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Enjoy a Sustainable Summer
What summer would be complete without a picnic or cookout? SOCRRA offers these helpful tips to make your summer gatherings more enjoyable for you and the environment.
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Reusable Dinnerware. Choose reusable plates, napkins, cups, and utensils whenever possible. Reusable dinnerware materials help to divert waste from the landfill and also save you money.
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Biodegradable Products. If you purchase disposable items, choose biodegradable products that break down in the landfill and are better for the environment. If these products cannot be reused, they should be thrown away. Many disposable items are made with mixed materials and cannot be recycled.
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Decorations. Consider purchasing reusable decorations over disposable. Examples include using cloth streamers and tablecloths, making signage with decorative chalk or dry erase boards, and choosing paper banners, garland, or flowers instead of balloons.
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Empty and Rinse Recyclables. Recyclable materials include plastic take-out containers, aluminum trays and pans, metal can,s and glass jars. These materials should be emptied and rinsed before being recycled.
How to Recycle Air Conditioners and Other Bulk Items
Items such as air conditioners and dehumidifiers can be recycled through SOCRRA’s Drop-Off Recycling Center. Items that contain refrigerant require special handling for safe removal. After the refrigerant is recovered, these items are disassembled and recycled. SOCRRA residents must schedule an appointment for the Drop-Off Recycling Center due to limited parking. To schedule an appointment visit www.socrra.org/recycling-drop-off or call (248) 288-5150.
Other bulk items accepted at the Drop-Off Recycling Center include:
- Dehumidifiers
- Ice chests
- Pots and pans
- Hot water heaters
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Large cardboard boxes (must be flattened)
What is a Tangler?
A “tangler” refers to any item that can wrap around equipment at a recycling process facility. Some common tanglers include plastic bags, cords, ropes, string lights, and hoses. Tanglers often get caught on equipment such as gears and wheels, which can lead to jams and breaks, and in some cases, shutdowns of the entire facility. To avoid these risks, tanglers should not be placed in curbside recycling.
Depending on the item, most tanglers can be reused or recycled through a drop-off center. Residents should use SOCRRA’s Waste Wizard, a free recycling directory, to learn how to safely dispose of tanglers.
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Plastic Bags – Drop-off at a local retail store such as Kroger, Meijer, and Kohl’s.
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Cords & String Lights – Accepted at SOCRRA’s Drop-Off Recycling Center, by appointment only.
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Hose – Check with local nursery or gardening centers for a recycling program, or place this item with your trash.
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Rope – Consider reuse, donation, or place this item in your trash.
Safe Battery Disposal
Safe handling and disposal of batteries such as lithium-ion, rechargeable, and large-capacity home batteries is crucial because they contain harmful chemicals like lead and mercury. When thrown away, these batteries can short-circuit and catch fire, and when batteries leak, they can contaminate soil and water, posing a dangerous risk to the environment and public health.
Instead, these batteries should be recycled through your community’s Household Hazardous Waste event, or schedule an appointment for free disposal at SOCRRA’s HHW Drop-Off Center located at 995 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, Michigan.
Click here to schedule an appointment.
Accepted batteries include:
- Lithium single-use and button cell batteries
- Rechargeable
- Lithium ion
- Large-capacity home batteries
- Lead-acid batteries
- Household batteries (AA, AAA, D, etc.)
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