January 2025 Newsletter

In This Issue

Get Engaged
Climate Talks
The Three R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Get Engaged!

Achieving our sustainability goals is up to each of us. Consider participating through these local groups and activities.

Tell your friends and neighbors to subscribe to the Energize Stow Newsletter here
Visit the Energize Stow website for ideas and information about actions you and your neighbors can take.
Join the Sustainable Stow volunteer group.
Read Stow's Climate Action Plan.
Watch the Sustainable Stow Climate Talk series

If you have questions or comments, send them to GreenAdvisory@stow-ma.gov.

Climate Talks

Most months, we host a session on Zoom sponsored by Sustainable Stow and Randall Library at 7PM on the second or third Wednesday. In December we talked with Justin Connell, the new General Manager of Hudson Light & Power Department (HLPD). We rely on electricity more and more in our homes, and even to power our cars. Fortunately, HLPD is one of the most “green” and affordable sources of electricity in the state. You can watch the recording of the talk here.

We are looking ahead to another year of Climate Talks (on Zoom and Stow TV). Among the coming topics this winter are the challenge of outdoor lighting for pollinators and birds, the risks of artificial turf playing fields, and the benefits of electrifying your lawn equipment. What topics would you like us to cover this year? You can see past sessions here.

The Three R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reducing, reusing and recycling waste helps save landfill space by keeping useful materials out. The amount of energy and natural resources needed to produce or collect the raw materials and manufacture the product are reduced. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by shipping the product to where it will be sold are reduced.

The waste management hierarchy above illustrates preferred priorities based on sustainability - with the highest priority at the top of the pyramid. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste.

For more on reduce, reuse and recycling see Energize Stow websute,

Reduce

The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. In today’s society we tend to consume more goods than we have ever done in the past. But the creation and disposal of such enormous amounts of goods has some very grave consequences for the environment.

There are many ways in which we can cut down on the things we use and household waste. By putting a little thought and awareness into how we live our day to day lives, we can start working to reduce what we buy and consequently reduce waste.

Food is necessary to survive. But even with food being such an essential product, it has been found that massive amounts of food go uneaten, unused, and completely wasted every year. It is estimated that half of all fruits and veggies are thrown out each year.

For more ideas, check out this post on How To Reduce What We Buy And Consequently What We Waste.

Reuse

It’s a good idea to recycle items, but it’s an even better idea to keep them. Not only is it good for the planet, but it can also save you time and money.

There are many you can choose to reuse in your daily life—everything from carrying your own refillable water bottle to repairing a broken item. Reuse is also what you do when you need something. Shop secondhand stores or browse online exchange sites before you head to the store to buy something new. When you do buy something, make sure it’s a decent quality, durable product that will last, rather than a cheap disposable you’ll have to replace much sooner.

For more ideas on how you can Reuse, visit the eco-cycle website.

Recycle

Many of us find that winter is a good time to clean out our basement or rearrange our rooms. This may lead to questions about what to do with old furniture or other excess items we no longer need. Sometimes we leave them at the end of our driveways for anyone to take away. But there are better solutions.

Furniture, beds, blankets, dishes, towels, silverware and other household items are welcomed by Household Goods at 530 Main Street in Acton. You can schedule a pickup, or drop them off yourself on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings. For more, see their website. They use the donations to furnish homes for people in need. Last year, they furnished 3200 homes. The goal is to provide everything someone needs to set up a home whether they be refugees, veterans, or survivors of domestic violence.

Books and clothing can be put back into useful circulation through an organization called More than Words. This business provides jobs for youth through their store selling the donated books and other items. They have a donation container at Household Goods in Acton. For more on what to donate see their web site.

Stow has a site at the Community Center that accepts clean, old clothes, linens and shoes. These must be bagged and placed inside the white donation container.

There is also a state website on recycling which includes Beyond the Bin, a page to search for nearby locations which recycle specific items.