Monica Peterson of Minot is inspired to try composting this summer.

Both are among a growing group of local residents who are supporting each other’s efforts to leave a smaller imprint on the environment. Environmentally Minded People of Minot connects people through its Facebook page, but also seeks to reach out to the community and policymakers to promote ways to protect the environment.

The group is sponsoring Zero Waste Week activities from Feb. 23 to 29. Some businesses will be participating with special deals, giveaways or prizes. There also will be days designated to reducing waste, such as Water Bottle Wednesday and National Skip the Straw Day on Feb. 28. Minot Public Library will have a Repair Fair on Feb. 29.

Through education and support, Environmentally Minded People of Minot aims to encourage residents and businesses to take steps to reduce waste and conserve energy.

Submitted Photo Minot State University students in an environmental science class gather litter to clean up north Minot as part of an Earth Day observance in this photo by Rick Heit of MSU.

Gates said most of the environmental effort in Minot in the past has come from individuals taking actions on their own.

“It’s not a team effort. So we’re trying to create a team,” she said. “Our goal is just to get enough people to talk about it or share it that we can maybe help our city.”

Gates finds Environmentally Minded People to be a source of tips on reducing waste now that Minot has lost its recycling center.

“I personally decided to figure out where can I cut down so that I’m only putting in maybe one bag a week,” she said of her garbage pickup. “My goal this year is to completely get rid of any single-use plastic in my house.”

Environmentally Minded People helps by sharing feedback on products such as strip laundry detergents or reusable produce bags. The group also compiled a list of 25 easy things a person can do to reduce waste.

“They are there to help support people that maybe want to take a step in that direction and don’t know where to start,” Gates said. “Most people don’t do it because it sounds complicated.”

Peterson said her interest in recycling goes back to her college days and time spent living in Grand Forks. She brought that interest with her when she moved back to Minot in 1996. When she learned about Environmentally Minded People of Minot, she joined its Facebook community.

“I have learned a lot of good tips and tricks – things you don’t think about,” Peterson said. For instance, she discovered old mascara wands can be washed and used by rescue crews in cleaning animals after oil spills.

She also looks for energy-efficient appliances and lighting for her home. She planted native plants in her yard to reduce the need for fertilizer and watering. She is an advocate for recyling in the workplace.

Peterson sees that Minot has both avid recyclers but also many people who don’t recycle, often because options are few, making recycling difficult and inconvenient.

“The first step would be for the city to implement something. I know they are trying. I think that would definitely encourage more people to recycle,” she said. The city’s plan for curbside recycling hinges on a proposed survey to determine whether there’s enough interest to make it feasible.

Education to increase environmental consciousness is a focus of Joe Collette, assistant professor of geology at Minot State University. He began working informally with Environmentally Minded People of Minot before joining the group. He supports more open forums like the well-attended forum a year ago on how Minot can prepare for global change.

“I think that kind of education, where you can have a dialogue with people, is important,” Collette said. “You need to listen as much as educate.”

He also enjoys repairing audio equipment, finding satisfaction in giving new life to old products that had been discarded because they didn’t work.

“I’ve been into the reuse for years and years,” he said. “I love flea markets and thrift stores.”

Collette sees a substantial number of people in Minot who want to become more environmentally friendly. The community as a whole is receptive to the environmental message, he said. Becoming more environmentally friendly can be as simple as bundling shopping to make fewer trips or converting to LED lighting, both of which save money as well as the environment, he said.

Collette would like to see Minot, as a city, invest in bicycle friendliness, now hindered by narrow streets, crowding from parking and unfamiliarity of motorists with rules of the road for bikes.

Since joining Environmentally Minded People, Gates said, she has expanded her focus from what she can do as an individual to how she can help the city as a whole become more environmentally friendly.

“I want to help other people. It could be just small steps,” she said. “We’re just trying to get anybody to do just one or two things that’s reasonable, doable, flexible, for that individual.”

Gates said “minded” is the key word in the group.

“We’re just mindful. We are not some radical group. Having that word ‘minded’ is just kind of a gentle way of saying just maybe think twice,” she said. “You don’t have to be a diehard like some of us are. But maybe bring your own bags every once in a while or just those little things.”