This story was originally published by WOOD-TV for "eightWest".
For all the great natural resources we have in Michigan, it might surprise you to know, our state is among one of the lowest recycling states in the nation! Recycling has a wide range of environmental and economic benefits, plus there are so many materials that can be recycled like metal, paper, and plastic. Today, we’re going to focus on recycling plastic, how to do it and how some really useful products are being made locally from recycled plastic.
We all know recycling is good for the environment but many people don’t realize the number of local jobs that come from recycling, more than landfills.
For instance, Padnos has more than 700 team members at locations throughout the state and they offer extensive training and benefits like helping employees pay for a large portion of their college tuition. And lots of products are made from recycled plastic — automotive parts, office chairs, recycling bins, that’s a real bonus too!
To learn more about Padnos, you can visit padnos.com.
The following can be recycled as long as they are clean and don't have any food residue or grease stains on them:
Paper with staples/clips
Magazines and newspapers
Envelopes with plastic windows
Wrapping paper without glitter or foil
These types of paper cannot be recycled:
Used paper towels, tissues or napkins
Cash register receipts
When the improper materials are put in the curbside bin, it contaminates the proper materials already inside. If the materials are contaminated, the entire bin is thrown out and cannot be recycled.
Learn more about EGLE's new campaign, get more tips and information on recycling by visiting recyclingraccoons.org.
Also, learn more about what the City of Grand Rapids is doing to improve recycling efforts at grandrapidsmi.gov.
If you want to improve your recycling habits, it’s best to listen to the experts.
That’s why we asked Carlos Cardboard to sit down with us and clarify some of the most confounding cardboard questions. Carlos is part of the six-member Michigan Recycling Raccoon Squad, whose mission is to teach Michiganders what can — and cannot — be recycled.
These furry recycling champions are part of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Know It Before You Throw It education campaign, which kicked off this summer in every corner of the state.
EGLE’s goal is to double the state’s recycling rate to 30% by 2025 and ultimately reach 45%. Right now, Michigan’s 15% recycling rate is the lowest in the Great Lakes states region and ranks among the lowest in the nation.
Carlos is a cardboard connoisseur and obsessed with flattening. A snappy dresser, he has a bow tie for every day of the week. Most of all, he loves sharing best practices for recycling cardboard.
What kinds of cardboard are OK to recycle?
Great question! I reaaaallly love recycling cardboard, don’t you? It’s so … well … boxy! My favorites are tissue boxes, paper towel and toilet paper rolls, cardboard packaging and food boxes that you’d keep in the pantry – those are all good to go in the recycling bin. So, go for it!
Can I recycle my freezer food boxes?
Boxed containers made for refrigerator and freezer foods have added chemicals to keep the boxes from getting soggy and wet. That makes them difficult to recycle – but not impossible. I’d suggest checking with your local recycling provider to see if it accepts them.
Should I stack my boxes inside one another as a do-it-yourself recycling bin?
No. Boxes are bulky and take up extra room in the trucks that pick them up; flattening them saves space and makes the sorting process easier. Like I always say, “Flattery will get you nowhere, but flattening will!”
Are empty juice cartons recyclable?
Many communities accept cartons in their curbside recycling program, but not all. That’s because juice and milk cartons are actually made of two or three layers of paper, plastic and aluminum, which makes them trickier to recycle.
Should I peel off labels and tape from boxes before I recycle them?
Best recycling practice is to take the tape off. So, while you don’t have to remove them, your recycler would love it if you did.
Why doesn’t my recycler accept pizza boxes?
Grease and stuck-on food on pizza boxes ruins the cardboard for recycling. It can also ruin the other items in your recycling bin by getting them dirty and greasy. Want my secret? If the pizza box top is clean, I rip it off and recycle that portion. Then I eat all that gooey cheese left in the box and throw that part in the trash.
Should I remove staples from cardboard?
Nope! Staples are OK to leave in. Just make sure that cardboard is flat – just how I like it!
Overall, it’s important to keep in mind that every community has different rules about recycling. So be sure to check with your local provider to find out what’s accepted in your area.
Live in the D's Kila Peeples ventured to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to learn more about how to recycle glass correctly.
The "Know it Before you Throw It" campaign is helping people recycle glass the right way.
Here are the rules for recycling glass containers.
1) Rinse your container before throwing it in the recycle bin
2) Separate tops and lids from the jars
Kila also visited the Schupan recycling plant to see how the recycled glass is processed.
