Being called by God to be conscientious and faithful stewards of the earth.
Find information about local recycling and making your own cleaning products below.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conducted a study that states in 2024, 900,000 tons of food waste were landfilled annually in the Badger State, that is 300 pounds per person. Residential homes generate the largest share at 47%.
Tips for reducing food waste in our households
Recycling: First Choice Recycling in Eau Claire recycles batteries, scrap metal, and light bulbs. The batteries must be taped with clear tape on both positive and negative ends.
Save up metal tops and place in a metal container for scrap metal recycling.
Information on hazardous waste collection by WRR Environmental Services at 5200 Ryder Road in Eau Claire:
Clean Sweep dates for 2025 TBD
Search Eau Claire County clean sweep and there will be a list of items accepted.
Asbestos recycling and more information: https://www.mesotheliomahope.com/asbestos/recycling/
Recycling medications: website DNR.WI.gov.
Expired ammunition is considered explosive. Contact Longshot in Fall Creek: 715-877-1760
Mattress Recycling: Kersten Family Junk removal; https://www.ecjunkpickup.com/mattress-disposal-removal/
Non Toxic household products/recipes:
All Purpose Cleaner Recipe In a spray bottle, mix together:
2 cups water 1/4 -1/3 cup white vinegar (5% or 6% acidity) 1-2 teaspoons Dawn dishwashing liquid
Use on any surface to clean and sanitize.
Laundry Detergent Recipe:
Ingredients: 16 cups water (8 cups boiled, 8 cups cold) 1 cup Borax 1 cup washing soda 1 cup liquid castile soap Essential oils (about 40 drops)
Directions:
1. Boil 8 cups water
2. Mix borax, washing soda, castile soap, and essential oils in a large bucket
3. Add boiling water and mix with above ingredients
4. Add 8 cups cold water and mix. Let sit.
5. Use1⁄4 cup for each load.
DIY Weed Killer Recipe • 1-gallon vinegar (with 5% acetic acid) • 1 oz. dish soap • Plastic spray bottle. Directions: Mix the vinegar and soap together and pour into a spray bottle and spray onto weeds. Application Tips Before you apply this weed killer in your garden, here are some guidelines: • Vinegar/soap weed killer is non-selective, which means that it will also damage/kill your desirable plants.
So be careful when applying to weeds. • Apply on a sunny day with no wind. The sun helps the vinegar to dry out the weed.
You also want to wait for a windless day so that your spray won’t inadvertently spray onto other plants. • Your vinegar weed killer may or may not kill the root of the weed.
You may need to reapply it if green growth shows up afterward or pour a little of the weed killer over the root zone to thoroughly kill large weeds.
• Vinegar/soap weed killer will not kill all types of weeds. Experiment in your own garden to see which types of weeds it works on.
Local resources
Gardening/Seasonal Produce Great Pollinator Plants for Wisconsin (gardenia.net)
Pollinator Planting Card - by Region (Midwest) establish a pollinator garden https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/endangeredresources/pollinators
How nto get your garden ready for spring: https://www.wpr.org/agriculture/how-get-your-garden-ready-spring from WI public radio
Guide to seasonal fruits and vegetables in the Midwest h#ps://www.2harvest.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/midwest-seasonal-produce-guide.pdf
Books:
1. Am I Too Old to Save the Planet–Lawrence MacDonald
2. The First Rule of Climate Club–Carrie Firestone (youth read)
3. Nature’s Best Hope–Douglas Tallamy
Tips for reducing food waste in our households
- Freeze left overs: Use glass freezer jars – rice, soup, pulled pork, chicken, pasta sauce (these jars reduce plastic, they do not have shoulders on them, the sides are straight, they are reusable.
- Plan your meals: Keep essentials on hand but only buy perishables for the week. Plan for leftovers, having chicken on Monday, plan to have chicken pot pie or chicken stir fry on Wednesday or Thursday.
- Just the two of you: Divide the bag of salad, have half one night and half another.
- Garbage night is usually “Must Go” for dinner. All leftovers come out for a potluck type dinner.
- Get educated about what “Sell by, Use by and Best by” actually mean.
- Compost food scraps
- There are more things that can be done to reduce food waste. The FDA would like to cut food waste by 50% by 2030.
Recycling: First Choice Recycling in Eau Claire recycles batteries, scrap metal, and light bulbs. The batteries must be taped with clear tape on both positive and negative ends.
Save up metal tops and place in a metal container for scrap metal recycling.
Information on hazardous waste collection by WRR Environmental Services at 5200 Ryder Road in Eau Claire:
Clean Sweep dates for 2025 TBD
Search Eau Claire County clean sweep and there will be a list of items accepted.
Asbestos recycling and more information: https://www.mesotheliomahope.com/asbestos/recycling/
Recycling medications: website DNR.WI.gov.
Expired ammunition is considered explosive. Contact Longshot in Fall Creek: 715-877-1760
Mattress Recycling: Kersten Family Junk removal; https://www.ecjunkpickup.com/mattress-disposal-removal/
Non Toxic household products/recipes:
All Purpose Cleaner Recipe In a spray bottle, mix together:
2 cups water 1/4 -1/3 cup white vinegar (5% or 6% acidity) 1-2 teaspoons Dawn dishwashing liquid
Use on any surface to clean and sanitize.
Laundry Detergent Recipe:
Ingredients: 16 cups water (8 cups boiled, 8 cups cold) 1 cup Borax 1 cup washing soda 1 cup liquid castile soap Essential oils (about 40 drops)
Directions:
1. Boil 8 cups water
2. Mix borax, washing soda, castile soap, and essential oils in a large bucket
3. Add boiling water and mix with above ingredients
4. Add 8 cups cold water and mix. Let sit.
5. Use1⁄4 cup for each load.
DIY Weed Killer Recipe • 1-gallon vinegar (with 5% acetic acid) • 1 oz. dish soap • Plastic spray bottle. Directions: Mix the vinegar and soap together and pour into a spray bottle and spray onto weeds. Application Tips Before you apply this weed killer in your garden, here are some guidelines: • Vinegar/soap weed killer is non-selective, which means that it will also damage/kill your desirable plants.
So be careful when applying to weeds. • Apply on a sunny day with no wind. The sun helps the vinegar to dry out the weed.
You also want to wait for a windless day so that your spray won’t inadvertently spray onto other plants. • Your vinegar weed killer may or may not kill the root of the weed.
You may need to reapply it if green growth shows up afterward or pour a little of the weed killer over the root zone to thoroughly kill large weeds.
• Vinegar/soap weed killer will not kill all types of weeds. Experiment in your own garden to see which types of weeds it works on.
Local resources
Gardening/Seasonal Produce Great Pollinator Plants for Wisconsin (gardenia.net)
Pollinator Planting Card - by Region (Midwest) establish a pollinator garden https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/endangeredresources/pollinators
How nto get your garden ready for spring: https://www.wpr.org/agriculture/how-get-your-garden-ready-spring from WI public radio
Guide to seasonal fruits and vegetables in the Midwest h#ps://www.2harvest.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/midwest-seasonal-produce-guide.pdf
Books:
1. Am I Too Old to Save the Planet–Lawrence MacDonald
2. The First Rule of Climate Club–Carrie Firestone (youth read)
3. Nature’s Best Hope–Douglas Tallamy
