Recycle Information for Detroit

Recycling can be SO confusing. It’s frustrating. There are no standard guidelines and for years we’ve been told we must recycle. We must save the planet. So we start out separating materials, peeling labels, meticulously washing everything. We find this to be more of a bother than its worth. So, they change it. We’ll get lots more people to recycle if we just let them put it all in one bin. No more separating! Leave the labels on! Rinse and Toss are the new buzz words! It’s so easy! We’ll even tell them we’ll take just about anything! Now more people are recycling and we’re putting more things in our bin. But wait. China says – ya know what? You guys are sending us trash and we don’t want it anymore. You’re making no effort to send us clean recycling and we’re doing twice as much work. We’re done. The media jumps on that and tells us our recycling isn’t even being recycled. All our efforts are being sent to the landfill. There’s no market for our recycling.

In the wise words of Charlie Brown, “Good Grief.”

It’s virtually impossible to know what can and can’t be put in that bin. Every municipality, every hauler, every Material Recovery Center (MRF) has different guidelines. Well, friends, here’s the deal: I’d rather see us put ONLY what we KNOW we CAN recycle rather than questioning and wondering how to clean out a toothpaste tube. Let’s just start with that. Let’s not feel bad that we’re not recycling everything, because, honestly, a LOT of it is going to the landfill for one reason and one reason only: it’s trash.

The list you find on your municipal or hauler site will have everything that is accepted. I’m just here to tell you … the following list is shorter, but will ensure less contamination and what we’re really wanting is to recycle properly so let’s just stick with the basics.

PLASTICS. Let’s start with just 1’s and 2’s. Beverage containers (water, soda, juice, non carbonated), squeeze bottles (ketchup, mustard), jars (nuts, pickles, mayonnaise),  Shampoo bottles, laundry detergent, jugs (milk, juice, etc.)

METALS. Aluminum, steel, tin cans.

PAPER. Newspaper, office paper, junk mail, magazines, phone books, greeting cards, non-foil wrapping paper, grocery bags. Paper board – like pantry boxes, tissue boxes. 

With paper, just remember if it’s shiny, it’s probably coated, and coated can’t be recycled (some retail shopping bags, juice cartons, things of that nature).

CARDBOARD. Shipping boxes, product boxes, egg cartons.

GLASS. Bottles and jars. Remove the lids and throw them away.

These are the basics. It’s not all inclusive but it’s a start. Let’s go back to the basics and work our way from there!