Here is the process after you recycle your glass:
Schupan's process for glass is very thorough. The glass comes from the retailer to the processing plant. Then it's separated by green, brown and clear. Next it proceeds up to the glass crushers. After that the glass is sent to glass recyclers in Dearborn.
Over 140 million pounds of glass is recycled per year at Schupan Recycling in Wixom. Because of Michigan's deposit law, Michiganders have a 90% recycling rate, one of the best in the country.
Remember, recycling clean materials leads to successful recycling!
To learn more about the Schupan recycling company visit, schupan.com.
But for West Michigan craft beer producers Founders Brewing Co. and Bell’s Brewery, it’s an opportunity to help Mother Nature.
“We focus on trying to use our resources in a way that allows us and future generations to continue to use those resources for a long time,” said Kate Martini, sustainability specialist at Bell’s, the Kalamazoo-based brewery that makes over 20 beers, including the popular Oberon and Two Hearted ales.
Bell’s not only recycles its waste amber glass, but it also recovers cardboard, paper, stretch wrap, green plastic banding, keg caps, wood, electronics, batteries, scrap metal and aluminum used in its production process. In 2018, the brewery recycled 1.5 million pounds of waste that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill.
Founders – the Grand Rapids beer maker that runs neck and neck with Bell’s for the title of largest brewer based in Michigan – is dedicated to increasing its recycling rate and reducing waste sent to landfills.
“Glass is a fundamental part of what we do. That’s why our glass is an average of 40% recycled content: We’re always striving to be a responsible member of the glass community,” said Elizabeth Wonder, sustainability coordinator for Founders, whose signature beers include All Day IPA and Kentucky Breakfast Stout.
Improving Michigan’s recycling rate
Michigan in 1976 was the first state in the nation to enact a bottle and can deposit law, which tacks an extra dime onto the cost of each carbonated beverage sold in the state, to be redeemed later for a 10-cent refund on containers.
Thanks to the deposit law, returnables account for much of all recycled glass in the state. But returnable containers represent only 15% of all materials Michiganders recycle every year, according to the Container Recycling Institute.
If recycling habits improve, more than half of the state’s municipal solid waste now dumped in landfills could instead be recycled.
Unlike many other materials, glass bottles are endlessly recyclable. That means returning glass containers like that empty queso jar for recycling helps make new glass bottles and jars.
But state leaders say Michigan needs to do a better job recycling its glass – as well as its paper, metal, cardboard, and plastic. The state’s current 15% recycling rate is the lowest in the Great Lakes region and among the lowest nationwide.
Along with teaching Michiganders “cleaner” recycling practices, EGLE also wants to double the state’s recycling rate to 30% by 2025 and ultimately reach 45% annually.
Cleaner is better
Glass recycling faces several hurdles.
After the glass in your curbside recycling leaves your front yard, it’s taken to a recycling facility where it’s checked for cleanliness and sorted by material type and color. From there, the glass is crushed into pieces ranging in size from gravel and pebbles to sand and powder. Those crushed materials are sold to manufacturers that further melt them down to create new products like beer bottles.
But too often recycling bins are treated as extra garbage cans, with the contents failing to meet processing companies’ cleanliness standards. Contamination – like that little bit of queso you can’t reach at the bottom of the jar – not only ends up ruining the quality of glass being recycled, but it also puts everything else in your curbside bin at risk of being unusable. (If that queso drips on nearby cardboard, for example, the cardboard is no longer fit for recycling.)
EGLE-commissioned research shows that teaching residents how to properly recycle is key. The Know It Before You Throw It campaign features the six-member Recycling Raccoon Squad, recycling champions who serve as EGLE’s education ambassadors.
“By learning a few simple rules, we can elevate our rate of recycling, increase the amount we recycle and help build stronger, more prosperous communities. That’s a win-win-win for everyone,” said EGLE Materials Management Division Assistant Director Elizabeth Browne.
Clear rules for glass recycling
Gladys Glass, EGLE’s raccoon expert on recycling glass, has a few easy rules to guide Michiganders on her webpage:
Rinse and empty all glass before recycling.
Clear glass food jars are usually accepted curbside.
Check with your local recycler to see if it accepts brown, green and blue glass curbside.
Clear, nonfood glass is only rarely accepted curbside, so check with your local recycler.
Lids should be removed to be recycled in their respective streams (plastic or metal).
The glass used for cooking purposes — such as Pyrex — is not accepted curbside.
Lightbulbs are not accepted in curbside recycling programs, but some types of lightbulbs can be recycled at participating retail stores.
