Since 2011, there has been a 93% increase in recycling tonnage across the city of Grand Forks. According to Grand Forks Public Works Director Sharon Lipsh, the increase can be attributed to a few factors: more reliable tracking, an increase in public awareness and her commitment to ensuring every piece of recycled waste actually gets recycled.
“I can tell you that no recycling within the city of Grand Forks ever ends up at the landfill. The minute my people have been informed that, the minute any recycling ends up at the landfill, I get a call, and we track where that recycling came from,” she said. “People recycle so that it gets recycled. People put lots of time and effort into recycling.”
In 2011, 2,469 tons were recycled. In 2025, that number jumped up to 4,766 tons. Lipsh said recycling is important, particularly when taking into account how expensive landfills are to build and maintain.