[Climate Wins & Healthy Homes]
By Daniel Hiestand
Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator
Also in this section:
It's the holiday season, which means two major Waste Wise Lane campaigns are starting up again. It's also the time of year when we reflect on the positive developments in the waste prevention and sustainability realms.
In this month's Frontlines article, Lane County's very own Angie Marzano highlights some great news in sustainability and waste prevention in 2025. Her article emphasizes (unsurprisingly) that Oregon and Lane County are leaders in these sectors. While we have lots more we want to achieve in our community, we need to take time to recognize our many achievements. Thank you all for being on the "frontlines" of these efforts!
However, I have to admit it feels strange to celebrate "wins" when it feels like anything but a celebration for many of our friends and neighbors.
As of this writing, basic services—such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and Lane County’s Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)—will be unavailable to many folks who desperately need them.
Annually, the LIHEAP program serves over 7,000 limited-income county households with utility bill assistance, while SNAP services nearly 75,000 Lane County neighbors.
Environmental justice, food security, and energy poverty are deeply interconnected, as disadvantaged communities often face environmental harms and a lack of access to healthy, affordable food and reliable, affordable energy.
Are you able to help and want to know how? A few ideas for you.
Take care, everyone.
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Simplify the Holidays back again
Starting Thanksgiving Day, Lane County residents are encouraged to join the county’s annual “Simplify the Holidays” campaign.
The campaign encourages residents and businesses to reimagine how they view and participate in the holiday season to inspire joy while curbing waste. It also includes a holiday leftovers recipe contest.
Starting on Thanksgiving, recipes can be submitted at wastewiselane.org/holiday. Those who share recipes will be automatically entered into a drawing for some great prizes, with contest winners announced in early January. Follow us on Facebook at Instagram @WasteWiseLaneCounty.
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Electronics Recycling Competition: Register your school by Dec. 12
Do you have unused, unwanted, or obsolete laptops, cell phones, cords, cables, monitors, keyboards, speakers, tablets, game consoles, remotes, or AV equipment hanging about the house, and don’t know what to do with them?
Consider donating them to the Electronics Recycling Competition (Jan. 6-April 24, 2026), a joint effort between Lane County schools, NextStep Recycling, and Waste Wise Lane County.
Lane County schools that recycle the most “e-waste” will win grants of up to $500 from Lane County Waste Management to support school sustainability, a NextStep Reuse Store computer gift certificate, and a special recognition award.
During the 2025 competition, a record 48 schools collected 41,491 lbs. of e-waste. For the 2026 competition, we hope to break the record again. E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream, so keeping it out of the waste stream is a big deal!
If you are a student, parent, teacher, administrator, or former school alumnus who wants to help your school gain waste prevention recognition, please tell your school’s principal about the competition. Schools must register for the competition at wastewiselane.org/ERC by Dec. 12, 2025, to participate. Registration will open in mid-November.
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New 'Guide to Sustainability' updated, available
Our newest "Guide to Sustainability" is out! This is THE local resource for all things waste prevention, reuse, recycling, & much more. Its whopping 44 pages are loaded with information that can help you live more sustainability. Download it for FREE today. https://ow.ly/5EKQ50Xk5nT
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November/December partner event roundup
Waste Wise Lane County's community partners are doing great work. Here's a rundown of some upcoming events happening in the next couple of months.
BRING
Make it! Found Object Wreaths
Nov. 16 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Make it! Workshop: Festive Seasonal Ornaments
Dec. 13 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
City of Eugene Waste Prevention
Fix-It Fair at UO
Nov. 6 | 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Oregon State University Extension-Lane County
Cottage Grove: Gifts from the Kitchen Food Preservation Workshop
Nov. 15 | 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Gifts from the Kitchen
Nov. 22 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
MECCA
COZY Swap at MECCA
Nov. 7 | 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
MECCA's 16th Annual Object Afterlife Art Challenge Exhibition
Nov. 7 | 5:30 p.m.
Stained Glass Mushroom Workshop with April Reign
Nov. 8 | 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
MECCA Market: Cozy Season
Nov. 16 | 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Stained Glass Star Spinner Workshop with April Reign
Nov. 22 | 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Polymer Clay Mushroom Plant Friends
Nov. 23 | 3 p.m.
Ornament Making
Nov. 29 | 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Kids Like-New Gift Swap
Dec. 5 | 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Create Something Day!
Dec. 6 | 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
White Elephant Gift Swap at MECCA
Dec. 12 | 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
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No newsletter in December
A reminder that there will not be an issue of Waste Wise News next month. I hope you have a great holiday season. Be well, and see you in 2026!
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