Think you’re recycling the right way? Here’s what you need to know

This story was originally published by WDIV for clickondetroit.com/live-in-the-d.

Everyday you're likely to use some sort of can or metal, whether it's a pop or soup can. What do you do when you are finished with it? Toss it in the trash? You should consider recycling them. Our friends at The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, or EGLE, encourage you to recycle, the right way. Because that old can you tossed out may be reused for something completely different.

EGLE said once a can has been used, rinse it out and then recycle it. Being mindful of aerosol cans is key, so make sure all of the liquid is removed from the can before recycling. This not only protects the environment, but also workers at the recycling plant. Michigan is one of the best at recycling cans, mostly due to the Michigan Deposit Law and the abundant locations to return cans. Thanks to the law, we return hundreds of thousands of cans a year. Which in return, no pun intended, are cleaned, crushed and repurposed into new cans within 60 days.

If you want to learn more about the Schupan Recycling Company visit schupan.com.

What happens to plastic bottles when you recycle them?

This story was originally published by Live in the D for clickondetroit.com/web/wdiv/live-in-the-d.

Every day, you likely use all kinds of plastic - everything from water bottles to containers, and you may be recycling them, but are you doing it right? You've probably seen the new commercial campaign with the Recycling Raccoon Squad. It's part of a new effort to show people how to recycle correctly by our friends at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy-- or EGLE.

Jill Greenberg joined us to tell us more about the new effort. She says that the "Know it Before You Throw It" campaign aims to educate the public about best practices for recycling. The most important thing to know is to empty and clean the product before you recycle it. When you take those extra steps, it helps improve our recycling stream. Currently, in Michigan, we recycle 15% of plastic, and their goal is to raise it to 30% by 2020. "In fact, 15% is really low for the Great Lakes region," said Greenberg.

Karl Hattopp also joined us from Clean Tech Recycling to show us what happens when we recycle correctly. Hattopp says that Clean Tech Recycling takes the recycled bottles such as laundry detergent bottles and water bottles and they turn them into pellets that are eventually turned back into bottles.

To learn more about Clean Tech Recycling, visit cleantechrecycling.com, and to learn more about the new EGLE campaign and get more tips and information on recycling, visit recyclingraccoons.org.

Recycling at the Ballpark

This story was originally published by eightWest for woodtv.com/eightwest.

We all want to help keep our earth clean, and one way we do that is by recycling. As we know, there are many things that are considered recyclables, but there also a lot of common mistakes that people make!

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has kicked-off a campaign to inform people across the state to “Know It Before You Throw It and they’re collaborating with Fifth Third Ballpark to educate everyone.

The state’s recycling campaign provides the perfect opportunity to better our recycling efforts at Fifth Third Ballpark, but also reminds us how we can improve our practices in our homes.

There are many reminders around the ballpark, bins that are made from post-consumer recycled materials, the billboard with information at the park, and also signage throughout the park that make it easy to decide what you can and can’t recycle.

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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