Top Three Ways to Celebrate Earth Month
Earth month is an annual celebration of all the wonderful things we appreciate about our planet, and it’s a great time for advocacy and making changes. But if you’re feeling unsure just where to start, here are three actions you can take now that will help you show love for our earth all month long, and hopefully even beyond.
Befriend the soil – The literal earth under our feet could use a little TLC from us: tender loving compost! Active microbial life is the foundation of all life, but our modern practices of development and agriculture are rapidly depleting the organic matter content of our soil. How can you help? Start a compost pile. You’ll not only help the soil, but you’ll also stop having stinky trash. Contact our office – waste@gainesvillefl.gov – if you’re unsure just how to start.
Befriend some pollinators – More than 1/3 of all the food we eat relies on pollinators – insects such as bees, butterflies, and so many more – and as their population numbers continue decreasing, it will put additional strain on our food systems. How can you help? Consider mow-free, pollinator-friendly zones in your yard. This could be a dedicated pollinator garden, with plants carrying a pollinator friendly (and hopefully native) designation, or it could just be an area you choose to leave wild for at least several months out of the year.
Befriend other people – Celebrating our planet shouldn’t have to be a lonely venture! Between concerts, food fairs, special sales events, and public talks, there are plenty of opportunities to attend local Earth Month or Earth Day events. Everything is better when it’s shared, so go out there, and share your love of our earth with a new friend.
Please consider following @ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram.
Zero Waste Tips for Hotels
Did you know the average hotel buys and discards hundreds of thousands of single-use items every month?
Single-use items are wasteful because they rely on materials (such as fossil fuels) being dug up from underground, shipped, refined, shipped again, manufactured into a product, packaged, and usually shipped again several more times before they arrive at their final destination. After being used only one time, the items get shipped again to get locked away forever in a landfill, where they simply take up space, never breaking down. Not only is this process massively wasteful, environmentally taxing, and inefficient, but hauling away all the trash created from single-use products is a cost to the businesses that provide these items, a cost they happily pass on to the consumer.
Are there alternatives to this model?
Let’s say you’ve just checked into your hotel. After a long day of travel, you might opt for room service. To wash your hands before the meal comes, you tear open a plastic bag for soap. Refillable soap dispensers are a sustainable option some hotels are turning to in order to reduce waste.
The meal arrives, and you open the disposable styrene box, rip open a plastic bag to get your plastic cutlery and disposable napkins, and open a few sauce packets. By using real plates and reusable cutlery, a hotel can realize huge savings on their trash hauling fees.
After your meal, another plastic bag contains your disposable toothbrush. A couple more plastic and foil pouches contain the shampoo and conditioner for an evening shower. Eco-friendly (and budget-minded) hotels are turning toward refillable shampoo, bodywash, and conditioner dispensers.
Enjoy your next hotel stay, knowing it can be a relaxing, sustainable, and nearly waste-free trip. Get more tips at gainesvillefl.gov/ZeroWasteNews, and follow @ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram.
Zero Waste Week 2025
Zero Waste Week is a week of activities, events, and gatherings designed to continue the education and outreach about Zero Waste in Gainesville and Alachua County.
It’s a week jam packed with fun, education, and hopefully empowerment for you and your family. Check out the awesome schedule of events!
3/23, from 1 – 3 p.m. – Fixit Clinic at the Repurpose Project. Fixit clinics shows us that sometimes the best way to reduce waste is to just use – or fix – what we already have.
3/24, from 4 – 7 p.m. – members of the City’s Zero Waste Team and representatives from Life Unplastic will be at the Grove Street Farmers Market to provide waste education tips and hand out some reusable bags to help
3/25, from 7 – 8 p.m. – Cypress & Grove - Think & Drink – "How To Consume Less & Live More" - a discussion with the founder of Life Unplastic.
3/27, from 6 – 7 p.m. – the Gainesville Giving Garden will host a Beginners Gardening Workshop because there’s no better way to combat waste than to strengthen local food networks.
3/28, from 5 – 6 p.m. – there will be a Composting Orientation at the Compost Cooperative Gardens.
3/29, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – to close out the week strong, there will be a litter cleanup with Keep Alachua County Beautiful.
