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:
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.
“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.
Howdy, humans! So, you found our quiz and want to test your recycling knowledge? Or maybe you’re just sniffing around for more recycling rules. Whatever the reason, the Recycling Raccoon Squad has gathered the answers below. 👇
True!
Not much more to say than envelopes with plastic windows are A-OK!
False!
Styrofoam and other foam materials are NOT recyclable curbside. This is mainly because of their porous nature (they hold on to air and contaminants). Some centers and programs will accept them, but otherwise they can be thrown away.
False!
As long as it’s crumb- and cheese-free (without a drenching of grease), your pizza box is recyclable. We were so jazzed, we even made a page where you can check your grease level.
False!
Glass is actually one of the MOST recyclable materials because it can be recycled again and again and again and aga — you get it.
That means mason jars, food jars, glass bottles are all recyclable curbside!
Psst — the color-coded ✱ icons in this story are clickable. Tap one for a recycling rule, a recycling benefit or a bit of need-to-know trivia.
The night was dark. His surroundings coated in dew from a dense fog. And Frank was face down in a recycling cart. The only sound was the rustling of common household recyclables as You found a recycling basic! Plastic, metal and glass containers should be rinsed (or carefully licked clean) before being recycled curbside.he licked forgotten yogurt cups, orange juice bottles and bean cans clean.
That’s when he heard it. A sound that made his ears shoot up. Frank peered out of the recycling cart to look around him. Nothing. Frank returned to his work when again … tap, tap. Tap. Tap, tap.
When he looked out, he saw only the neighboring recycling cart. Something was inside.
Frank’s fur stood on end as he drew nearer. A blur of white shot at him and wrapped around his back paw. Frank hissed — kicking until he saw the blur was a plastic bag … Did you know, tanglers are items that tangle up recyclables, recycling machines and raccoons. Plastic bags, however, can be taken back to local grocers like Meijer and Kroger for recycling.a tangler.
That couldn’t have made the sound, so what had? Frank continued forward and lifted the lid to see the cart was full of … tanglers! He fell back at the sight, scrambling behind a nearby tree as images of what he had seen flashed through his mind. FYI: String lights, rope, wires and hangers are all included in the tangler category and should be kept FAR from your curbside cart.String lights, rope, wire and even hangers — all stuffed inside a recycling cart. And all coiling around common household recyclables.
If these items made it back to a recycling center, they could tangle a sorting machine and stop You found a recycling benefit! Recycling helps items become something new, rather than lying in a landfill.loads of recyclables from becoming new items! Frank was frantic as he rushed back to the cart. He didn’t have time for fear. He had to save the recyclables!
His paws worked feverishly to yank tangler after tangler, even as they tangled around him. In his mind, he could hear his mother Pearl’s voice: “You found a recycling benefit! In Michigan, recycling and reuse industries support more than 72,500 jobs and can save up to 95% of energy.Rope: Cut into smaller sections before placing in your trash.Hangers: Place in curbside trash.String Lights: Look for local drop-off options.Hoses: Remove the metal ends and take to a specialty recycler or cut the hose into smaller sections before placing in your trash.Wire: Look for local options that will buy old wire or take to a specialty recycler.Recyclables save energy and help the economy, Frank. That’s why it’s our duty to save them in return … ”
Finally, the unfettered recyclables lay loose in the recycling cart, but Frank knew he wasn’t done. He had to get rid of the tanglers — properly. And yet, as he pulled the last one out of the cart, his strength left him and he passed out on the soft grass.
“Awrite, laddie? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost!”
“Oh man, he’s laid out.”
Frank blinked awake at two raccoons, one with a purple mohawk holding drumsticks and another with a plaid hat and paper bagpipes. They helped him up, asking about what had happened. As Frank explained, the two smiled and helped remove the tanglers. You found a recycling rule! Remember! While each tangler has its own disposal process, most can be donated or resold if they are in good condition!They disposed of each one before leading him to a small group they called … the Recycling Raccoon Squad.
Do you find yourself wondering, “Where can I take this pile of old batteries?” or, “Are there any events happening in Michigan this week?” If so, the Recycling Raccoon Squad has your back!
