Recycling Changes: What You Need To Know

More changes coming to all local recycling programs
Lola Harmon-Ramsey, Owner, Cart Right Recycling
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As with most things in life, change is inevitable.  And so, more change is coming to all Newaygo County recycling programs. 

To align with other global recycling programs, the Kent County based Material Recovery Facility that recycling haulers utilize is changing what they accept at their institution.   Cart Right Recycling and Republic Waste, the two recycling providers in Newaygo County, are implementing these changes immediately.  

Plastic shopping bags and shredded paper will no longer be accepted for curbside or drop-off recyclers in all West Michigan recycling programs.  Instead, haulers are asking their customers to return their clean and dry plastic shopping bags to “big-box” grocery stores for proper recycling.  These retail drop-off locations keep the bags clean and dry so they can then be recycled into high-quality manufactured goods. Shredded paper should be disposed of in the trash or disposed of in another responsible way.
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Plastic films, wrappings, and bags have long been an issue to be recycled properly.  Items like bread bags, food storage bags, dry cleaner bags, water bottle packaging, paper towel packaging, produce bags, pellet bags, water softener bags, or air pillows from shipping boxes should not enter curbside recycling bins or county operated drop-off sites.  Some of these plastics can also be recycled at store-drop offs like Meijer and Walmart in Fremont. Find more information about plastic bag or film recycling at www.how2recycle.infofor guidelines and locations.