Every municipality in Michigan has slightly different rules, though. Certain types of glass accepted in one city aren’t necessarily accepted in another. It’s important to routinely check with local recycling providers about what’s allowed in individual communities.
Bottle-to-bottle recycling
Glass recycling also helps preserve limited natural resources. Making a new bottle from recycled glass, for example, reduces raw material use, is cost-efficient, uses less energy, lessens the carbon footprint and creates jobs.
Achieving EGLE’s 30% recycling goal would produce as many as 12,986 jobs, which translates into $300 million annually for Michigan’s economy, according to the Expanding Recycling in Michigan Report prepared for the Michigan Recycling Partnership.
The Recycling Raccoon campaign is a clear step in the right direction for businesses, residents, municipalities and environmental advocates across Michigan.
“Glass is a core recyclable and residents want to recycle it,” said Jim Nordmeyer of the Glass Recycling Coalition Leadership Committee.
Bell’s is so committed to sustainability that in 2017 it joined the coalition, which works with member organizations in the beverage and recycling industries to encourage glass recycling.
For its part, Founders in 2018 achieved a 90% landfill diversion rate and is shooting for 92% in 2019.
“Founders understands that we must do our best to be good stewards of the environment by reducing and optimizing our use of natural resources,” Wonder said.
In an average day, you will likely come in contact with many different types of metal products – everything from pop cans to canned food containers – but how can we do our part to make sure we’re recycling these products properly? Rachael visited the Kent County Recycling and Education Center to find about a new effort by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. It is aimed at educating and encouraging people to recycle and recycle properly. The campaign is designed to better inform Michiganders what can – and cannot – be recycled, as well as to increase the amount of material recycled statewide.
What are the key things to know when recycling metals?
Metal food cans, pans, pots, empty aerosol cans, aluminum foil, other clean metals such as license plates.
All aluminum, steel and tin materials should be clean before recycling
It is OK to leave labels on metal containers
Empty aerosol cans are generally recyclable curbside, as long as they didn’t contain something hazardous such as paint or chemicals.
However certain types of metal products are not accepted curbside in most places but often can be recycled at a drop-off location or special recycling event. Those products include: Scrap metal, Kitchen pots and pans, Wire hangers, which jam recycling facility machines, construction materials (e.g., screws, nails, etc.) that are too small and fall through the recycling machines, medical sharps like needles and syringes – they’re dangerous to recycling facility workers
So not all materials can be recycled, but that doesn’t mean that they have to go in the trash. Kent County Recycling & Education Center hosts “Imagine Craft Mondays” every Monday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. here at the center. This program gives them the opportunity to teach kids about the importance of recycling, but also gives them the chance to turn trash into crafts.
Recycling & Education Center 977 Wealthy SW Grand Rapids
For professional artist Chris Nesbitt, conversations about metal can get heavy, sometimes into the hundreds of pounds.
“The great thing about working with metal is that it’s so durable,” Nesbitt said. “It’s made to last. There’s something satisfying knowing that these works will probably last longer than me.”
Nesbitt is an artist with DunMor Metal Art, a Waterford Township-based full-service decor company specializing in rustic metal art. Founded in 2015 by Nesbitt’s friend Jeremy Macbeth, DunMor makes such products as custom-made art pieces, signs for both the home and business, and Michigan-themed art. Custom DunMor art has been sold around the U.S., as well as internationally.
All work is handmade from raw materials. Mostly, the pieces are crafted from 4-by-10-foot sheets manufactured in Michigan from new metal mixed with metal collected from curbside recycling bins.
“I’m very conscious about the importance of metal recycling,” said Nesbitt, a former chemical engineer. “It’s good to know that metal is getting a second or third life through our art.”
Improving Michigan’s recycling rate
Compared with much of the country, Michigan excels at recycling one type of metal: aluminum. That’s thanks in large part to Michigan’s first-in-the-nation bottle and can deposit law, which tacks an extra 10 cents onto the cost of each carbonated beverage sold in the state, to be redeemed later for a 10-cent refund.
More than 90% of bottles and cans that carry a deposit are recycled, but such returnable containers represent only 15% of all the waste Michiganders recycle every year. Almost 53% of the state’s municipal solid waste that goes to landfills could instead be recycled if done properly.
State leaders say Michigan needs to do a better job recycling its metal — as well as its paper, glass, cardboard and plastic. The state’s current 15% recycling rate is the lowest in the Great Lakes region and ranks among the lowest nationwide.
