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.

Shredded Paper

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)
  • Magazines and catalogs (Glossy, more than 4 pages)
  • Newsprint and phone books

Plastic

Clean & Empty–No lids

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

Plastic Types

Plastic Symbols
Metal

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, glassware and dishes – no plate glass, no mirrors
Glass
Batterie snip 2
battery flyer snip 1

Batteries & Electronics

 

Batteries – must be sorted into the following categories

  • Alkaline Batteries (Batteries must say Alkaline)
  • Lead Acid Batteries
  • Rechargeable, Heavy Duty, and Lithium batteries - All rechargeable and lithium type batteries or battery packs must in their own sealed plastic bag  (Bags available at the recycling center)
  • Button or Pill batteries - These batteries need to be laid flat in a single layer on a piece of clear tape with another piece of clear tape on top.  (Unless they are put back in the original package)

Electronics

  • TV’S and computer monitors – you must pay a fee of $10 or $20 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.)