Many of us have no idea how or where to begin when it comes to recycling. Believe it or not, Metro Detroit has tons of recycling opportunities around us that we often remain completely unaware of. Although there is a lot more our cities could be doing to make recycling relatively easier (especially when we struggle with tap water contamination as often as we do), we've found a way to not only make recycling possible, but efficient, and help us become more mindful and aware of the amount of recyclable waste we consume daily (which isn't such a bad thing if you recycle it!).
Below is a guide to identifying and analyzing your own personal waste so you can best navigate how to organize your recyclable waste at home. Read below to find out which commonly consumed recyclable items are located in Metro Detroit and click on the links to find the best locations and recycling drop off centers near you!
Water Bottles/Plastics
Plastic is not nearly easy enough for Americans to recycle, given that it is one of the single most destructive forms of pollution on the planet. Plastics are used more often than any other packaging resource for liquids, grocery bags, film purposes, textiles & just about every possible use you can think of. Therefore, plastic recycling compounds quicker than all other recyclable materials in our home, and can often require a little extra space before making its trip to the recycling plant. Lucky for us, there are plastic recycling drop-offs located in every city across Metro Detroit.
Cardboard/Paper/Newspaper
Most apartment complexes in Metro Detroit have at least ONE trash bin on the property dedicated to recycling paper/cardboard waste only. This receptacle will be clearly labeled RECYCLE ONLY and can be found tucked away in the corner of the complex or somewhere close to the leasing office. Be sure to call your apartment leasing office to verify which receptacles are available on your property (plastic, paper, furniture, etc.) and where they are located. For those who do not have paper/cardboard recycling on their property, there are other options available for recycling your paper/cardboard waste!
Old Clothes/Textiles
Many of us are familiar with the donation bins found in parking lots all over Metro Detroit. These donation bins are clearly labeled and informative about what to donate, which local foundation you're donating to, as well as the company contact information. DO NOT donate to donation bins that are not clearly specified. You never know which organization or what cause you could be unintentionally supporting (do your research). The donation bins illustrated above are examples of what you might find in parking lots of gas stations, grocery stores, strip malls, churches, or local businesses near you!
If your one of those people who wear their favorite outfits to tatters and ruins them beyond repair, no worries! Your ripped, stained, and ruined fabrics are still of good use! An unlikely ally in the move toward sustainable change comes from the ever-popular retail giant H&M, whose fast-fashion business model has taken a responsible approach in its business practice by putting recycling receptacles in ALL of their stores. This means that anyone looking to recycle their ripped, torn, worn-out, used, ruined & all-but-thrown-away fabrics and clothing materials are welcome to donate to their store during business hours, where they will be shipped and recycled for future textile use. This sets an example for all other fast-fashion retail chains, making it easier for consumers to recycle and give back to the planet some of its resources used. Read more about their initiative here.
Chords/Electronics/Old Tech
Have any old phone chargers, flashlights, cell phones, toasters, TV's, wires/plugs, or electronics lying around? Your local Best Buy will recycle any old, outdated, used, or broken technology, regardless of brand or age. You can find recycling kiosk's inside every Best Buy store's front doors and can deposit larger electronics & technology at the customer service desk.
If you are not located near a Best Buy in your area, click here to find ELECTRONICS RECYCLING locations near you!
Plastic Bags
Did you know National Geographic scientists found plastic bags at the bottom of the Mariana Trench? (Read here) That's right; nowhere is safe from plastic bag pollution. From the tops of the tallest trees to the bottom of the ocean, you or at least someone you know has a cupboard in their kitchen full of these things. Thankfully, a leading trend in retail chains everywhere is picking up on the destructive impact plastic bags are having on the environment (around the world) and are taking the initiative to recycle plastic bags in their stores. All major grocery stores in your area are a safe bet for bringing your plastic bags in a pinch, and Plastic Film Recycling can also locate plastic bag & plastic film drop-off locations nearest you.
Make sure to keep an eye out for plastic bag recycling kiosks in grocery & department stores near you, and let's keep these single use plastics out of our landfills, skies, oceans, and put them back in our own hands where they belong.
Batteries
Batteries are one of the MOST important items to recycle and are illegal in many states to dispose of in the trash. When batteries breakdown and disintegrate into landfills, they wreak havoc on the surrounding environment and leak corrosive and hazardous chemicals into the soil and water systems nearby. This goes for all types of batteries, including car batteries, phone batteries, dry cell, alkaline, lithium-ion batteries, and more. Except for car batteries, any Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, or well-known hardware store will take rechargeable batteries of all kinds in for recycling. Car batteries can be recycled at your local Auto Zone, O'Rielly's, or Advanced Auto Parts (dependent upon location).
Aluminum/Metal
We are all (hopefully) familiar with the most commonly recyclable form of aluminum, which, of course, is pop/soda, beer, and beverage cans. But did you know that recyclable aluminum also accounts for aluminum foil, baking trays, lids, pie plates, and even occasionally, auto parts? It's true! While, of course, we know you can make money returning aluminum pop cans to nearby grocery store bottle return centers, our other recyclable aluminum items are best recycled when grouped with other household metals.
Recyclable metals that are found at home include cookware, steel cans (soup, food cans), aerosol cans, paint cans, clothes hangers, pipes, tags, and even sometimes various scrap metal. Be sure to specify whether automotive scrap metal or auto parts will be included in your recyclable materials before researching drop-off locations near you.
Glass
Recycling glass is tricky. No matter where your from, drop-off glass recycling locations sort glass by color (blue/brown/green/clear) and container (bottles vs. containers) specific categories, and are often particular about which colors/containers are accepted at each location. Glass recycling is unique in this way, because glass is one of the very few materials in the world that can be recycled an infinite amount of times, and in doing so, not loose its vibrant color in the process.
It's important to note that only certain facilities accept treated glass, which accounts for all Pyrex, glass cookware, drinking glasses, window panes, tempered glass (furniture), mirrors, light bulbs, etc. This is due to chemical additives that would otherwise cause contamination to recyclable glass during the recycling process.
Although our cities do not have a simple infrastructure in place to make recycling easier or more efficient for hardworking families in Metro Detroit, we hope our easy-to-follow instructional guide can help inspire you, or anyone you know that's considering recycling & minimizing their waste to start organizing their recyclable materials at home.
Every ONE person's consistent effort makes a massive difference on the road toward a sustainable future, where you never know who might be watching, or who's inspired by your efforts (positive energy is contagious)! By being mindful with your waste, you bring insight into your daily consumption habits and not only contribute to the world's future health, but your own personal health as well.
Start generating action in the direction you wish to see the world change, and show our future bosses, leaders, industries, and corporations what we expect from them by setting a standard in your own everyday life. Join us in generating positive energy toward recycling, and help lead a movement toward sustainable action and global conscious awareness.
For questions, please contact us or send us an email to detroitecoinitiative@gmail.com for further questions or concerns about recycling in your community.