Author: Winneshiek Waste

Happy National Upcycling Day, everyone! Today, we honor the creativity and environmental benefits of upcycling. Instead of tossing out old items, let’s give them a new life and purpose. Upcycling not only reduces waste but also allows us to create unique and useful pieces from things we might otherwise discard.

Here are a couple ideas:

1. Transform Old T-Shirts Into Tote Bags:
– Gather those old, unused t-shirts and turn them into stylish, resuable tote bags. You can use these for grocery shopping or day trips.

2. Repurpose Glass Jars into Stylish Storage:
– Clean out those empty glass jars and use them for storing spices, crafting supplies, and other items. Add a coat of paint or some twine for a personalized touch!

Remember, one person’s trash can be another’s treasure. Happy upcycling!

Did you know that today is Learn About Composting Day!? Composting your food waste is one of the best things you can do at home to reduce the amount of garbage filling up our landfill. Compost eventually breaks down into a soil amendment that can be used as fertilizer for your garden or lawn. To learn some composting tips, click here!

As we honor and remember the brave men and women who have served our country, we hope everyone has a safe and joyful holiday weekend.

Please note, our recycling center will be closed on Monday in observance of the holiday. We’ll resume normal operations on Tuesday.

As we head into the weekend, we wanted to provide a tip to reduce waste in your household:

*Buy in bulk.

Buying items in bulk reduces waste by eliminating unnecessary packaging and helps our landfill last longer by creating less trash. If you need to buy plastic packaging, try to stick with hard plastics stamped with a #1 or #2 so they can be recycled at our facility.

Thank you!

Join us for the 2024 Earth Day Festival taking place on Saturday, April 20th, at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds in both the Community Building and Danan Lansing Building! Explore the latest in recycling, composting, solar power, electric vehicles, native planting, wildlife habitat, conservation practices, and more! This free, open house event is for all ages. Have fun with hands-on activities, interactive displays, and educational exhibits provided by local conservation and sustainability organizations.

SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE 2024 EARTH DAY FESTIVAL INCLUDE…

• Free snacks from the Oneota Community Food Co-op
• Free coffee from Impact Coffee and Winneshiek Energy District
• Educational presentations:
  • 9:30 AM: “Bringing Birds & Pollinators to Your Backyard” with Winneshiek County Conservation Naturalist Larry Reis
  • 10:00 AM: “Meet Astrid, a Live Gyrfalcon” with Raptor Resource Project’s David Kester
  • 10:30 AM: “Solar 101” with Winneshiek Energy District’s Paul Cutting
  • 11:00 AM: “Meet Astrid, a Live Gyrfalcon” with Raptor Resource Project’s David Kester
  • 11:30 AM: “Understanding the Decorah Impact Crater” with Luther College professor Birgitta Meade
• Explore the live insects brought by the Iowa State University Insect Zoo
• View the stars in the Keystone Area Education Agency planetarium
• Native tree seedlings & other giveaways
• Electric vehicle showings
• Solar & HVAC contractors
• First access to register for the 2024 Driftless Safari and receive a free guidebook
• And much more!

For more information about this event and the organizations involved, visit the Winneshiek County Conservation website!

STARTING MONDAY, APRIL 1ST, ALL ELECTRONIC WASTE AND OLD APPLIANCES SHOULD BE DROPPED OFF AT THE RECYCLING CENTER (2510 172nd Avenue Decorah, IA) DURING BUSINESS HOURS (6:00 AM to 3:00 PM M-F excluding holidays).

THE WINNESHIEK COUNTY LANDFILL WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT ELECTRONICS OR APPLIANCE WASTE STARTING APRIL 1ST.

PLEASE NOTE:

* A $20 fee per unit still applies for televisions, computer monitors, or appliances containing freon.

* Payments must be made with cash or check only, and cash transactions should be for the exact amount owed.

*Enter the recycling center through the pedestrian door on the right side of the large dock door, where our staff will assist you.

For more details on disposal procedures, visit our “What Do I Do With” page. Feel free to reach out via Facebook Messenger or call us at 563-382-6514 with questions.

Winneshiek County residents! Did you hear you can earn a home composter for no cost this year? See the details listed below to find out if you are eligible. Composting your food waste helps reduce pressure on our landfill. It also creates healthy soil that can be used as fertilizer in your garden! Click on the “Composting” tab in the top right corner to learn more about the home composter or to order a container.

If you are not a Winneshiek County resident, you can still order a bin for approximately $55. Supplies are limited. The order form will be closed when supplies run out.

Conditions for earning a bin for no charge:

1. You must be a Winneshiek County resident

2. You must attend a compost training (sessions are listed in the order form)

3. Limit of one free composter per household

Questions about this program? Contact Evan Neubauer at wildrecycling@winneshiekwild.com.

Happy Wednesday all! Remember to unscrew those bottle caps before tossing plastic bottles in the recycling bin, and ensure your plastic bottles are empty. Our recycling team appreciates the help! Also, another friendly reminder: we only accept HARD plastics with the magic numbers 1 or 2 in the recycling triangle. This number is usually found on the bottom of the plastic container. If there is a 3,4,5,6,7 or no number present, we cannot accept it. Thanks and keep up the good work!

Big shoutout to our amazing community! We’ve noticed a significant rise in cardboard here over the past couple weeks, and the best part? The loads have been clean with minimal contamination! Kudos for the exceptional job in maintaining the quality of our cardboard recycling. Thanks for your efforts and stay safe in this snow!

We love the committment to recycling, but we need your help! Recently, our recycling center has faced challenges with improper sorting and non-recyclables finding their way into the bins. This poses serious risks to our hardworking staff, especially when heavy items mix with lighter materials like paper. Large pieces of scrap metal need to be taken directly to the recycling center drop off shed and placed in the SCRAP METAL bin.

This not only jeopardizes the safety of our team but also increases the need for additional pickups, consuming more time and fuel. When people throw plastic waste in our paper bin, it fills up a lot faster and the plastic needs to be removed and taken to a different area in our facility. In addition, many of the plastics we have seen lately are not recyclable here.

At this time, we can only accept hard plastics marked with a triangle containing a #1 or a #2. There should be no liquids or food waste in these containters, and we do not take plastic bags or bubble wrap. Our dedicated staff shouldn’t have to sort through trash – that’s not their role! Before you throw something in the recycling bin, think about the folks that will have to handle that item when it arrives at the facility.

Trash belongs in the landfill, not the recycling bin. If you have a recyclable item, please ensure it goes in the correct container! Let’s work together to keep our recycling center safe and efficient. Sort wisely as we head into the new year! Thanks to everyone that recycles responsibly. You are the reason we can provide this service!