Did you know, thanks to recycling, your used paper doesn’t just disappear? It’s made into a slew of new items! ’Tis true. Take it from me, resident paper expert and bagpipe enthusiast Paper MacKay.
I’ve spent years getting my paws on all types of recyclable paper and have even toured a facility or two to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process. And trust me when I tell you, the journey your recycled paper goes on is truly magical.
First
It starts when your newspapers, magazines and envelopes (aye, even the ones with plastic windows on ’em) first enter your curbside recycling cart. Come pickup day, these items will be ferried off to a local recycling facility. As long as no other items in your bin have contaminated your paper (think food waste from unwashed glass or cheese residue in a pizza box), facility workers will sort and send that paper on to the next step.
Next
Once sorted and given the green light, your paper gets fed to a shredder! It’s torn asunder and made into a papery pulp.
This pulpy masterpiece is then washed to break down its fibers. Fun fact: One of the reasons paper recycling is so successful is because of these fibers! Unlike other materials that can be repurposed only two or three times, paper can be repurposed five to seven times before its fibers are too short and weak to be used again. Talk about high-fiber content!
Last
Once that pulp has taken a nice bath to break down the fibers, the big dogs (large rollers) come out. These are used to flatten the pulp and help it dry out into — you guessed it — new paper! This flattened and dried product is used as the base for a variety of new paper products, including:
Cereal boxes
Paper towels
Fast-food bags
Egg cartons
& more!
And that’s all she wrote when it comes to the life cycle of paper recycling! While the journey is as fascinating as it is pleasant, the environmental benefits of paper recycling cannot be understated either. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recycling just 1 ton of paper can save 380 gallons of oil, 7,000 gallons of water and enough energy to power the average American home for up to six months!
So, the next time you’re putting an envelope in your recycling bin or wheeling your cart to the curb, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
Your recycling cart is just the first stop in a pretty amazing process. Trust me — Nyla P. Lastic. I’ve got the deets to show how sweet plastic recycling can be.
First things first: It’s important to know your recycled plastic gets used to make all kinds of new items. Not only does it take less energy, water and other natural resources to create an item from recycled material, but recycled plastic can also make up 100% of the item it’s creating!
Let’s get into it!
After the ever-anticipated day arrives, your recycling truck takes off toward a local recycling center.
Then?
Your recyclables get sorted out! Non-recyclable items are removed (including any plastic bags), materials get grouped by color and the remaining recyclables get cubed into bales.
The cube holding your item may be transferred to another recycling center at this point. Whether it heads on out or stays in the same place, the bale is cut up into small plastic flakes.
Next.
The flakes get washed to rid them of any remaining contaminants. This is also where your hard work rinsing your containers shines. Your effort helps keep excess residue out of the containers — which means fewer rounds of washing!
From there …
Your plastic items are dried and melted so they can finally become all sorts of new items!
LANSING, Mich. — The recycling rate in the Great Lakes State is at a record high for the fifth consecutive year, according to a new analysis of data that the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced today on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22.
From fiscal year (FY) 2024 to 2025, Michiganders increased their recycling to a total tonnage of 800,940 tons. Michiganders recycled more than 60,000 tons of glass, 577,000 tons of paper and paper products and 41,000 tons of plastics and plastic products.
This equates to every person in Michigan recycling nearly 158 pounds of cardboard boxes, milk cartons, soup cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars, food waste and other recyclable materials over a 12-month span, EGLE researchers found.
The combined total of recyclables is the equivalent of the weight of 10 Mackinac Bridges and would fill the football stadiums of the Detroit Lions, University of Michigan and Michigan State University, plus the 125-acre Detroit Zoo.
More Fun Facts
If the 800,940 tons of material were in recycling carts side by side, they would stretch around the moon over three times!