That’s why this summer, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, known as EGLE, launched Know It Before You Throw It, a first-of-its-kind statewide education campaign to better inform Michiganders on how to recycle correctly and what can — and cannot — be recycled.
‘A win-win-win for everyone’
EGLE’s goal is to promote awareness of cleaner recycling practices to reduce the amount of contaminated materials improperly going into recycling bins. The state also wants to double Michigan’s recycling rate to 30% by 2025 and ultimately reach 45% annually.
Achieving EGLE’s 30% recycling goal would produce a total of as many as 12,986 jobs, which translates into an economic impact of up to $300 million annually, according to the Expanding Recycling in Michigan Report prepared for the Michigan Recycling Partnership.
The Know It Before You Throw It campaign features the Recycling Raccoon Squad, a six-member team of recycling champions who serve as EGLE’s education ambassadors. EGLE-commissioned research shows that education is key in order for residents to learn how to properly recycle.
“By learning a few simple rules, we can elevate our rate of recycling, expand the amount we recycle and help build stronger, more prosperous communities, which is a win-win-win for everyone,” said EGLE Materials Management Division Assistant Director Elizabeth Browne.
Knowing the rules of recycling
It’s easy to remember many of the tips suggested by EGLE’s raccoon expert on recycling metal — Precious Metale — on her webpage:
— Rinse and empty all metal containers. This means rinsing out containers so they are completely empty of food scraps, such as soup, prior to tossing them into the recycling bin.
— Aluminum, steel and tin materials should be clean before recycling.
— It’s OK to leave labels on metal containers.
— Empty aerosol cans are generally recyclable curbside, as long as they didn’t contain something hazardous, such as paint or chemicals.
Every municipality in Michigan has slightly different rules, though. Certain types of metal accepted in one city aren’t necessarily accepted in another. It’s important to routinely check with local recycling providers about what’s permissible in individual communities.
Those certain types of metal products that are not accepted curbside in most places can often be recycled at a drop-off location or special recycling event. Products of that sort include:
— Scrap metal.
— Kitchen pots and pans.
— Wire hangers, which jam recycling facility machines.
— Construction materials such as screws or nails, which are too small and fall through the recycling machines.
— Medical sharps such as needles and syringes, which are dangerous to recycling facility workers.
Developing good recycling habits
The campaign is a breath of fresh air for Michigan’s recycling leaders.
“People get excited because they have those big recycling carts with all that room, but when you’re throwing scrap metal or batteries in there, you can contaminate an entire batch,” said Galen Hardy, spokesman for the community organization Zero Waste Detroit.
Zero Waste Detroit works with the Detroit Department of Public Works to promote healthy methods of waste diversion, including keeping materials from being incinerated. Hardy said the city’s current recycling rate is only about 4%, a number he’d like to see get up to at least 30%.
“The Know It Before You Throw it campaign is smart, because it’s really good at encouraging the public to develop good recycling habits,” he said.
Boomer the raccoon in character as Nyla P. Lastic, as actors Russell Sullins (left) & Yuna Sullins (right) look on at the Recycling Raccoons video shoot on May 17.
Ideas kept getting dumped into the proverbial trash bin for weeks.
But leaders of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) knew immediately when they had finally recruited the perfect spokesperson for the state’s first-ever “Know It Before You Throw It” campaign to increase and improve recycling.
Turns out, the best person for the job of promoting the Know It Before You Throw It campaign isn’t a person at all.
It’s a raccoon – six of them, to be precise.
“As soon as we saw these adorable little creatures, we recognized instantly we had discovered the messengers to best help us educate the Michigan public on the do’s and don’ts of recycling,” said EGLE Director Liesl Clark.
The Michigan Recycling Raccoon Squad features six “talking” raccoons that each focus on a particular recyclable:
Nyla P. Lastic (plastic)
Carlos Cardboard (cardboard)
Precious Metale (metal)
Paper MacKay (paper)
Gladys Glass (glass)
Frank (everything else)
The raccoons’ “personalities” match their specialties – reflected by the purple mohawk on Precious, for example – and their goal is to help Michigan residents grow knowledge and improve their recycling habits.
“The current recycling rate in Michigan is just 15% – that’s the lowest rate in the Great Lakes, and among the lowest in the country,” said EGLE Materials Management Division Director Jack Schinderle.
“Our objective is for Michigan to reach a rate of 30% by 2025, and to ultimately reach 45% annually. The Know It Before You Throw It campaign is key to getting the word out about good recycling practices.”