In addition to these great events, be sure to check zerowastegainesville.com, and follow @ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date with any special Zero Waste Week surprises!
Zero Waste Tips for Restaurants – Invest in Reusables
Paper plates and plastic forks are lightweight, right? But what if you’re going through more than 3,000 pounds of them per year?! That’s exactly how much one restaurant spared from the landfill by making a small investment – just $500 – in switching out all their wasteful, single-use dishware and cutlery with reusable alternatives.
While this is a great example of upstream waste reduction – stopping thousands of pounds of waste before it’s created – the benefits didn’t stop there. The investment paid itself off after just several months and provided further cost savings moving forward. According to ReThink Disposable, a program from Clean Water Action and the Clean Water Fund, even accounting for the costs of labor and water to sanitize reusable plates, restaurants that made the switch went on to save thousands of dollars annually.
As with all good investments, this one will pay dividends in reduced waste hauling fees, reduced strain on limited landfill space, and an all-around more enjoyable dining experience.
Learn more about ReThink Disposable at cleanwater.org/campaign/rethink-disposable, and be sure to follow @ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram for more.
Appliance Recycling Collection is Free! Find Out How To Schedule A Collection Appointment
Did you know that the average appliance is 75% steel and that home appliances make up 10% of the steel recycled in the U.S. each year? It is important to recycle old appliances properly to ensure that metals are recycled and that Freon gases from refrigerated appliances are handled in an environmentally safe manner. There is no additional charge for this collection service for residential homes in the City of Gainesville.
Household appliance accepted for collection include:
- Refrigerators & Freezers
- Stoves & Ovens
- Dishwashers
- Washer & Dryers
- Hot Water Heaters
- Air Conditioners (window units only)
City of Gainesville residents may schedule a FREE appliance collection appointment by contacting the Solid Waste Division at 352-334-2330 or online at Appliance Recycling Collection.
As always, find out all the ways you can safely reduce waste and dispose of unwanted items by following @ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram.
Single-Use Plastics: Alternatives for Daily Life
Over 100 million straws are used and disposed of in the United States each day. If you think that statistic is hard to swallow, you may be ready to consider some alternatives to single-use plastics.
One big step was already taken by The City of Gainesville in 2020 by enacting an ordinance banning single-use plastic straws and stirrers by food service providers and retail establishments.
Now, how can you go further in reducing single-use plastics in your daily life?
- Bring your own coffee cup – or ask for a “for here” cup when buying beverages. In addition to being a waste of resources, did you know your disposable coffee cup is actually lined with plastic? Microplastic latte, anyone? The good news is that several local coffee shops offer discounts for bringing your own mug, and some even offer reusable “for here” cups. You can avoid waste, look cool, and enjoy a better-tasting cup of coffee.
- Opt for plastic-free packaging when shopping. Go beyond just saying no to the plastic bag for your groceries, and you’ll discover the world of waste-reduction alternatives the supermarket offers. Items such as fruit, root veggies, garlic, and onions can come pre-bagged, but the bag-free version is usually just as accessible. Grab a few spuds, chuck them into your basket, and feel good knowing you just avoided sending more unnecessary shrink wrap to the landfill.
Find so many more Zero Waste topics at gainesvillefl.gov/ZeroWasteNews, and be sure to follow @ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram.
The Magic Of The Zero Waste Wizard
Would you like to try the most powerful waste reduction search tool ever produced for our community? Our Zero Waste Wizard will have you believing in magic again! Simply type the name of any material into the Zero Waste Wizard, and instantly get information about drop-off locations, including hours, a map, and directions. The best part is that it’s all presented in a hierarchy prioritizing repair and donation, recycling, and disposal.
Try out the Zero Waste Wizard online at gainesvillefl.gov/WasteWizard. The all-powerful Zero Waste Wizard offers:
A collection of over 400 searchable materials.- Specific instructions for preparing materials different materials.
- An expanded and constantly evolving list of local reuse, donation, repair, sell & trade, and service options.
- Detailed information on each location, including hours open, a viewable map, and one-click directions.
- Translation into many languages, including Spanish & Chinese.
- Accessibility on mobile devices, so users can quickly look up materials on the go.
- The ability for users to offer material search suggestions.
