For any group of students, there will be challenges and barriers to overcome as they pursue their tomorrow, but they also have the ability to make an impact for a better tomorrow. In my blog, The New Fashion Police: Fashion as Waste, I discussed my interest in starting or hosting a clothing closet or mini thrift store for the campus community to participate in and donate to. My first step was to engage with campus staff and community members to flesh out this idea.

“Fashion is the armor to survive everyday life." - Bill Cunningham 

IWRC Environmental Intern, Kendall Lienemann's passion for fashion and experience with waste reduction efforts spurred her to explore her role in addressing the fashion waste issue in her college community. Follow her journey. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if regulators would provide hints and tips to help you better understand what is required of your business? Would you like the opportunity to meet with regulators and industry experts in a small setting where questions are welcome? Join us for an Iowa Strategic Goals Program workshop on "E-Manifest, RCRA Inspections, Air Dispersion Modeling, EO10, IRA & Environmental Justice"

http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/greenweek.htmlSaturday, April 1, 2023 began the start of Earth month and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center’s (IWRC) calendar filled up quickly. As an organization who is devoted to helping small businesses reduce waste, it is important that we lead by example and do our small part to help the environment.

After a successful inaugural event in 2022, the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC), in partnership with the Iowa Association for Energy Efficiency (IAEE), announces the second annual Energy Trends Workshop on Thursday, May 4 from 8:30 am – 4:00 p.m. at the West Des Moines Marriott located at 1250 Jordan Creek Pkwy. 

Energy efficiency is vital to Iowa’s energy management plan and it reduces the amount of energy consumed. For a business, that means a decrease in energy generated environmental impact and a significant reduction in business energy costs. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center’s (IWRC) Iowa Energy Efficiency Program for Rural Small Businesses is designed to assist small businesses seeking to reduce their energy consumption and improve their bottom line. 

IAEAP staff is available to provide FREE one-on-one training and assistance to businesses with less than 100 employees required to submit their minor source emissions inventory in SLEIS or to apply for a new or modify an existing air quality permit using Iowa EASY Air.  

The Iowa Waste Reduction Center at the University of Northern Iowa is offering free energy assessments for Iowa small businesses. The services available through this program include compressed air leak assessments, facility lighting analysis, and building envelope inspections.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has created an online option for businesses to complete air quality construction and operating (Title V) permit applications, called Iowa EASY Air (Environmental Application System). The DNR will notify businesses in December when the system will be available for use. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized its standards for managing hazardous waste (HW) pharmaceuticals. The goals of these standards are to create cost-saving, streamlined regulations that better fit the operations of the healthcare sector and maintain protection of human health and the environment. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 22, 2019, and will become fully effective in Iowa on Aug. 21, 2019.