 This fall, Can Shed opened its new, modern, and clean redemption facility at 1534 S Gilbert St., Ste. 400. This project was enabled by a zoning code update made in 2024 to allow modernized redemption centers to be located in areas convenient for residents to access.
Serving Eastern Iowa since 1997, Can Shed provides container redemption and recycling services that enable individuals, businesses, and community groups to recycle with impact. Each year, Can Shed yields enough energy savings to power 3,515 homes for a year and keeps 9.2 million pounds of waste out of area landfills.
 Andy Martin
Iowa City Climate Ambassador
 How do you take climate action?
We are strong proponents of recycling and composting, both at home and at work, and we make great use of the Habitat Restore, particularly for work. As a remodeling company, the Restore is invaluable. I also got a Ford Lightning for my company vehicle in January of 2022. That has been a great move, both for the climate and for my lifestyle. It has also been a good economic move, since I’ve had very minimal maintenance, and dollar for dollar, I estimate I’m averaging about 50 “MPG”.
Why is it important to take climate action?
It impacts so much -- quality of life for individuals and communities; business on a local and international scale; national and international strategic and security issues; and every species on earth. In the end, I want a clean, beautiful, safe place to live for myself, my family, and my community. We need to address climate change to get to that place.
What can others do to take climate action?
I think my greatest takeaway from the climate ambassador program is that progress doesn’t require perfection. Climate change is a global phenomenon, and the systems, both human and natural, are that big. We can’t course correct in a day, month, or year, and we can’t do it with a single large gesture. Every decision we make affects the climate, and small actions now can have big effects later, but that doesn’t mean every decision has to be perfect. Every day we have a chance to make a difference, and we should strive to do so. We need to celebrate victories and work on changing our failures without focusing on the failures.
This month's reason for hope:
In late November, Iowa City's Fare Free buses were featured in the 50 States, 50 Fixes list of climate solutions assembled by The New York Times. Find more climate hope on the Project 51 web page.
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Iowa City’s Climate Action Commission meets monthly
The next Climate Action Commission meeting on January 5 will be a time to welcome new members and elect a new chair. The public is invited to attend. Access upcoming and past meeting packets at the Climate Action Commission web page.
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