Edina Women Seek Environmental Changes in City

A chance meeting in a parking lot led to a discussion about the environment, what could be done to improve Edina’s “green situation” and if it was possible for a group of private citizens to do something positive.

Several months later, meet Edina Go Green (EGG), a group of seven dedicated Edina women determined to do what they can to help improve the environment through a couple of key efforts in the city.

Tackling every potential environmental problem—even in a mid-size suburb such as Edina—can be daunting. Deciding to do a rifle rather than shotgun approach, the group is concentrating on two main issues for now.

“We are focusing on getting an ordinance in place to make it mandatory for businesses to recycle and we are working to reduce the consumer use of plastic and paper bags, especially in grocery stores,” said Laura Davis.

Davis is a co-founder of EGG along with Sarah Zarrin, Aileen Foley, Louann Waddick, Melody Chester, Mary Werbalowsy and Meg Davidson.

Recycling for private residences is mandatory in Edina. Last year, local citizens recycled 3,744 tons of paper, plastic, tin cans and all of the other items allowed by law.

“However, it is estimated that only about 50 percent of those required to recycle do so,” said Zarrin. “Mandatory is one thing, enforcement is another.”

Commercially, the group cited establishments such as and as businesses which voluntarily recycle.

EGG also wants to get Edina retailers to start weaning themselves and their customers off plastic and paper bags.

Plastic bags, according to EGG and the EPA, pose major environmental problems. In an informational sheet published by the group, plastic bags consume four percent of the world’s oil production in the production process. In addition, there are roughly 380 billion plastic bags thrown away each year in the U.S. and only one to three percent is recycled.

Paper bags require four times the energy to be produced as plastic bags and only 10 to 15 percent of them are recycled.

“We want to get the Edina retailers to start promoting the reusable bag which customers can buy in the store and then bring back in over and over,” said Davis.

EGG points out that discounts for using reusable bags have been tried in other communities as an incentive and have worked. China has banned the use of ultra-thin plastic bags and businesses charge a fee for use of heavier bags. The result has been a nationwide 66 percent drop in the use of disposable plastic bags.

EGG welcomes new participants and is not a member-driven organization.

Visit their Facebook page to learn more about EGG, how to contact them and how to become involved.