Gainesville neighbors do a great job recycling, composting, and diverting waste from landfills. The new Zero Waste Wizard will make it even easier to determine what items can be recycled and reused. The Zero Waste Wizard will help support the City’s efforts to divert waste from our landfills.
Appreciating Our Refuse Collection Crews: A Job Well Done
Behind every clean street and tidy neighborhood is a group of unsung heroes – the refuse collection crews. Every week, they brave early mornings, inclement weather, and challenging conditions to keep our communities clean and safe. While we may take their work for granted, it’s important to recognize the dedication and effort that goes into this vital service.
Refuse collection is no easy task. Workers handle heavy loads, endure unpleasant odors, and navigate through all kinds of weather, from sweltering heat to freezing cold. It’s physically demanding and often done at the crack of dawn, ensuring that our streets are spotless before we even start our day.
The work can also be dangerous, with workers having to stay vigilant around moving traffic, sharp objects, and large machinery.
As a community, we can show our appreciation in small but meaningful ways. A friendly wave, a “thank you” as they go about their work, or even leaving a small token of gratitude like a nice card can make a big difference. These simple gestures remind our refuse crews that their hard work is recognized and valued.
By showing appreciation, we not only brighten their day but also foster a sense of respect and community spirit. Let’s take a moment to thank these hardworking individuals who help keep our world clean, one bin at a time. Share your appreciation for their hard work with @ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram.
What is Zero Waste?
Have you ever heard people use the term ‘Zero Waste” but really weren’t sure what that meant? How can there be ‘zero waste’ anyway?
According to the Zero Waste International Alliance’s (ZWIA) peer reviewed definition, Zero Waste is “the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of all products, packaging, and materials without burning them and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
Just what does all of that mean, and how can you do your part?
Responsible production – We can’t change what companies do, but we can “vote with our dollar” and support local, typically smaller companies, like at the farmers’ market.
Consumption – Do I really need a free water bottle, even though I brought my own reusable one?
Reuse – Before throwing it away or even recycling it, can I use it again? Recycling a glass jar is great, but using it as a jar repeatedly is infinitely more practical and less wasteful.
Recovery – Roughly 50% of our waste stream consists of valuable resources we can put to good use to good use by recycling.
Without burning (burning trash) – also known as “Waste-to-Energy,” which can release harmful substances, such as PFAS, to the land, water, and air. These substances can harm our land, water, animals around us, the food we eat, and our health.
We may never reduce waste all the way to zero, but we can follow the Zero Waste hierarchy and do our best for our planet, its resources, and our health.
If you’d like to keep learning about international Zero Waste efforts, please check out zwia.org. For local Zero Waste, gainesvillefl.gov/ZeroWaste and @ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram have got you covered.
Setting Up a Home Zero Waste System - Start Small and Build Sustainable Habits
With the rising popularity of Zero Waste, we all want to know how we can join the party. It turns out it’s easier than we thought, and we can do our part right here at home.
The greatest contributions to the Zero Waste movement are the ones we can sustain – day in and day out – and the ones that don’t cost us anything. So, before you run out and buy the latest gadgets and greenwashed doodads, you’re already reducing waste by starting with what you have at home.
- Be scrappy – your food scraps are more than just a single-use item. Bones, vegetable peels, and other inedible parts of food can be used as a soup starter or bone broth. Keep a small container or bag in your freezer, and put scraps in after every meal. When it gets full, make vegetable broth. Don’t let those good nutrients go to waste! After you make broth, the scraps can be further processed in a backyard compost pile, leaving the nutrients in circulation for the continued benefit of your environment.
- Be water-wise – for many, modern life means an abundance of fresh, clean, potable water. Unfortunately, this can cause us to take this precious resource for granted. Start by turning on the water only while you’re using it – no more letting the water run down the drain while you brush your teeth. For the next level, consider the benefits a greywater system might bring.
- Box it up – collect your recyclables in a small box on the kitchen counter, under the sink, or near the trash can. Setting up a space for your recyclables indoor – one you’ll actually see – increases the chance of recycling more of our precious resources, like metal, glass, and paper.
Home is where the heart is, and it’s also where the best Zero Waste changes can take place. Make gainesvillefl.gov/ZeroWaste your home away from home, and follow ZeroWasteGNV on Facebook and Instagram