Waste Reduction is the practice of using less material and energy.  Reducing waste preserves our natural resources and saves energy.  For example: If you don’t buy paper plates or use paper plates, you don’t have to throw them away. You are practicing waste reduction. The purchasing choices you make can create more trash or reduce the amount of waste you have to throw in your garbage can. It takes a lot of energy to make products and packaging. Don’t buy single use products like Styrofoam cups – that just makes a lot of garbage. Don’t buy products that have extra packaging. Who needs all that extra garbage?

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The graph to the left illustrates the most favored options for managing waste. Reducing waste is the most important thing we can do in managing our trash! 

We all can Reduce waste by Reusing and Recycling.  

After we have Reduced, Reused, and Recycled as much of our waste as possible, we Landfill the rest of our waste.  Below you will find more information on Waste Reduction strategies, as well as information on recycling, composting, yard waste recovery and landfilling. There is a lot of information contained in this booth. You will answer questions after each section.  

reduce  waste

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One easy way to reduce waste is to purchase several reusable shopping bags and remember to take them with you when you go to the grocery store. The bags may be used over and over. This reduces the amount of plastic or paper bags you have to deal with as waste.

If you do use plastic shopping bags, reuse them for garbage can liners or dog waste bags. 

Do you have other ideas for reuse of bags?

TIPS FOR REDUCING
Only buy products that are packaged in recyclable containers. Once you use the product, the container can be recycled.

Most "chip board" packaging is recyclable and is made from recycled materials - that is a bonus!

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Tin cans, certain plastics and glass bottles are all recyclable! 

reuse

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Reuse is the practice of using an item again.  You can reuse an item in the same way it was designed to be used or you can get creative and repurpose an item for a whole new purpose.

plastic  containers

Most plastic food containers can be recycled, however, you may reuse plastic food containers over and over again before recycling. Whipped cream or margarine containers are great for storing leftovers.

Glass jars

Glass jars can also be recycled but you can use glass jars many times before recycling them. Glass jars are also great for storing leftover foods and are perfect for storing little items like buttons, nails or safety pins.

Reusable Water Bottle and Straws

Instead of buying a single use water bottle, purchase a reusable water bottle and fill it up at the tap.  You will save money and reduce waste.

Reusable metal straws can be cleaned and used many times. This set of straws comes with a cleaning brush.  

REPURPOSING

1. A t-shirt may be donated to a used clothing store so someone can wear it again.
2. If the t-shirt is worn out, it can be cut up into cleaning rags.
3. You can make t-shirt yarn and weave the yarn into art projects or you can even knit with them.

There are lots of ideas online for repurposing all kinds of stuff! Send us a picture of your repurposed project.
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keepfremontbeautiful@gmail.com

recycling

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“Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products.”  
Recycling Definition - Environmental Protection Agency.
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What Does The Recycling
​Symbol Mean?
The first arrow stands for the collection of recyclable products for processing.

The bottom right arrow stands for the recyclables being processed right into recycled products.

The bottom left arrow is the most vital. It represents when the consumer actually buys a product with recycled material.

Aluminum cans may be recycled and made into new cans. Once your aluminum can is taken to the recycling center, it could be back on the store shelf, as a new can, in as little as 6 weeks.  Recycling aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy it takes to make an aluminum can from raw resources. 

CURBSIDE RECYCLING
At present, there are no free, public recycling containers available in Fremont. If you want to recycle most of the trash you create, consider hiring a curbside recycling service.
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• Curbside Rewards
  402.763.CART
  
  
• S2 Refuse
  402.727.6806
  
  
• Waste Connections Recycling
  402.721.7511

Each business charges a fee for their service and provides a list of acceptable recyclables. 

Check out the curbside recyclers to find out which one is best for you and your family.

RECYCLING METAL
Recycle Metal and Get PAID!

All Metals Market
1225 Co. Rd. Y - 402.721.2985

All Metals Market pays you for a variety of metal items. 

• Aluminum Cans
• Tin Cans
• Pipes & Metal Tubing
• Old Grills 
• Broken Bicycles 
• Cast Iron Sinks & Bathtubs
• And Much More!

Main Street Metals - 1510 South Main
(All Metals Fremont Location)
*temporarily closed for road construction

BUY RECYCLED
Recycling is not complete until you purchase items made from recycled material. Buy recycled paper products whenever possible - you save trees and energy when you buy recycled. Look at the label and see if the product is made with recycled material.

