Lenawee County’s recycling drop-off site has been the place residents in the county can take plastics #1-7, glass (colored or clear), tin cans, aluminum, cardboard, and paper products for recycling since 2012. The Lenawee County Solid Waste Program also coordinates community collection events to clean up scrap tires, electronics, polystyrene foam, batteries, household hazardous waste,…

Washtenaw County’s Solid Waste Division works to provide comprehensive services to its residents as well as acts as a clearinghouse for information on everything from backyard composting to zero waste events. According to Theo Eggermont, Director of Public Works, the purpose of their program “is to achieve the Solid Waste Plan goals which boils down…

Goodwill Industries has a rich tradition in reuse and providing work opportunities. It was founded in 1902 by Reverend Edgar J. Helms who collected used clothing and household goods which were mended and fixed by locals he hired. The donated goods were then resold, and the money raised was used to pay the workers who…

Recycling in Michigan would be much harder without all the hard work everyone does in our Michigan communities. The Eaton County Department of Resource Recovery is one of our members that is a great example of all the hard work that is being done to help recycling. The Eaton County Department of Resource Recovery (ECDRR)…

In 1978, Recycle Ann Arbor (RAA) founded the first curbside recycling program in Michigan. Over the years, the program has seen significant growth, with the development of a curbside program, recovery yard, A2 Area Reuse network, and drop-off center. In 2021 they diverted 15699 tons of waste from being landfilled and opened their zero-waste Material…

The City of East Lansing was one of the first municipalities in the state to offer recycling services to its residents. Since its implementation, the City’s program has steadily grown to provide convenient programs for yard waste, holiday waste, hard to recycle items, and more. Waste collection programs are administered by the City’s Department of…

Dart has been an industry leader in recycling for more than 30 years. They’re taking responsibility for the environmental effects of giving people the freedom to enjoy their food & drinks on the go. The most important part of their program is that it’s a sincere, holistic, and strategic based approach on a robust commitment…

Kalamazoo may be known for an abundance of breweries, but the recycling services the City provides for its residence is equally impressive. The city began offering a curbside recycling program in the 1980s through an “opt-in” program that has now expanded to include 75% of households citywide!  Kalamazoo provides more than just curbside pickup for…

When there are only 17,000 residents in a County, you have to constantly be working to try and keep people involved in recycling. Last year 1,009 tons of single stream recyclables were collected from this rural area. Benzie County has been extremely successful with this and along the way, they have come up with some…

The Kroger Company became a Recycle, MI Partner in 2020 and we are glad to have their support. Kroger promotes sustainability initiatives through their Zero Hunger/Zero Waste social impact plan. The plan aims to “end hunger in the places we call home and eliminate waste across our company by 2025.”  One program that Kroger is…

Most people are aware that recyclable materials are collected from households across the state, processed at a local material recovery facility, and then sent to a manufacturer who makes it into a new product. What many people don’t know is that there is often another step in the process that is important – that of…

Pratt Industries has been America’s leading recycled paper and packaging company for over 25 years – dedicated to the sustainability of the planet, their customers, and their people, and is recognized around the world for its environmental stewardship.  Sustainability has always been the cornerstone of Pratt’s culture. Pratt Industries, which was born into a family…

In 2004, after many years working in the resource recovery program management field, Sarah Archer decided to start her own company, Iris Waste Diversion Specialists. Iris Waste Diversion Specialists are resultants more than consultants. They implement programs, do waste assessments, plan events, and help programs improve their waste diversion or get established.  If there is…

There are 34 municipalities that the Mid Michigan Waste Authority (MMWA) helps to coordinate trash, recycling, and yard waste services for. This can be a challenge when each municipality has completely different population sizes and needs for resources. However, the MMWA does everything they can to customize all options to achieve the needs for all…

When the Missaukee Conservation District opened, they didn’t have any plans to get involved in recycling. Ten years ago, this changed when they received a $32,000 anonymous donation and obtained a solid waste management grant. Everything fell into place at the right time, and ever since then they have been in the recycling business.  …

For the 77,000 residents in Clinton County, recycling has been important for many years. They are the recycling and waste management for the county, overseeing 2 drop off recycling centers and several waste collection events. The drop off centers are both self service centers, open 24 hours. The 2 big collection events that Clinton County…

The MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center (SSRC) has grown from a program that began by recycling a single commodity (office paper) in 1988 to the comprehensive waste management program they have today. The SSRC is comprised of MSU’s Surplus Store, the Recycling Center, and MSU Bikes. Since the completion of their new facility in…