The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is transitioning to a new solid waste management system for the state after nearly 40 years of “relatively little change” in laws. “Solid waste laws, policy and programs are not keeping up with the changes in current technology and material use and the impacts of those materials on our environment,” Iowa Department of Natural Resources Financial & Business Assistance Supervisor Jennifer Wright told The Center Square in an emailed statement. “By making this change, it would allow the department to prioritize policies and programs that conserve resources, make the most use of the resources we have, increase economic activity and in turn protect Iowans health, safety and the environment.”
Wright said the major change is the emphasis of the plan. The new system would manage the entire “life cycle” of materials – including design, raw material extraction, manufacture, transport, consumption, use, reuse, cycling and disposal – instead of solely their disposal so resources and waste can be “managed in the most beneficial way” for the economy, the environment, and social impacts, she said.
Social impacts include changes in purchasing habits based on sustainability factors. “SMM looks at environmental impacts throughout a materials lifecycle rather than what can be done at the point of disposal, which is limiting and unsustainable,” Wright said. “There will always be an element of end of life management but how can we get the most use or reuse of resources, materials and products before it no longer has a life?”
The state is in Phase 2 of its transition to Sustainable Materials Management. The focus currently is on policies, programs, and gathering data and life cycle analysis to support the new approach, Wright said. Later in the process, stakeholder meetings and dialogue will determine “any potential cost savings,” she said.