Composting At Home

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Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. All composting requires 3 basic ingredients:

BROWNS:
This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs

GREENS:
This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetables waste,
​fruit scraps, and coffee grounds

WATER:
Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is important
​for compost development

Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green material provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter.

TYPES OF COMPOST BINS:

WOOD SLAT BIN
with removable front panels

BRICK BIN
with hinged chicken-wire front
​& top panels

PLASTIC BIN
with sealable lid & rotatable body

WIRE FENCE CYLINDER

WHAT YOUR FINISHED COMPOST WILL LOOK LIKE!

Learn more  https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home

YARD WASTE
In Nebraska, yard waste is defined as grass clippings and leaves. From April 1st through November 30th of each year, we are not allowed to put yard waste in with the regular trash. Homeowners may contract with a hauler and pay the hauler to take their yard waste to the Transfer Station (located at 1200 Hamilton). 

People may also take their bags of yard waste to the Transfer Station and pay a fee.

The yard waste is taken from the Transfer Station to the City Compost Facility. There are grass clippings and leaves decay and are turned into a nutrient rich material that is applied to farm fields.

Reduce Yard Waste

• Use a mulching mower and leave the grass clippings on the yard.
• Use grass clippings in the garden and around shrubs as a mulch, this will retain moisture and block weed growth.
• Start a home composting pile! You can turn leaves and grass clippings into compost. The finished compost is a nutrient rich fertilizer and can be added to your yard or garden to make your soil healthier.

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WHAT TO COMPOST

• Fruits & Vegetables
• Eggshells
• Coffee Grounds & Filters
• Tea Bags
  
• Nut Shells
  
• Shredded Newspaper
  
• Cardboard
  
• Paper
  
• Yard Trimmings
  
• Grass Clippings
  
• Houseplants
  
• Hay & Straw
  
• Leaves
  
• Sawdust
  
• Wood Chips
  
• Dryer & Vacuum Cleaner Lint
  
  

​WHAT NOT TO COMPOST
& WHY. . .

• Black Walnut Tree Leaves or Twigs
  -Releases substances that might be harmful to plants
  
• Coal or Charcoal Ash
  -Might contain substances harmful
  to plants
• Dairy Products 
  -Create odor problems & attracts pests such as rodents & flies
• Diseased or Insect-Ridden Plants
  -Diseases/Insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants
• Fats, Grease, Lard, or Oils
  -Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents & flies
• Meat or Fish Bones & Scraps
  -Create odor problems & attract pests such as rodents & flies
• Pet Wastes
  (Dog/Cat Feces, Soiled Cat Litter)
  -Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, & viruses harmful to humans

landfill

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The last and least desirable option for waste management is LANDFILLING.

When you have Reduced, Reused and Recycled as much of your trash as possible, the remainder needs to be disposed of properly. The trash you put in your home trash can is taken to a landfill. In the United States nearly 66% of our garbage goes to the landfill. The trash in Fremont is taken to the Northeast Nebraska Solid Waste Coalition Landfill located in Clarkson, NE.

The drawing above shows the various parts of a landfill.

• The landfill starts out as a big hole in the ground.  
• A clay barrier is added to prevent soil and water contamination.
• A strong plastic liner is placed on top of the clay layer to prevent soil and water contamination.
• A leachate collection system is installed.  Perforated pipes, in a layer of sand, collects rainwater that has filtered through the landfill. The collected water is called leachate.  
• As organic materials decay in the landfill, methane gas is created. 
  ​A recovery system is installed to collect this highly explosive gas.
• Trash (Refuse) is placed in the landfill and is compacted and covered by soil (or other approved cover) at the end of the day.  These daily compacted trash areas are called “Refuse Cells”.
• Wells are drilled to monitor the groundwater.  The groundwater is tested regularly to see if any contaminants have leaked from the landfill.

WHAT IS A LANDFILL?

• A landfill is a large area of land or an excavated site that is a carefully designed structure built into or on top of the ground to store solid waste.
• The garbage collected at the landfill is isolated from the surrounding environment with a bottom liner and a daily covering of soil.
• Groundwater near the landfill site is checked for contaminants using a groundwater monitoring probe.

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LEsson  #2 Questionnaire

Now that you've finished reading through Lesson #2, try to answer these questions.
​(You may look back at this page for help)

L2 -Questionnaire