We’re back, baby! It’s been a year since we sent one of these. So we made sure to pack it with goodies. Read along to get insight and local eco-gossip that’ll further your journey to zero waste.

This month’s rundown:

• ✍️ Tip: Celebrate Independence Day with low-waste strategies.

• 🌱 You won our Eco-Awards, and how you can copy them

• 🥳 New Partners: Costco, Joslyn Art Museum, and a new bakery

• 🎟️ Events: Load the bus for a zero waste field trip!

Insight from our favorite recyclers in 2024

Last April, we found a bunch of used sports trophies, gathered up some of our favorite people, and dished out some awards. Now we’re sharing with you exactly what these organizations are doing to advance Omaha’s sustainability movement. Go ahead, copy their award-winning moves.

Here’s a quick rundown on who got the awards and why …

• Dundee Bank & Little Mountain Ranch for collaborating to strengthen Omaha's circular food system by diverting Halloween pumpkins from landfills. Nearly 20 yards of pumpkins fed local pigs, which in turn supplied fresh pork to Omaha families and restaurants that also compost with Hillside.

• Bellevue East High School for keeping 9 tons of food waste out of the landfill each year by composting, and most importantly, redistributing edible food through a “Share Bin” program.

• Alvine Engineering for following our 12-step implementation program to a “T” and giving their employees the most advanced landfill diversion program an office can offer.

• Faith Westwood Church for its near-perfect example of the circular food system that includes a community garden that distributes clean organic food at their food pantry.

• Sewing Concepts for diverting nearly all of their waste from the landfill in their ma-and-pop style retail shop.

• Google SLN for recycling and composting 248 tons with us in 2024.

• Amanda Allen for being one of our top Compost Clubbers who advances recycling and composting at work and at her local gym.

• First Star Recycling for surviving the 2018 China Ban by innovating with dual-stream recycling and launching Solutions Plastic Lumber, which has found a local use case for Hefty Renew bag material.

• Maddy Wahl of Keep Omaha Beautiful for her tireless efforts to get the end-all-be-all Omaha Recycling Guide completed. Seriously, check it out.

How to celebrate the 4th without poisoning our local water system

Red, White, and… Green?
We waste around 120 million pounds of food each year, while fireworks debris spike air pollution and leave behind waste that harms our air, water, and wildlife.

Tips to Make it Green:

• Skip backyard fireworks and light up the night with LED or solar string lights and biodegradable confetti.

• Grilling? Opt for lump charcoal or electric grills to reduce emissions, and reusable or compostable dishware instead of single-use plastics.

• Compost Club: Take that untouched Jello casserole to a Compost Club drop-off site.

• And if you must do fireworks, no shame, we get it. Here’s how you clean up the mess in the least harmful way.

After the fun, pitch in with a cleanup to keep our parks and neighborhoods beautiful.