Since it's inception in 1991, the UW-Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center has been promoting municipal solid waste source reduction as an effective solid waste management strategy. Source reduction, which is defined by the US EPA as "the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials (such as products and packaging) to reduce the amount or toxicity of trash generated." Source reduction helps reduce waste disposal and handling costs because it avoids the costs of recycling, municipal composting, landfilling, and combustion. It also conserves resources and reduces pollution. SHWEC's source reduction program is focused upon encouraging consumer to change wasteful behaviors and developing innovative municipal programs to prevent waste.

Yard waste is an expensive cost for municipalities to manage. For example, the 309 communities that reported electronically for 2004 reported a cost of over $62,000 on average for yard waste management. Consumers can do a lot to reduce yard waste at the source by adopting several strategies: (1) Leave their grass clippings on the lawn through mulch mowing; (2) Compost food waste and other yard debris in a home compost system; and, (3) Leave their leaves on the lawn through mulch mowing as well. SHWEC has actively promoted these strategies through a variety of educational efforts. For example, master composters in various communities have been trained on effective home composting and are willing to share that info with others in their communities. In addition, SHWEC's work with the SE Wisconsin Waste Reduction Coalition (now BE SMART) led to development of the Leave it on the Lawn video, which highlights ways to leave leaf residue on lawns in the fall (http://yard waste video link).

Another method to reduce waste is to target purchasing practices and policies. SHWEC's work with the Jefferson County Solid Waste and Air Quality committee led to the adoption of and development of an EPP plan in 2005. By working with the Jefferson County Community Natural Resource Economic Development educator, SHWEC helped the Jefferson County board develop a new policy requiring departments to review purchases with an eye to the environment. Now, county departments must review vendors and contracts to assume that they address environmental concerns, as well as promote good environmental stewardship.