Land is a limited resource. Land in a comfortable climate with fresh water and fertile soil is especially scarce and sought after by animals and humans alike. Both people and critters depend on land as a place to live and as a source of food. Common land use concerns include soil erosion; pollution; toxin release; waste management; and the loss and damage of wetlands, green spaces, various other wildlife habitats and farmland to urban sprawl and unchecked development.

Take care of the land

  • Eat more local food to reduce wear-and-tear on highways and pollution from interstate transport trucks.
  • Eat more organic foods that use fewer pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.
  • Buy less meat. Animal factories are a source of land and water pollution, with E. coli and other deadly bacteria found in their industrial waste and runoff.
  • Live close to work to reduce fuel consumption, pollution and the demand for new housing construction. If possible, telecommute.
  • Don’t dump illegally. Discarded tires hold water where mosquitoes breed and waste piles attract rats.
  • Contribute land and money to land trusts.
  • Adopt green spaces and maintain wetlands.
  • Don’t use lawn chemicals or toxic pesticides.
  • Practice the three Rs
  • Reduce
  • Choose products with less packaging, such as items sold in bulk or produce without bags.
  • Use cloth napkins, towels, and diapers instead of disposable products.
  • Refuse a shopping bag and use your own reusable bag.
  • Reuse
  • Maintain and repair durable items.
  • Upgrade computers.
  • Clean out and reuse bags, boxes, bottles, and other containers.
  • Sell or donate goods instead of throwing them out.
    Shop for used goods at secondhand stores, flea markets, or auctions.
  • Choose refillable items, such as pens, pencils and tape dispensers.
  • Recycle
  • Recycle aluminum, glass, plastic, newspaper, paper and cardboard. They can be turned into other useable products.
  • Recycle e-Scrap, including computers, televisions, cell phones, and related equipment.
  • Seek out and buy products made from recyclable materials. There are called “post-consumer recycled-content items.”
  • Use Nature’s Recycling System
  • “Grasscycle” by letting clippings drop back onto the yard when mowing, providing nitrogen and moisture to your lawn.
  • Use grass clippings, brush trimmings, and chipped wood as mulch around plants.
  • Compost yard waste outdoors. After the yard waste decomposes, you’ll be able to apply your finished compost to your garden as a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

For additional information, visit:

E-Scrap Recycling Campaign: www.eScrapIndiana.org

Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Office of Pollution Prevention & Technical Assistance: www.in.gov/idem/oppta

Indiana Department of Agriculture, Division of Soil Conservation: www.in.gov/isda/soil/index.html

Indiana Soil & Water Conservation Districts: www.in.gov/isda/soil/swcd/index.html and www.iaswcd.org

Purdue University Cooperative Extension – Consumer Horticulture: www.hort.purdue.edu/ext

Stop Burning Trash Campaign: www.StopBurningTrash.org

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Wastes: www.epa.gov/osw