If the amount of paper, metal, glass and plastic were in recycling carts, they would stretch from:
Traverse City to Detroit: 50 round trips
Lansing to Detroit: 142 round trips
Saginaw to Detroit: 125 round trips
Kalamazoo to Detroit: 91 round trips
Grand Rapids to Detroit: 81 round trips
Alpena to Detroit: 51 round trips
Marquette to Detroit: 28 round trips
If you spread all 800,940 tons of Michigan’s residential recyclables collected last year across every elementary school playground in the state, the pile would be nearly 50 feet deep!
EGLE leaders attribute the state’s recycling success to funding for infrastructure and technical support for projects that increase access to recycling services, along with the national award-winning “Know It Before You Throw It” education campaign featuring the Recycling Raccoon Squad.
“State investment, community action, communication and collaboration are driving progress across Michigan’s local recycling systems,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “Millions of Michiganders have greater access to recycling than ever before, and more material than ever is being successfully reclaimed and repurposed in our growing circular economy.”
EGLE made the recycling record announcement this morning at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Outdoor Adventure Center (OAC) in Detroit at an event featuring all six Recycling Raccoon mascots.
Approximately 60 fourth and fifth graders from American Montessori Academy in Westland were on hand to enjoy a new state-of-the-art big-screen TV video game and other hands-on education activities focused on proper recycling. EGLE developed the curriculum in partnership with the DNR’s OAC.
American Montessori Academy in Westland is a 2025-2026 Michigan Green School at the Evergreen Level, the highest honor awarded by EGLE. Westland’s American Montessori Academy (AMA) recycled the most materials in the school’s history this year — a total of 73% of all school waste — under the leadership of instructor Manny Jones and the AMA’s Green Team. In addition, for the first time in American Montessori Academy history, every classroom has a dedicated recycling program catered to their particular classroom makeup.
Changing Behaviors and Increasing Confidence
Data from EGLE statewide surveys of more than 1,000 Michiganders in 2018 and 2025 show the campaign has generated tremendous positive impacts on Michiganders:
Nearly 4 in 5 Michiganders report a positive impact on their household recycling after seeing the campaign, including changing recycling habits and becoming more mindful to follow recycling rules.
More than 3 in 4 Michiganders (76%) in 2025 reported being confident about what materials they can recycle.
Up 19% since 2018, when only 64% felt confident.
77% of Michiganders agree there are clear-cut rules about what can be recycled.
Up 17% from 2018, when only 66% agreed.
7 in 10 people know where to double-check recycling rules in 2025.
Up from only 5 in 10 in 2018.
4 out of 5 Michiganders say they’d like to learn more about at least one recycling topic.
The improved recycling performance is helping Michigan advance the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan, commissioned by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a road map to a sustainable, prosperous, healthy, equitable, carbon-neutral Michigan economy by 2050. Carbon neutrality is the global science-based benchmark for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the most devastating and costly impacts of climate change.
Recycling in Michigan supports 72,500 jobs and contributes more than $17 billion a year to the state’s economy, according to an analysis by EGLE’s NextCycle Michigan Initiative.
Recycling Access Improves
More Michiganders than ever have access to recycling services.
EGLE and national nonprofit The Recycling Partnership have together rolled out more than 353,000 new curbside recycling carts in 35 communities statewide, serving more than a combined 1.2 million Michiganders since 2019.
“Recycling is not only the right thing to do — it’s also the smart thing to do,” said EGLE Materials Management Division Director Tracy Kecskemeti. “Recycling properly saves Michigan taxpayers money by increasing the value of recycled materials, supporting Michigan jobs and improving the health of the environment.”
This annual event is celebrated to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote actions to protect the planet. In Michigan, Earth Day is observed with activities including sustainability initiatives, environmental cleanups and educational events.
Installation debut offers kids fun activities to promote learning to care for planet by teaming up with Michigan’s nationally renowned Recycling Raccoons
FLINT, Mich. — Leaders with the Flint Farmers’ Market, Flint Children’s Museum and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today unveiled a hands-on recycling education exhibit that will benefit 100,000 elementary school-age youth annually from the Genesee County region.
“Our partnership demonstrates the Flint Farmers’ Market and EGLE’s commitment to meeting communities where they are, using creative partnerships to extend the reach and impact of environmental education beyond traditional classroom or office settings,” said Flint Farmers’ Market Manager Karianne Martus.
