your fridge. Usually when you find it again, it’s gone bad, wilted or started molding. To prevent this, have a bin or basket labelled EAT FIRST in your fridge to help remind yourself of what to eat first before tossing groceries and your money away. Take a photo of your bin and send it in with the rest of your Bingo pictures.
- 23. Use paper bags or reusable bags on your next shopping trip
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Next time you shop, use paper bags or reusable bags. Paper bags are compostable and great for organic waste to go in. Reusable bags help reduce waste in general. Take a photo of your bags after a grocery trip and send it in along with the rest of your Bingo photos.
- 24. Make a meal using up ingredients in your fridge
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Make a meal using up items in your fridge. Take a photo of whatever meal you can whip up and send it in with the rest of your Bingo pictures.