Why Should you Care?
As a total recycling lover, you help improve Michigan’s environment and boost the economy with each recyclable that goes into your curbside cart. To make the most of your recycling, safety is key!
Believe it or not, keeping recycling workers safe also ensures that your recyclables get a second chance. And the best part is that you can do both in just three steps.
Take it from Matt Van Benten, operations supervisor at the Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County (RRRASOC) Material Recovery Facility in Southfield. “Safety is huge here — it’s our No. 1 concern, and it’s our No. 1 problem.”
As he sorted through a box of potentially dangerous items that were pulled from the MRF’s conveyor line, he found items that don’t belong in curbside recycling.
“There are homes for them, but your local recycling bin is not it.”
— Matt Van Benten
Sharps
Sharps can easily injure workers while they move down the conveyor. Objects that should be kept out of curbside recycling include:
- Needles
- Scissors
- Knives
Medical sharps have specific programs and locations available for easy disposal.
Sharps that don’t fit into medical waste, like scissors, can often be taken to local household hazardous waste collection events.
Bags
Bags can hide among paper and plastic materials, which makes them a bit tricky for recycling workers since, as Van Benten said, “You don’t know where it is.” Not only can they clog up sorting machines, but they can also hide hazards from recycling workers — which means it’s safer to dispose of them when materials are being sorted.
Leave your recyclables loose in your curbside cart and clear of tanglers like plastic bags, string lights and hoses. As for the plastic bags, those can be taken right back to a local grocer, like Meijer or Kroger.
Electronics
The last item you should keep FAR from your curbside cart are batteries or any kind of electronic.
Get the full battery breakdown
“We’ve had explosions and fires here caused by things like this,” Van Benten said. And that’s why electronic devices are a no-no. Things like cellphones, laptops and tablets are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can explode when crushed or shaken.
Instead, return them to a local electronic retailer like Best Buy, Home Depot and more.