How do you actually Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?

Photo by Julio Lopez on Unsplash

When it comes to sustainability, the mantra ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ is omnipresent, but what does that phrase really mean, and how can you practice it here in the Ozarks?

At its core, the goal of the three R’s is to lower your total waste, get more use out of what you purchase, and keep your environment healthy. How you achieve that goal can and should take many different forms! Below are some helpful starting points, including small changes you can make to your consumption habits and great resources in the area. For the ecologically ambitious, you might also consider adding a few more R’s to your routine, per our previous blog post.

Also, be sure to visit our recycling resource page for a concise list of reliable recycling centers in the District O area!

Reduce

Reduce in the three R's stands for exactly what the word implies: reducing your waste output. This can be practiced by making one-time investments in reusable goods, purchasing fewer plastic products, and taking an intentional approach to what you’re throwing away. 

Reducing is the most self-reliant sustainability practice you can perform and a good first step towards lowering your environmental impact. One small change you can take is buying in bulk with your own containers. At businesses that offer in bulk, the process is as simple as bringing in whatever container you prefer and having that container tared or weighed at the register. Buying in bulk cuts down on waste generated in your shopping by eliminating single-use plastics, and in many cases is cheaper for the consumer than alternative options. On your next shopping trip it’s worth considering bulk options— for your wallet and the environment. 

Southwest Missouri has several great options for buying in bulk, such as local grocery chain Mama Jean’s which offers bulk buying for a wide variety of pantry goods, including flours, nuts, grains, teas and spices. For a wider variety of bulk spices and teas you might also consider Chabom Teas + Spices, another local, small business located in Springfield. You can even buy goods such as laundry detergent, soap, shampoo and oils in bulk with SOAP Refill Station. SOAP often also offers (and accepts) spare containers on request, a great example of our next focus: 

Reuse

Reuse when put into action can be self-reliant as well as a great opportunity to further connect with your community! While many already practice the reuse of items such as mason jars or glass bottles for containers, it can often get a bit tricky. How do you reuse crutches you no longer need, excess jars cluttering your pantry, or an old coffee table that just doesn’t belong? Reuse doesn’t mean you need to be the one reusing it! There are many holistic organizations in the area ready to accept your unwanted items and give them a new purpose. 

Donating to thrift stores is a good go-to, but look to make an impact with your donation by going to nonprofit thrift stores! Red Racks Thrift Store, owned and operated by the nonprofit Disabled American Veterans, accepts a wide variety of goods, including books, clothing, and kitchenware. Residents in Bolivar may also consider Compassion Thrift, benefitting Community Outreach Ministries, a grant recipient of District O for their recycling program in Polk County. 

For bulkier items like furniture or appliances, you might also consider Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Springfield. Accepted items include unexpected appliances such as refrigerators or freezers— which often prove difficult to recycle due to their refrigerants— as well as fixtures and materials including cabinets, flooring, building materials, lights, rugs, and more. As well, ReStore offers free donation pick-ups on large items, a program supported by grants previously distributed by District O. 

If you’re looking to quickly offload used clothes, keep an eye out for Think Big Foundation’s clothing bins, found in many locations throughout Greene and Christian county. Benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks, these bins accept used clothing and shoes; just look for white or purple bins with BBBS branding and throw in your unwanted apparel. 

For home gardeners, you might also consider donating excess produce! Springfield Community Gardens accepts scheduled produce drop-offs which go directly towards their community fridge program, providing easy access to fresh produce at several communal spaces in the Springfield area, another program supported by District O! Learn more about donating produce at the SCG website. 

For those with excess medical supplies, such as wheelchairs or crutches, consider reading more on our resource page about what you can do to keep those important supplies and equipment away from the landfill. 

One other reuse resource can be your community itself! Community groups such as Freecycle or Buy Nothing on social media can be a great place to share items you no longer need but could still have a home. Looking amongst your neighbors or local community centers is a great place to start! 

Recycle

Recycling is all about diverting from the landfill and converting waste into energy or resources. In most cases, recycling should be seen as a last resort, since recycling will always require more energy and produce more waste than reducing or reusing. However, recycling is still a vital last line of defense from the landfill! 

Electronics, batteries, appliances, hard drives, and other various technologies can be recycled with the Computer Recycling Center, which allows drop-off at several locations as well as mobile services. Recycling electronics is vital to keeping important and potentially dangerous chemicals from occupying the landfill; learn more about the importance of recycling batteries and other easy ways to do it in our previous blog post. 

Household chemicals can be recycled at the Household Chemical Collection Center, as highlighted on the District O blog! Accepted chemicals include oils, grease, flammables, and other chemicals you might have around the house or in your garage, and is available completely free to residents of Greene, Christian, Polk, Dallas and Webster counties. Beyond safely disposing of potentially harmful chemicals, the Center is able to reuse or recycle around 70% of all accepted materials. 

Mattresses can be one of the bulkiest items in landfills, and often costs more to dispose of than it does to recycle! Victory Mission currently offers mattress recycling services with the city of Springfield at several of their recycling centers, with more information available on the Springfield Mattress Recycling website. Another bulky and difficult-to-recycle material, pallets, can be recycled with Service Recycling in Springfield, who offers rebates for any pallets they’re able to accept. 

For those looking to cleanly recycle excess yard waste, including grass trimmings, leaves, branches and similar organic materials, your best destinations will be either the Yard Waste Recycling Center located in Springfield, Show Me Rents based in Bolivar, or Hansen’s Tree Service located in Reeds Spring.

Lastly, excess food scraps can be recycled with the city of Springfield! While it’s tempting to throw food scraps directly into the garbage, especially for residents without access to a backyard compost, it’s a practice best avoided for far too many reasons to list here. Luckily, City of Springfield Environmental Services have opened a publically-accessible, free food scraps bin at several recycling centers across town. For residents within Springfield interested in joining the at-home composting program or learning more about what food scraps are accepted, more information is available on the city’s website. 

In Conclusion

While we’ve shared quite a few scenarios and resources, this list is by no means exhaustive. You’re bound to find outlier examples of items that need to be repurposed in some form, without a clear path to achieve that goal. That’s why continuing to learn which resources are available within your community will always be so important! Recycling centers are more than happy to point you in the right direction, so don’t be afraid to call your local center. 

Next time you’re planning to throw something away or leave old furniture by the curb, be sure to stop and consider if there might be a better home for it within your community. 

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About the Author

Connor Wilson is a journalist based in Springfield, Missouri. He has been writing for various news outlets and sustainability-oriented non-profits in the Ozarks since 2019. His interests include sustainability, community enrichment, and big fluffy dogs.