Many items can only be recycled a limited amount of times. Paper and cardboard, for example, can only be recycled 5-7 time before the fibers break down and become unusable. Plastic can only be recycled 2-3 times, though usually it is only recycled once before it must be landfilled.
That means most material in recycling bins still ends up in the landfill, it just gets there a little more slowly than if it were thrown into a waste bin. Slowing down the time it takes for waste to go to the landfill still matters. It makes it possible to use landfill space most efficiently and extends the usable life of a landfill.
This is where “reducing” comes in. There are many ways to reduce material going to the landfill. The first is to be mindful that everything we purchase will end up in the landfill sooner or later. Reducing the amount of unnecessary items or items meant to be disposed of after only one use, we can reduce waste overall. We can also reduce items going to the landfill on any given day by repairing and reusing things we already own.
Some items aren’t good candidates for recycling because they are made of more than one type of material or from materials that are difficult to remanufacture like synthetic foam or rubber. These items can also be “slowed down” on their path to the landfill, though. Things like clothing, furniture, and electronic appliances can often be repaired and reused, doubling or even tripling their use life. In many cases, the repairs are simple and inexpensive.
Many tutorials exist online to teach you how to repair things you own. Simply searching for the name of the item and the word repair (“lamp repair”) can help locate useful resources. For repairs that are a little more complicated or time consuming, a number of repair services exist in the Quad Cities area that can help fix items. Using these services not only helps keep items out of the landfill longer, it also helps support skilled craftsman and our local economy.
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Washer/dryer and other large appliance repair |
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Darin's Appliance Services |
847 20th Avenue, Moline |
(309) 762-1635 |
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Gary Pond Appliance Repair |
225 East 14th Street West, Milan |
(309) 737-1664 |
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Grant Appliance and TV |
2222 East 53rd Street, Davenport |
(563) 355-0219 |
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Iowa-Illinois Appliance Repair |
307 S Fairmount Street, Davenport |
(563) 388-7680 |
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Sears Appliance Repair |
320 W Kimberly Road, |
(563) 594-5394 |
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TMI Total Maintenance Inc |
1017 State Street, Bettendorf |
(563) 900-8788 |
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Zeglins Home and TV Appliance |
4241 Avenue of the Cities, Moline |
(309) 797-6258 |
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Vacuum cleaner and small appliance repair |
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A&H Dynamics Vacuum Cleaners and Repairs |
1768 44th Street, Rock Island |
(309) 794-0400 |
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Quality Vacs |
1908 Washington Street, Davenport |
(563) 232-1518 |
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Mobile phone and small electronics repair |
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Batteries Plus Bulbs |
300 Avenue of the Cities, East Moline |
(309) 764-9555 |
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Fruit Fixer |
1998 1st Street, Moline |
(309) 865-5479 |
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Furniture Repair |
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Steve's Furniture Repair |
1624 W 14th Street, Davenport |
(563) 650-9168 |
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Kistner's Full Claims Service Inc. |
520 20th Street, Rock Island |
(309) 786-5868 |
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Bicycle and fitness equipment repair |
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Healthy Habits |
3651 Devils Glen Road, Bettendorf |
(563) 332-5145 |
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Jerry and Sparky's Bike Shop |
1819 E Locust Street, Davenport |
(563) 324-0270 |
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Johnson Fitness and Wellness |
2826 E. 53rd Street, Davenport |
(563) 355-4700 |
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Clothing alteration and repair |
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Alterations and Beyond |
2002 46th Street, Rock Island |
(309) 737-9634 |
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Jewelry repair |
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Doland Jewelers |
3865 Elmore Avenue, Davenport |
(563) 326-1847 |
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Expression Jewelers |
1913 E Locust Street, Davenport |
(563) 326-1509 |