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Recycling Authority
July 2025
20000 West Eight Mile Road | Southfield
248-208-2270 | www.rrrasoc.org
| | 15 Years of Plastic Free July! | | |
This month marks 15 years of Plastic Free July! This global movement has gained a lot of traction educating others on the importance of going plastic-free with their daily activities. We're talking reusable straws, water bottles, shopping tote bags, and more! When switching to a reusable alternative, you're helping to keep both macroplastics (plastic bags, bottles, etc.) and microplastics out of our environment. That includes our parks, streets, beaches, and waterways, to name a few.
If you're new to making the switch, start with just one plastic disposable item to do away with - plastic water bottles are an easy one. Buy a reusable tumbler (there's hundreds available for cheap at your local secondhand store) and fill it up at home, at work, and on-the-go. You'd be surprised to find that many public spaces now offer bottle-refilling stations! Additionally, reusable water bottles can often be used at cafes and restaurants for drink purchases, as staff will simply fill your bottle instead of a plastic cup. This can save you the trouble of dealing with plastic lids and straws, too!
| | Watch this video to learn more about Plastic Free July! | | |
Have a Plastic-Free Picnic!
Food brings people together, so what better way to inspire people to refuse single-use plastics than to have a plastic-free picnic? Host one with your friends or family at a local park or in your backyard and remind them to bring food that isn't wrapped in plastic. Getting around the plastic packaging is simple - just buy from a local farmers market, buy in bulk, or make a meal from scratch!
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Encourage guests to bring reusable plates, water bottles (or for the soda drinkers, an aluminum can instead of a plastic bottle) and reusable cutlery. If there are leftovers, be sure to have reusable food storage containers ready.
If there are food scraps at the end of the picnic, take them home to compost them or take them to a local composting site. Wixom residents can place them right in their yard waste bin!
| Remember, it's okay to start small! Demonstrating how to go plastic free, even if just for one meal, is a great way to kickstart a bigger change in your community. |
| | ERG Environmental Services | | |
The next HHW Collection Event in RRRASOC communities is on Saturday, October 4. While that may be nearly 3 months away, you still have options to safely dispose of your household hazardous waste in the meantime! The trained staff at ERG Environmental Services in Livonia accept all RRRASOC residents' HHW for free (except latex paint). This includes adhesives, chemicals, batteries, cleaners, solvents, motor oil, and more. Simply ring the doorbell and personnel will come out to remove the HHW from your vehicle!
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For information on how to identify, handle, and dispose of HHW in RRRASOC communities, visit our What is HHW page.
HHW pickup from your home is also available for a fee of $135 per stop plus $0.75 per pound of material collected. This fee is paid directly by the resident to ERG Environmental Services.
| | "Can I Recycle All Types of Glass?" | |
The answer is: Only certain types of glass are accepted.
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Not all glass is created equally. Bottles, windows, mirrors, vases, and food storage containers can be made of different types of glass, which means each item needs to be considered before disposing of it. For example, glass bottles and jars of all colors are accepted in your curbside recycling and at the RRRASOC recycling drop-off sites. On the other hand, windows, mirrors, and food storage/baking dishes are manufactured differently and cannot be recycled the same way that bottles and jars are. If you're looking to dispose of glass items that aren't recyclable, consider how you might reuse them or if they could be reused by someone else. Donating to a local secondhand store and reselling reusable items is always a good option. Broken glass should be placed with your household trash.
As a general rule of thumb, remember to rinse your glass bottles and jars before recycling them. Removing food and other contaminants keeps other recyclables like paper and cardboard cleaner for recycling!
| | 2025 HHW Collection Event Dates | | 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*. | | |
October 4, 2025
Novi Dept. of Public Works
26300 Lee BeGole Dr., Novi
9:00am - 2:00pm
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October 25, 2025 👕
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. | | RRRASOC Recycling Directory | | | | |
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.
Mobile App Available
Search "Recycling Authority" in your App Store or Google Play Store.
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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 | | | | |
