You probably learned about Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle but true waste reduction and sustainability has room for more than three R’s!
Rethink how you manage your waste. Wish-cycling–or putting things in the recycling bin because you hope it can be recycled–waste staff time when they need to pull it out, and can lead to even more stuff ending up in the landfill if non-recyclable items contaminate recyclable materials.
Repair whenever you can. We’re thrifty Iowans! What can you mend, tinker with, fix, and make do with?
Refuse to buy products with excess packaging or products that cannot be recycled.
There is even another R: ROT. Stay tuned for news about a backyard composting initiative in 2022!