Recycling in Lansing, Michigan

Recycling programs have become a nationwide trend over the last decades. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans recycled 83 million tons of solid waste in 2008, and the numbers are growing. In Lansing, Michigan, the Capital Area Recycling and Trash agency is introducing residents to the newest innovation, single-stream resource recovery. This system is more convenient since sorting is no longer required, and it uses new technology to break down and reuse a wider assortment of materials.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Green city-issued recycling bin
• Cardboard boxes
• Paper bags
• Items to recycle

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Instructions

• 1

  Go to the Lansing, Michigan, official website to gather information (see Resources). You can download a flier on residential guidelines and get a map and schedule of the city's collection routes. Sign up to receive email recycling updates. Take a video tour of the Ann Arbor facility to learn about the process and check out articles for ideas and advice on waste reduction.

• 2

  Familiarize yourself with the list of accepted items, and refer to the flier regularly so that collecting them will become automatic. Clean cans and bottles as you round them up, and make sure cardboard is not soiled. Store plastic bags, Styrofoam, paint and other restricted items separately. Put electronic equipment, light bulbs and batteries aside, as well.

• 3

  Acquire a green city-issued collection bin. Put each item in loosely rather than in a bag, and do not exceed 30 pounds of weight in the bin. Use a cardboard box, not larger than the bin, or paper bags to hold any overflow. Place the holders out at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on pickup day.

• 4

  Pull together old cell phones, compact fluorescent bulbs and rechargeable batteries. Take these to the drop-off center, located in front of the Lansing transfer station. Find out when the Regional Recycling Coordination Committee is hosting special events for computers and electronics, and participate. Use the exhaustive resource list on the Lansing website to find out where to turn in old appliances, rugs and even propane tanks.