If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen holding an empty jar and thought, “Should I toss this? Keep it? Turn it into a rocket ship?” Let’s do ourselves a favor and go through the 5Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle.
Repurpose: Give Old Stuff a Glow-Up
This is where we shine. Old mattress? To you, it’s a back-breaking nightmare. To us, it’s metal to scrap, fabric to grind, and landfill space saved. That’s why we host Mattress Cleanup Days because nothing says community love like turning your snooze button into something useful.
Challenge: Repurpose one thing in your home this week. Turn a jar into a vase, a box into toy storage, or an old tee into a cleaning rag.
Reduce: Cut the Extra
Think of this like decluttering your diet but for your garbage. Skip the over-packaged snacks, carry your own bags, and keep a trusty water bottle by your side. The less waste you bring home, the less you’ll be lugging to the curb. Your bin stays lighter, your back stays happier, and you might even discover that yes, you can live without a 47-pack of plastic forks.
Refuse: Just Say No (to Junk You Don’t Need)
Free swag at the county fair? Single-use plastic bags? Those knicknacks from Grandma’s house that you don’t want? Refuse it (or nicely tell Grandma no thanks!). Saying no to unnecessary stuff is the easiest way to stop waste before it ever enters your home.
Reuse: Keep It Rolling
Why buy new when you can reuse? Hand-me-downs, leftover containers, that coffee can your grandma swore was better than Tupperware all count. Reuse saves money and makes you look thrifty.
Recycle: Let Us Do the Heavy Lifting
When stuff finally reaches the end of the line, recycling is the grand finale. With our rural recycling services in Redwood, Renville, Lyon, and Yellow Medicine Counties, you don’t have to haul mountains of Amazon boxes into town. We’ll swing by once a month, and if your cart overflows, we’ll even leave you a second one. Now that’s neighborly.
Why We Care
Because this isn’t just about trash, it’s about tomorrow. Our kids (and their kids) deserve a world that’s clean, safe, and still has room to breathe. Practicing the 5Rs is one small way we can all pitch in.
So next time you’re about to toss something, think twice. Could you refuse it, reduce it, reuse it, repurpose it, or recycle it? With Sweetman Sanitation, the answer is usually yes.