If there is one thing I learned over the last year, it’s that I absolutely LOATHE the phrase, “a new normal.” I honestly might become physically ill if I hear it one more time in 2022. Let’s face it…after these last two years, “normal” is a concept of the past. 

We’ve all had to continuously adapt and modify the way we do things…this is nothing new, it is actually what one might call...normal. These last two years were different. This time it was forced upon us with urgency, and guess what? We figured it out! And by figuring it out, we’ve also opened up all sorts of new avenues and possibilities.

I can remember a decade ago when QR codes were going to be the next big thing…we even threw some on our IWRC marketing materials to be ahead of the curve. They failed miserably. Nobody knew what they were, or if they did, they didn’t know how to use or scan them. Suddenly in the blink of an eye, they’re everywhere and almost everyone knows how to use them. We adapted and learned. I can promise you that they won’t suddenly disappear again. I have a feeling we’ll continue to see more and more of them and they will direct us to WAY more than just a restaurant’s menu…you might even see us bring them back.

Organizationally, we’re no different. Last year, we dealt with travel limitations and other uncertainties for quite some time, so we figured out how to do things virtually. We started hosting webinars, conducting virtual meetings, and even started dabbling in virtual site visits. These won’t be going away. While we’ll continue to provide direct, on-site assistance to our clients across the state as well as beyond Iowa’s borders like always, we can now supplement these efforts with virtual components too. 

Another way we’re adapting and evolving this year is through hosting some more events and workshops. We’ll be kicking these off with an incredible Energy Trends Workshop in Des Moines on March 24th. We’re also going to be launching some new and fun events in April to commemorate Earth Week/Day including a food waste event in Des Moines, a sustainable business competition in the Cedar Valley, and more! Be on the lookout for upcoming announcements…you’re not going to want to miss these!!

While there’s still so much uncertainty out there about what things will look like moving forward this year, one thing I absolutely know is that we are excited for 2022….even if it won’t be “normal.”

 


Joe Bolick, Director
Iowa Waste Reduction Center


Joe Bolick, IWRC Director   Joe provides leadership and direction for the IWRC 

   mjbolick@uni.edu

 

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