What We Recycle
The Recycling Center is a do-it-yourself drop-off, open to residents, schools, organizations and businesses in the Great Lakes Bay region. To ensure a quick and easy drop-off experience please bring only acceptable materials rinsed clean, dry, and empty without lids.
Paper
Midland Recyclers works with several different processors to recycle the following types of paper. It is critical to keep each type separate and placed in the correct container.
- Corrugated Cardboard (flattened) and paper bags
- Cereal and boxboard (flattened)
- Office paper and mail
- Shredded paper (Shred your paper at the recycling center for a small fee)
- Magazines and catalogs (Glossy, more than 4 pages)
- Newsprint and phone books
Plastic
Clean, Empty & Flattened Where Possible
Most plastic bottles and containers are marked with a number surrounded by the recycling symbol.
Please keep the following types of recyclable plastics separate from each other:
- #1 bottles and jars – clear or translucent
- #2 bottles and jars – natural colored (like most milk jugs), must have seam across the bottom
- #2 bottle and jars – all other colors (like detergent bottles), must have seam across the bottom
- #5 Plastics
- Polystyrene foam (PS6 only)
- Plastic bags and shrink wrap – must be clean and dry
- Vinyl siding – containers located outside behind building (YOU MUST HAVE STAFF ASSISTANCE)
The following types must be kept separate and placed in the packing material area:
- Packing P-nuts
- Bubble Wrap
- Air Pillows
- Foam sheets – must be flexible and bigger than 1 square foot
Plastic Types
Metal
Clean and empty, lids included
Steel and aluminum must be kept separate because they are distinctly different. Magnets are available on the signs and collection containers. Steel will stick to the magnet and aluminum will not.
- Steel including aerosol cans
- Aluminum including foil, cans, and non-magnetic aerosol cans
- Get staff assistance for all other types of metal, large pieces of metal and appliances.
Glass
Clean & Empty–Put metal lids with steel
- Clear and colored bottles, jars - no glassware, no dishes – no plate glass, no mirrors
Electronics
- TV’S and computer monitors – you must pay a fee of $15 to $35 each
- Cords, wires, burned out holiday lights
- Computer towers, printers, keyboards, etc.
- All other small appliances like microwaves, vacuums, and stereo equipment.
- No refrigerators, no freezers, no air-conditioners (These contain or did contain Freon, and we are not allowed to accept them.)
Batteries
BATTERY SORTING STEPS
DO NOT PUT ANY BATTERY INTO ANY CONTAINERS UNTIL YOU READ THE BATTERY SORTING BROCHURE.
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IDENTIFY YOUR BATTERY. DO THIS BY LOOKING FOR THE CHEMISTRY TYPE ON THE LABEL.
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MATCH YOUR BATTERY TO THE CORRECT CATEGORY. DO NOT JUST MATCH THE PICTURES, SOME BATTERIES MAY LOOK SIMILAR BUT ARE NOT THE SAME CHEMISTRY.
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DO NOT GUESS. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHERE A BATTERY GOES YOU MUST FIND A STAFF MEMBER.
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PREPARE THE BATTERY CORRECTLY. TAPE IS REQUIRED ON SOME BATTERIES.
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PUT THE BATTERY IN THE CORRECT CONTAINER.
