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DPW's Spring Recycling Guide helps Kent County residents recycle smarter

Online guide details proper recycling, disposal of materials to reduce landfill waste

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Out with the old, but not into the landfill. The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) is helping residents clean more sustainably with its annual Spring Recycling Guide.

Today is the International Day of Zero Waste, promoting sustainable consumption and disposal, and the Spring Recycling Guide is a perfect place to start. The guide shares valuable information on recycling and waste disposal, including everything from food cartons and yard signs to aluminum and plastic containers.

“Our Spring Recycling Guide makes it easy for Kent County residents to properly dispose of materials, reduce landfill waste and keep our community clean and sustainable,” said Micah Herrboldt, waste reduction educator at the DPW. “Every small action we take can make a difference in our efforts to reduce landfill waste in our community, and a new season is the perfect time to reset these habits.”

The Spring Recycling Guide details items that can be recycled in Kent County, including cartons and cans, aluminum trays and foil, corrugated plastic yard signs, paper and folders, plastic buckets and other containers. Various other items are recyclable in a curbside bin in Kent County, and information about all materials can be found by searching the DPW’s online Recycling & Waste Directory.

The guide also provides information about how to dispose of hard-to-recycle items that should not be placed in a curbside bin, offering landfill alternatives. These include:

• Paints and stains: Aerosol and oil-based paints and stains can be brought for free to one of DPW’s five SafeChem drop-off locations. Once dry, latex paint can go into the trash.
• Electronics: Most electronics can be recycled for free through the North Kent Recycling & Waste Center or the South Kent Recycling & Waste Center.
• Propane tanks: One-pound propane canisters are free to dispose of through the DPW’s SafeChem program. Larger tanks can be brought to the North or South Kent Recycling & Waste Center for a fee.
• Chemicals and cleaners: Items like automotive fluids, fertilizer, pool chemicals, cleaners and other hazardous waste can be brought to the DPW’s SafeChem drop-off locations.
• Batteries: Lithium-ion, rechargeable and button batteries should be brought to a SafeChem location. Alkaline batteries should be taped and placed in the trash.
• Flexible plastics: Soft or flexible plastics like bags for mulch, soil, birdseed or snow melt can’t be processed through regular recycling because these materials tangle in sorting machines. Many retailers that accept plastic grocery bags also accept clean, flexible plastic.
• Bulky plastics: Bigger plastic items, such as children’s toys, should be donated or reused.
• Scrap metal: Garden tools, rusted grills, lawn mower blades and other metal pieces are infinitely recyclable through scrap metal recycling drop-offs like Padnos. The DPW hosts two free scrap metal drop offs at the North and South Kent Recycling & Waste Centers.
• Garden hoses: These items aren’t recyclable but can be repurposed to extend their use. Old hoses can be made into outdoor rugs, homemade soaker hoses, a bungee for holding back thorny bushes and more.

Find the DPW’s Spring Recycling Guide online.

The Kent County Department of Public Works provides municipal solid waste disposal services to ensure the effective removal, storage and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste through various facilities and programs, including Waste-to-Energy, the Recycling and Education Center, North Kent Transfer Station and South Kent Landfill.

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