Zero Waste Saint Paul visits Hmong Village

We'd heard that our city council members' concerns included impact to very small businesses, like vendors in Hmong Village. Despite emailing twice and calling 3 times, we are unable to arrange a meeting with building manager/owner Thomas Herr. So we decided to have a late lunch and check out the market and food court ourselves. We were pleasantly surprised to see that nearly every vendor had sustainable (recyclable) plastic products!! And for in-house dining, they have reusable bowls. They don't always use them, even as requested. 

While plastic "clamshell" containers may be more expensive than polystyrene ones, they "close and lock" better than polystyrene. Plus, their customers have choices to recycle or compost their to-go containers, instead of forcing consumers to only throw away non-recyclable (polystyrene) packaging. All in all, it was an informative, vibrant, and VERY yummy visit! We all vowed we'd be back and bring others with us! 

If you go:
Facebook: "Like" Hmong Village on Facebook
If you visit: 1001 Johnson Parkway, Saint Paul, MN 55106
Hours: 9am-8pm, 7 days a week
Getting there: Please consider taking the bus, carpooling, or biking. Parking is limited and often not available.