Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce

Learn how to consume and throw away less.

• Adbusters fronts an effort to reduce resource consumption by promoting events such as “Buy Nothing Day” the day after Thanksgiving.
• Air Quality Health Advisory sign up. An Air Quality Health Advisory will be issued if/when ozone levels reach unhealthy for sensitive groups level.
• Energystar (EPA) helps you reduce your energy consumption with EnergyStar appliances and home improvement ideas.
• Greener Cars is a source for seeing the resource consumption of specific cars.
• Home Energy Saver helps you reduce your energy consumption with economic energy solutions.
• Oklahoma Star Incentive Program (DEQ) informs you how to reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants and waste at the source.
• Use Less Stuff (DEQ) is heading up a campaign to reduce the resource consumption of citizens across the state.

Reuse

Learn how to reuse items which keeps them out of the waste stream and doesn’t require reprocessing like recycling does.

• The Charitable Recycling Program spotlights locations for donating used cell phones for reuse.
• Donate a Car to Charity Foundation allows you to help their humanitarian mission by donating your car, boat or RV.
• Freecycle is a grassroots and nonprofit movement of people free goods in their own region.
• The Chickasaw Nation ReUse Center helps keep reusable items out of landfills.

Recycle

Learn about recycling which turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources.

• American Forest & Paper Association provides information about paper recycling.
• America Recycles Day holds an annual national awareness event to promote the social, environmental, and economic benefits of buying recycled and recycling.
• American Waste Control is a resource for NE, SE and North Central Oklahoma for commercial and residential recycling, including single-stream recycling for businesses, home owners and multi-tenant housing.
• Asbestos Recycling is a possibility thanks to advances in research. Asbestos, a natural mineral, is the leading risk factor for mesothelioma and other illnesses.
• Corrugated Packaging Alliance provides information about corrugated cardboard and the environment.
• Earth 911 helps find your local recycling centers and other life greening tips (1-800-Cleanup).
• Electronic Industry Alliance's (EIA's) Consumer Education Initiative is a resource for consumers that wish to find local opportunities for recycling and reusing used electronics.
• Glass Packaging Institute provides instantly accessible information on glass recycling an the glass container industry.
• Global Recycling Network is a source into the world’s waste collection, disposal, and recycling marketplace.
• Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) is a national trade association representing companies that process, broker, and consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, and textiles.
• Lacerta Group Inc. recycles of magnetic media and data media products.
• The Metropolitan Environmental Trust (M.E.T.) coordinates and promotes recycling and environmental events in the metropolitan Tulsa area.
• National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) facilitates PET plastic recycling and promotes the usage of PET packaging.
• The National Recycling Coalition is a membership organization of recycling professionals and advocates dedicated to maximizing recycling.
• Recycling (EPA) is the EPA’s recycling homepage.
• Waste Management provides comprehensive waste and environmental services across North America.
• Materials Recovery Facilities or MRFs (“murf”) List: MRFs in Oklahoma that will give tours to students and other public groups. MRFs are plants that receive, sort, and bale recyclables for transport to end-users.

Various recycling programs in Oklahoma:

• By City:
  • Ada
  • Edmond
  • Mustang
  • Norman
  • Oklahoma City
  • Ponca City
  • Stillwater
  • Tulsa: M.e.t.’s Recycle Bin Loan Program. If you are interested in applying for a bin loan or event recycling, call 918-584-0584 or email The M.e.t. at least two weeks prior to the event.

• By University:
  • Oklahoma State University
  • University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Department of Central Services State Materials Recycling Program

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful: KOB has 40 recycle bins (with lids) available for you to check out & use at your next event.

Green Oklahoma - A news and resource site for all things green in Oklahoma.

Number of beverage cans and bottles that have been landfilled, littered, and incinerated in the U.S. so far this year according to the Container Recycling Institute (CRI):
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*If you know of a program or site that you feel should be added send us a note with the web address and why.

Updated 4/26/18