Waste reduction is the process of producing and consuming “stuff” in a way that generates less trash. This practice incorporates:
Refusing (ex: don’t buy things you don’t need)
Reducing (ex: buy things that are well made and will last)
Reusing (ex: donate something you no longer need)
Recycling (although the goal is to prevent the materials from even making it to this stage)
Reduce
Reducing your consumption and waste can have a huge impact on sustainability. This can come in many forms, such as: biking to work/school or taking public transportation; composting to keep waste down to a minimum; making your own cleaning supplies; line drying your clothes; buying quality items so they won’t have be replaced as often; buying in bulk; and investing in energy efficient appliances and lightbulbs. Below are some links to local businesses and organizations that can help you reduce your consumption and waste.
Buying in Bulk/Less Packaging
Composting
Find nearby composters to share your scraps, or list your composting operation to start receiving scraps!
Food Waste
Read more about how the following local organizations are helping the community reduce our food waste.
Reuse
Did you know that if you switched to a reusable water bottle you could easily save hundreds of plastic water bottles from the landfill each year. This is only one simple way we can reuse. Reusing and repairing items are great ways to keep stuff out of the landfill. They are also great ways to save money! Below are some links to local organizations that can help you in reusing and repairing items.
Local Online Groups
Follow @VTFree on Instagram to find or share free stuff
Thrift Stores
For open hours, call or visit the store’s website.
| Goodwill Store and Donation Center | 1411 N. Main St, Blacksburg, 540-951-0215 |
| Goodwill Store and Donation Center | 255 Peppers Ferry Rd NE, Christiansburg, 540-381-1544 |
| Habitat for Humanity of the NRV ReStore | 1675 N. Franklin St, Christiansburg, 540-381-1155 |
| MCEAP Clothing Bank | Old Town Hall, 141 Jackson St, Blacksburg, 540-392-0097 |
| MCEAP Thrift Store and More | 308 W. Main St, Christiansburg, 540-260-3173 |
| MCEAP Home Store and More | 760 Roanoke St, Christiansburg, 540-251-3156 |
| Route 11 Gift and Thrift | 2680 Radford Rd, Christiansburg, 540-629-3360 |
| Second Time Around Store | benefiting the Humane Society of Montgomery County, 107 Ellett Rd, Blacksburg, 540-951-4327 |
| Treasure Trove Thrift Store | operated by Warm Hearth Village, 3055 N. Franklin St, Christiansburg, 540-200-7012 |
| VTTHRIFT | Student-run store for secondhand clothing, 304 N. Main St, Blacksburg, 703-955-2203 |
| YMCA at VT Thrift Store | 1000 N. Main St, Blacksburg, 540-552-2633 |
Consignment Stores
| Once Upon a Child | 360 Arbor Dr, Christiansburg, 540-382-5045 |
| Plato’s Closet | 360 Arbor Dr, Christiansburg, 540-382-2102 |
| Uptown Cheapskate | 2735 Market St, Christiansburg, 540-251-5473 |
YTOSS
The YToss program collects unwanted but still usable items on campus during student moveout and resells them at a special sale during campus movein in August.
Where Can I Take…
| Other Items for Reuse | |
| Athletic Shoes | Run About Sports, 1470 S. Main St, Blacksburg |
| Building Materials, Fixtures | Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 1675 N. Franklin St, Christiansburg |
| Cardboard boxes, packaging materials | Easy Way Packaging Center, 610 N. Main St., Blacksburg |
| Corks, CDs, other items for classroom projects | New River Creative Reuse Center, Christiansburg (see list of accepted items on Facebook) |
| Egg Cartons | Most farmers market vendors who sell eggs |
| Electronics (working) | Y Thrift Store, 1000 N. Main St, Blacksburg |
| Eyeglasses | Blacksburg Breakfast Lions Club Collection Boxes |
| Hangers | Local dry cleaners |
| Plastic bags | Check with local thrift stores, food pantries, and farmers market vendors, which often have a need for bags; offer smaller bags, like from newspapers and bread, to dog owners to pick up after their dogs |
| Plastic flower pots | Check with the seller; many will reuse their pots |
| Towels and blankets | Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center, 480 Cinnabar Rd, Christiansburg |
Recycle
We are glad that you are interested in learning more about recycling options around Blacksburg! However, it is important to consider how you can Reduce and REUSE before you resort to recycling. In particular, many items can be repurposed and distributed to local teachers and nonprofits through The New River Valley Creative Reuse Center!
Single Stream Curbside Recycling
Where Can I Take…
| Other Items for Recycling | |
| CFLs, Rechargeable Batteries, Ink cartridges (note: alkaline batteries should go in your household trash) | Y Thrift Store, 1000 N. Main St, Blacksburg |
| Electronics (nonworking – label as nonworking) | Y Thrift Store, 1000 N. Main St, Blacksburg |
| Metals | Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority, 555 Authority Dr, Christiansburg |
| Plastic film and plastic bags (see reuse options for plastic bags) | Recycling collection boxes at Kroger, Food Lion, Walmart, Target, Blacksburg Community Center, Warm Hearth Village Local churches: St. Mary’s Blacksburg, Blacksburg Presbyterian, Blacksburg United Methodist, St. Thomas in Christiansburg |
Blacksburg
Contacts
- Town of Blacksburg’s Office of Waste Reduction & Recycling
- 540-443-1212
- recycle@blacksburg.gov
- Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority
- 540-381-2820
- acummins@mrswa.com
Virginia Tech
Contacts
- Virginia Tech Office of Sustainability
- 540-231-4300
- sustainability@vt.edu
- VT Recycling Website
- Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority
- 540-381-2820
- acummins@mrswa.com
Christiansburg
Contacts
- Town of Christiansburg’s Department of Public Works
- 540-382-1151
- tlprice@christiansburg.org
- Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority
- 540-381-2820
- acummins@mrswa.com
Waste Reduction Updates
Week 21 Recap: Reduce the Amount of Waste You Send to the Landfill
The U.S. Environmental Agency estimates that we generate 4.9 pounds of trash per person per day and about half of that ends up in the landfill! Although many aspects of our system work against us, we have a lot of control over the amount of waste we generate in our own homes. We have covered…
Keep reading
Week 21: Too Much Waste in our Landfills
A little over a month ago I briefly touched on the amount of waste sent to our landfills when discussing “Choosing Reusables.” The numbers are so staggering though, I think it warrants another look. The EPA collects data on how much trash (or as they refer to it, municipal solid waste) is generated each year and where…
Keep reading
Week 20: Home Energy Use
According the the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average home in America consumes about 11,000 kWh (kilowatthours) per year, which accounts for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. If considered a country, these emissions would be considered the world’s sixth largest GHG emitter, comparable to Brazil and larger than Germany.The carbon…
Keep reading