Waste Reduction
Kane County residents make decisions every day that impact the environment. Here are some suggestions of changes - both small and large - that residents can make to reduce their waste.
Reduce Food Waste:
see our Food Waste Prevention page here
Reduce Waste from Routine Household Management:
- Consider switching to paperless/online billing whenever it's available
- Stop delivery of junk mail - learn how here
- Review product delivery subscriptions at least a few times a year to evaluate if all auto-delivered products are being used
Reduce Waste from Products:
- Avoid buying or receiving single-use products whenever practicable
- “Low hanging fruit" items generally include disposable plates, utensils, drinking straws, single-use shopping bags and certain single-use batteries
- Hosting a party? See our guide to green meetings and events here
- See if you can borrow or rent durable items that are only used occasionally
- Many public library systems have started “Library of Things" programs letting cardholders check out tools, electronics, arts and craft supplies and even musical instruments
- These programs can alleviate the need to buy certain types of equipment that are used infrequently and can be used to try out various hobbies before investing in gear
- Links to Library of Things programs for: Aurora PLD, Batavia PL, Fox River Valley PLD, Gail Borden PLD, Geneva PLD, St. Charles PLD, Sugar Grove PL
- Libraries not linked here may have items available and searchable through their catalog - ask a librarian!
- Items and kits may be available through inter-library borrowing programs
- Many hardware stores rent out power tools and other equipment
- There are all sorts of occasional-use items available for rent online and in person including camping and outdoor recreation gear and formal wear
- Aim to buy high quality, durable items
- Items that are renowned for high quality and durability may cost more up front, but should cost less over time than cheaper items that need to be replaced frequently
- A high sticker price does not always mean high quality, so research is often necessary
- For larger purchases, look at reviews, third party consumer guidelines and warranty information before deciding between products
- Many libraries provide free access to the Consumer Reports database and other helpful resources
- Aim to buy items with long-term appeal rather than following the latest trends
- Trends are relatively short-lived, and buying new clothing, home goods or other items to fit trends can generate a lot of waste
- Avoid retailers that specialize in rapid production to meet or drive trends (e.g., “fast fashion")
- Consider buying from brands that encourage or facilitate second hand markets for their products
- Consider buying quality-tested second hand or refurbished items
- Sell or donate unwanted but reusable items
- Local second had stores, online market places and community garage sales are options to investigate
Reduce Packaging Waste
- Avoid packaging entirely by bringing reusable containers to stores and restaurants when allowable
- In 2022, Batavia became the first municipality in Kane County to enact a single-use bag fee.
- Reusing bags or skipping bags completely for small purchases is an Earth-friendly choice County-wide!
- In 2023, the General Assembly passed changes to the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, clarifying that restaurants may refill allowable, clean customer-provided reusable food containers without violation of state or county health codes
- Buy frequently used, non-perishable items in large quantities when possible; one large package uses less material than multiple smaller packages
- Examples include home paper products, laundry products, soap, shampoo and other personal care products, and dry staple foods like rice, pasta, etc.
- For smaller households, can a bulk purchase be split with friends or neighbors?
- Consider switching to products with easy-to-recycle packaging
- Look for packaging that's made of all one material (e.g., all paper/cardboard or all plastic is better than a mix of the two)
- Favor cardboard over Styrofoam or other plastics
- Favor aluminum cans over glass or plastic bottles
- Favor plastic bottles or tubs over flexible pouches or tubes
- When out and about, consider planning ahead by bringing drinks and snacks from home in reusable containers
Why Reduce Waste?
Recycling on its own cannot solve our waste problems. The list of items that can be recycled compared to all the items that have become commonplace in our everyday lives is relatively small. When items can be recycled, the process often takes almost as much or even more energy than making a material from scratch. Recycling processes can contribute to local air and water pollution problems.
In Northeastern Illinois, we may run out of affordable locations to put our trash if we can't figure out alternatives. There are no active landfills in Kane County and very few in this region. Our trash is currently trucked to other counties to the west and south (see this map for more detail). Illinois EPA maintains an annual estimate of statewide landfill capacity and the amount of time that current capacity will continue to fill state needs. As of 2023, we are at about 19 years of landfill capacity. New landfills may be developed, but they are difficult to site due to permitting requirements and the simple fact that almost nobody likes the idea of having a landfill as a neighbor.
Way back in 1970, the first Earth Day was held and the now-universal “chasing arrows" recycling symbol was developed, and very quickly paired with the adage to “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Society has been a lot more interested in recycling than either reducing or reusing. This is reflected in data from Kane County. We generated 35% more residential waste per person (4.16 pounds per day) in 2019 than we did in 1989 (3.09 pounds per day). Coupled with a population growth of 212,123 people during the same timeframe, the County produces more than double the amount of residential waste today than it did thirty years ago.