“By embedding educational activities within a high-traffic community gathering space, the partnership ensures that recycling education reaches families in a natural, accessible setting where learning can happen alongside everyday activities,” Martus said during a morning news conference attended by fourth-grade students from Flint’s Eisenhower Elementary School and adult chaperone volunteers.
The activities feature two key interactive components designed to make recycling education engaging and memorable:
Recycling Scavenger Hunt
Features recycling stream categories with corresponding Recycling Raccoon
Teaches essential recycling rules including proper cleaning, keeping items loose and cardboard flattening
Magnetic Sorting Game
Custom magnetic table surface with 3D-printed game pieces representing various recyclable and non-recyclable items
Hands-on sorting activity that reinforces proper recycling practices
The collaboration leverages the Flint Farmers’ Market’s significant reach — 450,000 annual visitors, including more than 100,000 kids between ages 2 and 10 across weekly Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday operations — to deliver hands-on environmental education through the Flint Children’s Museum’s interactive space within the market.
“By placing recycling education within the vibrant, family-friendly environment of the Flint Farmers’ Market, EGLE and the Flint Children’s Museum are making sustainable practices more accessible and engaging for families throughout the region,” said Flint Children’s Museum Visitor Services Manager Jacky Metcalfe.
EGLE announced this year the recycling rate in the Great Lakes State is at a record high, based on 2024 metrics. EGLE leaders attribute the state’s recycling success to its launch of the national award-winning “Know It Before You Throw It” education campaign featuring the Recycling Raccoon Squad, as well as EGLE funding for infrastructure and technical support for projects that increase access to recycling services across Michigan.
EGLE research shows Michigan has steadily increased its recycling rate from 14.25% before 2019 (when Michigan ranked among the nation’s lowest in recycling before the Recycling Raccoon campaign began) to 23% last year and an all-time-high rate of over 25% now. EGLE forecasts that Michigan is on track to achieve the state’s goal of a 30% recycling rate by 2029.
In fiscal year (FY) 2024, Michiganders recycled more than 71,000 tons of glass, 329,000 tons of paper and paper products and 56,000 tons of plastics and plastic products. The total amount of residential recycled materials reported for FY 2024 was 723,174 tons — exceeding the year before by more than 19,000 tons.
This equates to every person in Michigan recycling nearly 143 pounds of cardboard boxes, milk cartons, soup cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars, food waste and other recyclable materials over a 12-month span. The volume of materials Michiganders recycled in FY 2024 equals the weight of 10 Mackinac Bridges and would fill the football stadiums of the Detroit Lions, University of Michigan and Michigan State University, as well as the hockey stadium of NCAA men’s national champion Western Michigan University.
EGLE’s funding support of the Flint Farmers’ Market children’s recycling education builds on EGLE’s successful partnership with the City of Flint last year to launch the largest distribution of rolling, easy-to-use curbside recycling and trash carts in the city’s history. The delivery of nearly 70,000 free carts to more than 34,000 Flint households is projected to increase recycled materials from 624 tons per year to 5,400 tons annually.
“By increasing our recycling rate, we not only conserve natural resources but also generate significant economic benefits, supporting over 72,500 jobs and injecting billions of dollars into our economy,” said EGLE Environmental Justice Public Advocate Regina Strong.
“Every bottle, box and can we recycle brings us one step closer to a sustainable Michigan where both the environment and our communities thrive.”
Burgeoning metro Detroit city’s plan to make recycling easier than ever before will help Madison Heights reach all-time highs for the amount of materials recycled each year with support from Michigan Department of EGLE
MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. — The City of Madison Heights today is kicking off the largest expansion of recycling collection in the metro Detroit city’s 70-year history with the distribution of more than 20,000 free curbside trash and recycling carts, supported by essential funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
The new rolling, lidded recycling carts are projected to increase the amount of materials recycled in Madison Heights to all-time highs — from 1,000 tons per year to 1,500 tons per year, a 50% increase — as well as improve recycling access, inspire more resident participation and enhance safety for sanitation workers.
