When disposed of in a landfill, yard waste creates methane, a powerful and harmful greenhouse gas. Thankfully, Michigan's Yard Waste Ban keeps yard debris out of the landfill. When yard waste trucks collect your cut grass, sticks, and trimmings from the curb, it is delivered to a local site where it will be composted. It's then used for all sorts of landscaping projects!

Want to gain some free time and lessen the amount of yard waste that needs to be disposed? Try grasscycling. Learn more below!

Grasscycling

In the warmer months, grass clippings can account for up to 50% of one's total yard trimmings. Grasscycling, a simple and natural approach to lawn care, is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn or using them as mulch - no raking or bagging involved! Through decomposition, grass clippings release nitrogen and other valuable nutrients into the soil, resulting in a greener, healthier lawn without the use of fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides.

In order to grasscycle, mow no more than 1 inch off your lawn when it is dry by using a mulching blade. Leave the grass clippings where they fall and allow them to decompose. Any clippings that blow onto sidewalks or driveways can be swept back onto the lawn to prevent them from ending up in surface water or drains.

Interested in grasscycling and want to learn more? Click here!

Natural Mulching

By spreading a thin layer of mulch on your garden or flowerbeds, you can add nutrients, reduce run-off, and insulate your soil. It even keeps your plants cool as the temperature rises! Save money by making your own mulch using the following ingredients:

Leaves and Pine Needles: Chop these up until they're about the size of a dime, either by using the lawn mower or with hedge trimmers. You can add in some grass clippings (see "Grasscycling" above) or leave it on its own.

Newspaper: Carefully rip four to eight sheets to allow them to wrap around the base of your plants, then moisten them with a hose or watering can to ensure they stay in place. Top them off with grass clippings, leaves, or compost to prevent them from drying out.

Compost: Households produce a significant amount of organic material that is well-suited for composting such as vegetative food scraps from the kitchen, dead houseplants, and garden trimmings. Make sure your compost is a dark, earthy substance before scattering a layer 2"- 4" thick on your garden.

For more sustainable lawn care tips, visit our composting page!

Finding out if something is recyclable can often be a loaded question. For example, certain packaging may have parts you need to separate before being recycled, and some items may not be recyclable curbside but are accepted at HHW Collection Events. At RRRASOC, we always try to give you the most detailed and up-to-date disposal information - specific to your community!

Batteries

With the increase in products that require batteries to function (such as power tools, remote controls, laptops, smoke detectors, etc.), we often depend on them in our daily lives. Batteries of any kind, including alkaline and lithium-ion batteries, should not be placed curbside - whether it's in the garbage or the recycling bin. Doing so could cause a risk to your or the collection workers' safety and health. Batteries have the potential to start fires or cause explosions on the collection trucks, in the sorting facility, and even in your home if not handled properly.

An easy, free option for all RRRASOC community members is to bring their batteries to an HHW Collection Event (the next one being May 20th in Milford - see below) to be properly handled and recycled. This not only keeps everyone safe and reduces the risk of fire, but also allows the batteries' chemical and metal components such as mercury, lead, silver, and lithium to be reused.

Taping the terminals of your batteries before bringing them to an HHW Collection Event will help prevent shorting out and any other risks. For informative how-to videos on taping your batteries' terminals, view this article.

For more information on how you can recycle your used alkaline, lithium-ion, or car batteries (and more), visit the Recycling Directory at RRRASOC.org!

Are you hosting a cookout on Memorial Day weekend? Remember to always choose reusable! Disposable plastic cups and silverware can be replaced with sustainable, long-lasting varieties instead. Or, better than buying new tableware, use your everyday dinner plates for outdoor gatherings. Glass and aluminum beverage containers are always recyclable, whether it's at the store for a 10-cent refund or simply placed in your recycling cart.

Thank you for observing Memorial Day sustainably!

During the following HHW Collection Events, all residents of RRRASOC member communities are welcome to bring household hazardous waste for an opportunity to safely discard their hazardous items and e-waste. Simple Recycling and paper shredding services will also be available.

May 20th, 2023 👕

Milford Civic Center

1100 Atlantic St., Milford

Enter from West, off Mont Eagle St.

July 15th, 2023 👕

Wixom Dept. of Public Works

2041 Charms Rd., Wixom

9:00am - 2:00pm

October 7th, 2023

Novi Dept. of Public Works

26300 Lee BeGole Dr., Novi

9:00am - 2:00pm

October 28th, 2023 👕

RRRASOC MRF - Truck Entrance

20875 Mapleridge Ave., Southfield

9:00am - 2:00pm

*The T-shirt icon indicates an HHW Collection Event during which clothing, shoes, accessories, and small household items will be accepted by Simple Recycling.

For more information about HHW events and how to prepare your items, please visit our HHW page.

If you have HHW that you'd like to properly dispose of between collection events, you're in luck! Drop off your HHW without a fee at ERG Environmental Services during the following hours:

Monday - Friday:

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Not sure what to do with stuff?

Visit rrrasoc.org and use the Recycling Directory search bar to type in keywords and get recycling, composting, reuse or disposal instructions.

The searchable, intuitive format of the Recycling Directory provides RRRASOC specific information.

Also Available:

Mobile App

• From your App Store or Google Play, search for "Recycling Authority"

Want more tips, tricks, and updates about recycling? We have a Facebook page where we can reach each other to make recycling easier. You can also reach us via RRRASOC.org and email at education@rrrasoc.org!

RRRASOC - Recycling Authority | 248-208-2270 | rrrasoc.org