A few simple rules The Know It Before You Throw It campaign is part of a statewide recycling education and engagement initiative designed to increase both the quantity and quality of material that is recycled in Michigan.
Beyond preserving the environment, reducing energy use and conserving landfill space, improved recycling in Michigan can bring important economic benefits, according to the “Expanding Recycling in Michigan” report prepared for the Michigan Recycling Partnership.
Achieving EGLE’s 30% recycling goal would produce as many as 12,986 jobs, which translates into an economic impact of up to $300 million annually.
“By learning a few simple rules, we can elevate our rate of recycling, expand the amount we recycle and help build stronger, more prosperous communities, which is a win-win-win for everyone,” Schinderle said.
It’s easy to remember many of the tips suggested by EGLE’s raccoon expert on recycling plastics – Nyla P. Lastic – on her webpage:
Rinse and empty all plastic containers. This means rinsing out containers so they are completely empty of food scraps, such as leftover yogurt, or such liquids as unused milk in a jug prior to tossing them in the recycling bin.
Check for the number on your plastic item to make sure it’s accepted where you live (1 and 2 are the most widely accepted).
Plastic food storage bags cannot be recycled.
Plastic straws are not accepted.
Never put recyclables in plastic bags – in most places plastic bags are not recyclable, but you can usually recycle them at grocery retailers such as Meijer, Kroger or Target.
Every municipality in Michigan has slightly different rules, however. Certain types of plastic accepted in one city aren’t necessarily accepted in another, so it’s important to routinely check with local officials about what’s permissible in individual communities.
Lights. Cameras. Raccoons. One of the Know It Before You Throw It campaign’s highlights is a TV commercial featuring the Recycling Raccoons educating a homeowner on her recycling habits.
The 30-second ad quickly became a social media favorite after it was introduced June 24 to Michigan audiences, generating nearly 4,000 positive reactions and 2,500 Facebook shares over its opening two weeks.
“The popularity of Michigan’s Recycling Raccoon Squad is far surpassing EGLE’s expectations,” Schinderle said.
The ad has also inspired civic organizations and environmental advocacy groups across the state to invite EGLE representatives to bring the Know It Before You Throw It mascots’ message to their communities. EGLE staff members are receiving more Know It Before You Throw It event requests than they can schedule this summer, so they’re booking presentations through the fall, Schinderle noted.
The commercial was filmed on a makeshift set at a Lansing-area home with two professional raccoon “actors” – George and Boomer – EGLE hired to play the roles of all six squad members.
“Boomer is very laid-back, so he was picked to play Nyla because he didn’t mind sitting in a plastic pool on an inflatable raft,” said Greg SmithAldridge, who served as animal wrangler for the shoot. Wranglers direct animal-actors to perform certain actions according to the script, similar to the duties of a movie director.
‘It’s easy to improve’
“It’s all about making it fun for the animal and making sure they want to be there,” said SmithAldridge, who has previously worked on such Hollywood film productions as “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” and is currently engaged on a TV ad to sell season tickets for pro football’s Baltimore Ravens.
“You can’t convince a raccoon to do something if he doesn’t want to do it. At some point, he’s going to be just like, ‘OK, I’m done wearing these sunglasses.’”
SmithAldridge didn’t just help the raccoons with their behavior. He got a dose of positive recycling behavior modification himself and was surprised to learn plastic bags can clog the machines that sort recyclables.
“Just from looking at the script and being on set, I realized how bad my recycling habits were,” he said. “I’d been putting all my recyclables in plastic bags for years, but I didn’t know that was wrong. Since this Recycling Raccoons shoot, I’ve really changed up the way I do stuff at home and I realize that it’s really easy to improve.”
To learn more about the rules of recycling and meet the rest of the Recycling Raccoon Squad, visit RecyclingRaccoons.org.
You know recycling has many benefits, including saving energy and conserving resources. However, Michigan ranks as one of the states with the fewest people who actually recycle, and not all who do recycle do it properly. There is a new effort to change all of that in our state. Jill Greenberg with The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, or EGLE, joined Tati Amare to discuss some ways Michiganders can recycle, and do it the proper way.
Greenberg introduced the EGLE's new campaign effort with the "Recycling Raccoon Squad", who are encouraging people to know it before you throw it. The "squad" helps people by giving them the general rules of thumb when it comes to properly recycling so a reusable product can be made from it.