Madison Heights is spending $1.1 million to purchase the carts from Grand Rapids-based Cascade Cart Solutions, with almost half of the cost covered by a $403,200 EGLE Recycling Infrastructure Grant in addition to a $105,600 grant from national nonprofit The Recycling Partnership to support the rollout.
“Thanks to the generous grant funding provided by EGLE and The Recycling Partnership, Madison Heights is moving toward a more sustainable and efficient waste management system for all residents. This rollout marks a major milestone for our community,” said Madison Heights Mayor Roslyn Grafstein.
“We all know recycling helps us keep Michigan beautiful. Now, Madison Heights gets to be a larger part of that beautiful story,” Grafstein said during a morning news conference that preceded the first installation of the cart rollout in a nearby neighborhood.
The city’s investment helps put Madison Heights on the map as among Michigan’s community recycling champions.
“The residents of Madison Heights’ commitment to recycling helps contribute to Michigan’s cleaner, more resilient future,” said EGLE Environmental Justice Public Advocate Regina Strong.
“By increasing our recycling rate, we not only conserve natural resources but also generate significant economic benefits, supporting over 72,500 jobs and injecting billions of dollars into our economy,” Strong said. “Every bottle, box and can we recycle brings us one step closer to a sustainable Michigan where both the environment and our communities thrive.”
Each of the city’s 10,300-plus households will receive one 96-gallon Madison Heights-branded trash cart and one 64-gallon Madison Heights-branded recycling cart as part of the rollout that begins Monday, Aug. 18.
Both of the cart models produced by Cascade are made with 10% postconsumer curbside recycled material. As a woman-owned company and the only Michigan-based recycling and trash cart manufacturer, Cascade has rolled out over 40 million trash and recycling containers nationwide, including over 4 million receptacles in Michigan.
“Cascade is excited to be a small part of Madison Heights’ curbside trash and recycling upgrades,” said Cascade Engineering Sales Manager Brian Miller.
“Roll carts have a life cycle of 10-20 years or more,” Miller added, “and these new carts will be a part of the Madison Heights community for decades to come, contributing to blight control around the city as well as contributing to the state of Michigan’s recycling goals well into the future.”
All of the carts are expected to be delivered by Sept. 1, 2025. As part of the plan, Madison Heights will move to cart-only collection, effective on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. That means all Madison Heights residents beyond that date are required to use carts to dispose of their garbage and recyclables.
“Many conscientious people in Madison Heights have done their best to recycle, but most of the city’s potentially recyclable materials end up in trash containers and go to the landfill because many of our residents don’t have their own recycling containers,” said Jennifer Bartleman, of the Madison Heights Citizens Environmental Committee.
“This campaign we’re rolling out today allows all Madison Heights residents to do their part. Recycling is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do,” Bartleman said.
The city’s new collection system provides several important benefits:
It will now be easier and faster than ever in city history for Madison Heights residents, especially senior citizens, to recycle.
Local taxpayers will benefit from an estimated $200,000 in annual savings compared with the previous refuse and recycling collection model, totaling approximately $1 million over the five-year collection contract with Clinton Township-based Priority Waste.
Enclosed carts improve curbside appearance and reduce rodent activity.
A universal recycling program that increases landfill diversion.
Materials that can be deposited in the recycling carts include:
Plastic bottles and containers
Aluminum and steel cans
Glass bottles and jars
Cardboard (flattened)
Newspaper, junk mail, mixed paper — all colors and types
The city is launching a comprehensive outreach campaign to inform residents about the transition. This includes:
Direct mailers with rollout information
Printed instructions that will be attached to each cart upon cart delivery
Educational content shared via social media, city newsletter and local newspapers
Refuse and recycling must be placed in an approved cart for regular collection.
Overflow material can be handled through special pickups or by purchasing additional approved carts.
One bulk item per week will be collected at no charge on the regular collection day.
Residents with disabilities may qualify for a door-side pickup service. Residents can contact the Department of Public Services with questions about the program.
