Recycling

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Recycling goals

The main goal of our recycling program is to reduce the amount of material that is to be recycled, and to make sure that materials that are recycled are placed in the correct stream.

Recycling system

Small, interior recycling bins are provided in the kitchen, library, and annex areas of the building. Signs on the bins describe the items that can be sorted into each container and how the items should be prepared. The Green Garage’s interior recycling bins are checked daily and emptied when half full. Once a few items have accumulated, the bags lining the bins are then carried to the community recycling center located in the Motor City Brewing Works parking lot. The bags are emptied into the appropriate bins. Once the full bins in the community recycling center have been picked up by Recyclehere.net, they are replaced with empty bins. The first person to place recyclables into the empty bins decides which bin will be for which items (glass, plastic, cardboard, and metal).

Our primary recycling is picked up weekly by Recyclehere.net. Workers pick up the cardboard and stack it on the truck, and replace full bins from inside the community recycling center with empty ones. Hours to take recycling to the drop off location at Holden and Trumbull are Wednesdays 10 am – 6pm and Saturdays 9 am – 3 pm.

Paper: This category includes white and colored paper, envelopes, junk mail, folders, construction paper, and cardstock. Items that CAN NOT be recycled are: tissue paper, napkins, wrapping paper, and paper towel. For every ton of paper that is recycled, 17 trees are saved from being cut down.

There is not a recycling bin for paper in the kitchen's community recycling center at this time. In order to prepare waste paper for the community recycling center, it is collected in the Mixed Paper recycling bin outside of the urban sustainability library within the Green Garage. Once the Mixed Paper recycling bin is approximately half full, the paper is transferred to a small green biodegradeable bags and sealed with a knot so that it can’t get water in it. The bag should then be clearly marked as Mixed Paper and placed on top of the lid of one of the rolling recycling bins inside the community recycling center. The bag will be collected along with the other items and bins to be recycled.

Cardboard: This category includes corrugated cardboard boxes, cereal boxes, shoe boxes, Kleenex boxes, and paper grocery bags. We CAN NOT accept chipboard that is dirty with food such as paper plates, donut boxes, etc. Break down all boxes flat so that they are easy to handle and store. If you have a large volume of cardboard, designate one box to serve as receptacle for the other cardboard items. Leave this box whole and use it to collect the other cardboard. Place the box full of cardboard next to the recycling bins on the annex side of the building for collection.

Styrofoam: This category includes carry out boxes, packing materials, and some food containers. We can accept Styrofoam peanuts, but they must be in a separate plastic bag from other Styrofoam. Please make sure that no food scraps are in any containers.

Plastic: Please sort your plastics according to the number found on the bottom of the container. We can accept #1 and #2 plastics together, and #4, #5, #6, and #7 plastics together. Make sure your containers are clean and rinsed; otherwise they will end up in the garbage. Tops should be removed and discarded. Any labels can be left on the container. Plastic is one of the most important items to recycle because it is made from petroleum.

Glass: Glass must be separated into clear, brown, and green. Any other colors, such as blue or red glass, should be put in with the green glass. Labels and tops can be left on the glass, although metal tops can be recycled with the metal. Glass composites such as Plexiglas can not be recycled. Most of the glass we recycle is pulverized and used in road construction.

Metal: Metals of all different kinds can be sorted together. This includes steel, iron and aluminum cans. Please make sure that your containers are rinsed. Labels do not have to be removed. Crushing cans will help save on space. Aluminum is 100% recyclable, which means none of the material is lost in the recycling process. Every time one aluminum can is recycled, enough energy is saved to power a television for about three hours (compared to mining and manufacturing a new can).

Recycling containers

We bought the Waste Watcher series of containers, one each for:

  • plastic
  • styrofoam
  • paper
  • cardboard
  • metal
  • glass

Recycling resources