For instance, many people do not know that plastic bags cannot be recycled. Some stores may accept them once you've used them, but generally don't leave them curbside with the garbage. When recycling plastics, rinse them out with water first. A clean plastic container prevents contamination of other products. Next, Greenberg said to flatten food boxes; if a pizza box is clean, it can be recycled, if it's dirty and grease stained, it is not because it could contaminate other products.
EGLE has teamed up with Green Living Science, an organization that has been teaching recycling and waste reduction to schools, businesses and the community since 2007. They have partnered up with The Detroit Public Works to spread the message of recycling to residents, and now with the help of EGLE, the power of the message is even stronger.
To learn more about the efforts of Green Living Science in our community, visit greenlivingscience.org. And to learn more about the EGLE campaign and more information on recycling, visit recyclingraccoons.org.
Celine and Joe Sommerdyke are determined to help save the planet.
But hectic days spent shuttling between work and taking care of their one-year old daughter mean that recycling do’s and don’ts are among the last things the Comstock Park family has time to think about.
“Recycling is important to us, but the rules are confusing. Half the time we’re not even sure we’re doing it right,” Celine said.
The Sommerdykes aren’t alone.
Many Michiganders are confused about what can – and cannot – be recycled and how to do it correctly.
That’s why the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has launched Know It Before You Throw It, a first-of-its-kind statewide education campaign aimed to promote cleaner recycling practices and double Michigan’s recycling rate by 2025.
“Michiganders believe in recycling and want to support it, but many of us don’t know how to do it properly,” said EGLE Director Liesl Clark. “We just need a helping hand.”
Or how about a helping paw?
EGLE has created the all-new Recycling Raccoon Squad to serve as its education ambassadors across the state. The six-member squad is a team of recycling experts, each with a specialty and a personality that reflects its focus: plastic, cardboard, metal, paper, glass and everything else.
Characters Nyla P. Lastic, Gladys Glass, Precious Metale, Carlos Cardboard, Paper MacKay and Frank are all featured on a new website – RecyclingRaccoons.org – and have their own social channels to share their expertise and help well-meaning families like the Sommerdykes avoid contaminating the entire recycling bin.
“These fun raccoon characters will share the simple rules about recycling in an entertaining, easy-to-remember way that all of us can learn from,” Clark said.
Michigan’s current 15% recycling rate is the lowest in the Great Lakes region and ranks among the nation’s lowest.
EGLE’s campaign incorporates recommendations from a recycling council that included industry experts, processors, retailers, bottlers and environmental advocates. They were tasked with designing a blueprint to develop the state’s next generation of recycling infrastructure while doubling Michigan’s recycling rate to 30% by 2025 – and ultimately reaching 45% annually.
The Know It Before You Throw It campaign is launching as communities across Michigan and the U.S. are struggling with international market shifts, resulting in higher costs for some local governments that fail to meet new industrywide cleanliness standards for recyclable materials.
One of the most important things EGLE and the Recycling Raccoon Squad want Michiganders to know is that sometimes well-intended efforts to recycle as much as possible can end up contaminating the entire bin. Greasy pizza boxes, for example, are a big recycling no-no.
“Oil that’s soaked into pizza boxes can’t be separated from the cardboard fibers during processing, ruining what otherwise would have been a good batch of paper fibers ready for reuse,” Clark said.
If that batch ends up being made into recycled paper, the product will be of poor quality, containing spots and holes. And food residue left in cans and jars may not allow proper processing of those items, meaning those, too, would be considered garbage, not usable recyclables.
Knowing what and how to recycle – and which items to just throw out – can be confusing because some rules vary by location. Furthermore, over time, recycling requirements and conditions often change. There are, however, a few basic rules that apply everywhere, all the time:
Rinse and empty glass, plastic and metal containers
Flatten cardboard
Don’t put recyclables in plastic bags
Another problem is “wish-cycling” – where people aren’t sure if an item is recyclable, but they throw it in the recycling bin anyway rather than the recommended practice of depositing it in the garbage.
“One of the keys to achieving our recycling goals is consistent and persistent education,” said Kerrin O’Brien, executive director of the Michigan Recycling Coalition “By encouraging people to focus on the basics of their local recycling program and think about what they’re recycling before they toss it, we can improve our environment and create new economic opportunities in Michigan.”
To learn more about the rules and the reasons behind them – and to meet the Recycling Raccoon Squad – visit RecyclingRaccoons.org.
Join the Squad!
Help Michigan become a leader in recycling again. Join the squad today. You don't need to be a raccoon – you just need to sign up!
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