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Volunteers needed for sustainable materials management subcommittees

  • 5/6/2021 3:53:00 PM
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DES MOINES - The DNR is looking for Iowans and organizations to serve on subcommittees that will assist with the next phase of the Sustainable Materials Management Vision for Iowa project.

The project centers on a vision to conserve natural resources and protect the environment throughout a product’s life. Known as sustainable materials management (SMM), this approach emphasizes waste prevention throughout the lifecycle of manufacturing and distributing products.

Serving on a subcommittee will require attending three meetings over three months, with each meeting lasting a few hours. If interested in being considered for serving on a subcommittee, please complete the survey at https://www.research.net/r/SMM_Iowa.

DNR has worked with residents, businesses and institutions to craft the Iowa vision for SMM since 2019. These subcommittees will continue the process of engaging with stakeholders to create specific SMM strategies through integrating technology, infrastructure, policies, funding and performance metrics.

Iowa's existing solid waste management system focuses primarily on waste discards and how to manage a material at the end of its useful life. This approach includes many positive attributes, such as recycling and composting waste discards into new products. However, it does not emphasize waste prevention or environmental impacts associated with the product’s lifecycle.

The Iowa SMM vision promotes finding new opportunities to reduce environmental impacts, conserve resources and reduce costs associated with managing materials throughout their life cycle.  

For additional information, visit iowadnr.gov/SMM.

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