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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...
Apr 22
Recycling and Water Quality: What's the Connection?
Can recycling really help to reduce negative human impacts on water quality? Photo courtesy of Vincenzo Di Giorgi via Unsplash By: Tracey...
Aug 8, 2023
The Reuse Project Underway in Local Universities
The Reuse Project is a collaborative effort by students at Drury University and Missouri State University to encourage reuse of...
Apr 28, 2023
The Importance of Recycling Batteries (and how to do it in Springfield, MO)
What do pacemakers, cars, cell phones, and remote controls have in common? If you guessed that they all run on batteries, you are...
Mar 31, 2023
Study up on all things green with SWMDO's sustainability vocab list
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash Sustainability is a subject loaded with complicated terminology and buzzwords. If water-cooler...
Jan 26, 2023
'Painting the big picture' of paint recycling legislation in Missouri
Photo by Alena Koval on Pexels If you have at least one partially filled paint can left over from a recent home-improvement project,...
Jan 10, 2023
This New Year's, resolve to waste less and recycle more
Photos via Unsplash and Pexels As 2022 wraps up and as you look into the next year, we hope you are motivated to identify and implement...
Dec 29, 2022
Your recycling doesn't end up in the landfill, despite what you may have heard
Photo by Diana Dudenhoeffer Perhaps a friend or neighbor told you that recycling doesn’t matter. They might have said the whole exercise...
Dec 29, 2022
Does throwing away food really matter? Yes, and here's why:
Photo by Nancy Hughes on Unsplash Americans waste more than 130 billion pounds of food each year. Counting for every step of the...
Dec 15, 2022
No, your banana peel won't turn into soil in the trashcan
Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric on Pexels Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought something like this: It’s fine to toss this banana peel in...
Dec 1, 2022
Ten easy ways to make your holiday celebrations more sustainable
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash With the holiday season around the corner, living sustainably might be the last thing on your mind....
Nov 17, 2022
Photo Gallery: Tour the City of Springfield Noble Hill Landfill with Environmental Services
Springfield's Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill is a 1,200 acre space northwest of town, but only about 200 acres of it is used as waste...
Nov 11, 2022
We can't wish-cycle our way to sustainability
Photo by Ron Lach on Unsplash I want to start this article with a story about my old roommate. The first few weeks of living on campus my...
Nov 8, 2022
Plastics 1-7: What you need to know about the world’s most confusing recyclable
Photo by Zuzanna Szczepanska on Unsplash Grab any plastic container and it’s likely you’ll find a symbol stamped in the bottom with three...
Oct 25, 2022
With fall comes leaf-raking season. Here’s what to do with all the leaves in your yard.
Photo by Alex Motoc on Unsplash Fall is finally here: I can tell because everyone’s allergies are acting up. There’s pumpkin spice...
Oct 13, 2022
Why do I have to pay to recycle some items?
Photos by Diana Dudenhoeffer Recycling in Springfield isn’t always easy. There are rules, limitations and stipulations that mean...
Oct 4, 2022
2023 Grant Call
Our 2023 Grant Call is now open! We are accepting applications until Friday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. The application and instructions are...
Oct 1, 2022
Statewide collaboration makes it easier for MO residents to safely dispose of pharmaceuticals
Photo by Toqfiqu Barbhuiya on Unsplash From antibiotics to Xanax, Americans rely on a lot of prescriptions. Researchers say almost 70% ...
Sep 20, 2022
Photo Gallery: Springfield Community Gardens beats the heat with freeze-dried produce
This summer, OHRD toured two Springfield Community Gardens spaces: Amanda Belle’s Farm near Cox South and the Midtown Garden near Cox...
Sep 6, 2022
Recycling is worlds easier with the City of Springfield's Waste Wizard
Have you ever stood in front of recycling, trash, and compost bins — and you don’t have a clue where to put your waste? It feels like a...
Aug 23, 2022
Welcome to the RECYCLE 417 blog!
You’ve got recycling questions? We’ve got recycling answers!
We’ll do our best to post current, useful information on a variety of recycling and waste reduction topics. We want you to be in the know! Please check in once in a while to see what we have to share. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for, contact us with suggestions.
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