“By helping Madison Heights residents and all Michiganders understand how to recycle and why it is so important, and by continuing to expand access to recycling services, we can help protect our natural resources and enhance the economy of our state,” said state Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, whose legislative district encompasses Madison Heights and who spoke at the news conference.
EGLE announced this year the recycling rate in the Great Lakes State is at a record high, based on 2024 metrics. EGLE leaders attribute the state’s recycling success to its launch of the national award-winning “Know It Before You Throw It” education campaign featuring the Recycling Raccoon Squad, as well as EGLE funding for infrastructure and technical support for projects that increase access to recycling services across Michigan.
EGLE research shows Michigan has steadily increased its recycling rate from 14.25% before 2019 (when Michigan ranked among the nation’s lowest in recycling before the Recycling Raccoon campaign began) to 23% last year and an all-time high of over 25% now. EGLE forecasts that Michigan is on track to achieve the state’s goal of a 30% recycling rate by 2029.
In fiscal year (FY) 2024, Michiganders recycled more than 71,000 tons of glass, 329,000 tons of paper and paper products and 56,000 tons of plastics and plastic products. The total amount of residential recycled materials reported for FY 2024 was 723,174 tons — exceeding the year before by more than 19,000 tons.
This equates to every person in Michigan recycling nearly 143 pounds of cardboard boxes, milk cartons, soup cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars, food waste and other recyclable materials over a 12-month span. The volume of materials Michiganders recycled in FY 2024 equals the weight of 10 Mackinac Bridges and would fill the football stadiums of the Detroit Lions, University of Michigan and Michigan State University, as well as the hockey stadium of NCAA men’s national champion Western Michigan University.
(Lansing)- The City of Lansing Public Service Department is excited to announce the opening of a brand-new Recycling Drop-Off Center, located at 601 E South Street, Lansing, MI 48910. All community members can now conveniently drop off recyclable materials free of charge at this new facility.
Mayor Andy Schor celebrated the new development, stating “The opening of this recycling drop-off center is another step in the right direction to make Lansing a more sustainable community. Residents who were unable to get curbside recycling services now have a greater opportunity to recycle. I am very excited to keep expanding our sustainability efforts in the future.”
This project was made possible through funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) as part of a recycling infrastructure grant awarded to the city. Lansing has been a long-standing advocate for recycling, launching its curbside program nearly 35 years ago. Lansing remains committed to responsible waste management and continues to invest in programs that divert as much material from local landfills as possible through expanded access and community education.
EGLE Public Information Officer Jeff Johnston noted, “Lansing’s commitment to recycling is contributing to Michigan’s cleaner, more resilient future. By increasing our recycling rate, we not only conserve natural resources but also generate significant economic benefits—supporting over 72,500 jobs and injecting billions of dollars into our economy. Every bottle, box, and can recycled brings us one step closer to a sustainable Michigan where both the environment and our communities thrive.”
Drop-Off Center Details:
Address: 601 E. South Street, Lansing, MI 48910.
Hours: Open Daily from Dawn to Dusk
See a map (PDF) of the drop-off location. Wayfinding signs are posted to help direct traffic to the exact location. The site is also monitored by surveillance cameras.
The Drop-Off Center accepts all materials currently accepted through Lansing’s curbside recycling program, plus foam polystyrene (Styrofoam™), which is not accepted in curbside pick-up. Clearly marked bins will be available for the following materials:
Cardboard
Boxboard
Paper
Plastic
Metal
Glass
Foam Polystyrene (Styrofoam™)
A Food Scraps Drop-Off Bin will also be available as part of the City’s expanding Food Scraps Program.
To view a detailed list of accepted and unacceptable materials, visit the Recycling Drop-Off Center webpage: www.lansingmi.gov/recyclingdropoff
In addition, the city is gathering community input through a short survey to improve local recycling program outreach. The Lansing Residential Recycling Program Survey takes about 5-7 minutes and gathers feedback from residents about your recycling habits, awareness, and satisfaction with the city’s curbside recycling program. Your input will help us identify areas for improvement and to expand educational outreach.
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