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Sustainable practices begin at home in your daily routine. Below are ways to get you started. Aim to make one small change every month to become more environmentally sustainable.

Pledge to Become a Bay Star Home

The public awareness program, askHRgreen.org encourages environmental stewardship in 17 local governments of Hampton Roads through campaigns like the Bay Star Homes program. By making small adjustments to your daily habits at home, our community can work together to protect our local environments and foster a healthy, natural world. As a resident of Newport News, you can pledge to become a Bay Star Home today! Participants will receive a welcome packet from their locality representative that includes a Bay Star garden flag and tips for going green in your local community.

Ready to get started? Complete the registration form.

Upgrade to Energy Efficient Appliances

EPA's Energy Star program stands alone as the most successful voluntary energy conservation movement in history. ENERGY STAR certified appliances help consumers save money on operating costs by reducing energy use without sacrificing performance. When buying new appliances, look for ENERGY STAR certified products that will save money and the environment.

Recycling just got easier!

Did you know that Newport News has comingled recycling? This means that you have the convenience of mixing your recyclables (plastic, paper, glass, etc.) in your authorized curbside-recycling container. To learn more about our recycling program including what can and cannot be mingled, please visit our Residential Recycling page.

Compost, compost, compost!

What is compost? Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

If you’re ready to begin composting at home, check out EPA's simple steps.

Water. Use It Wisely!

Make water conservation part of your daily routine! Water is a limited resource, and our drinking water supply is vulnerable to droughts. Check out these important water conservation tips below.

  • Replace your toilet with a low-flow toilet. Ultra low-flush toilets use about 1.6 gallons per flush.
  • Keep drinking water in the refrigerator. Don’t run the tap to cool water.
  • Capture the water that runs while you wait for hot water. Use it to water plants, or put it in the refrigerator so you can have nice, cold water whenever you want it.
  • Turn off water while cleaning vegetables. Rinse them in a sink half-filled with water.

View more tips by visiting our conservation page.

Buy Compost and Mulch for your Yard

Did you know that the compost and mulch offered at the Recovery Operations Center is certified by the U.S. Compost Council Standard testing agreement and available to the general public? If you are sprucing up your yard, you can get these products by the pick-up truck load at bargain prices (cash or check only)!

Donate Gently Used Items to Charity

Consider donating or swapping gently used household items instead of throwing them away to reduce the amount of waste going to local landfills.