Recycling and Safely Disposing of Household Items

September 11, 2024

By: Erin Parker, Interpretive Services Supervisor

The onset of fall means new rhythms and routines for many of us, even if we’re long past our own back-to-school days! September can even feel like a second new year, a chance to start new habits or get back into old ones. And it also coincides with the start of a season where we may be spending more time indoors again, and that may trigger a desire to clean up and get organized. But what to do with all the stuff? Don’t let that “New Year Energy” fade away into frustration, find a home for even some of your toughest-to-recycle items. It’s also a great time to clear out anything that could pose a threat to your family, pets, or wildlife if it isn’t disposed of correctly, even if those items aren’t truly recyclable. But where to start with all the challenging things that have been accumulating?

Reusable, Usable Items

First, consider if your trash is really someone else’s treasure. Gently used toys, clothing, books, games, and household items can be donated to thrift stores and charitable organizations for resale. Building supplies leftover from renovations and home improvement projects may be donated to places like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores, where they’ll be re-sold. Books, magazines, board games, and puzzles may be donated to library used book sales.

But these feel like the “easy” items, we just need to round them up and remember to actually drop them off at the appropriate location! What about things that can’t be resold?

Electronics and Small Appliances

Electronics, which change and update all the time, can accumulate and seemingly multiply, in our drawers and closets. And most resale shops won’t accept them, whether they work or not. Luckily, there are organizations that collect and recycle these challenging things. On Sunday, September 22^nd, in partnership with the Detroit Zoo, Lake St Clair Metropark will be hosting an electronics recycling event. It is an opportunity for community members to dig out all their piles of outdated, broken, or unnecessary appliances and batteries.

A short list of what will be accepted during the event:

• All TVs and monitors (flat screen, CRT, etc.)
• Printers
• Computers and laptops
• Cell phones and tablets
• Holiday lights, cords and other wire
• DVD and VHS players
• Batteries
• Radios
• Small electronics
• Small appliances (does not include refrigerators)

For more information and to register for this free community event, please visit: https://www.metroparks.com/e-recycling-event/

Lightbulbs and Batteries

Lightbulbs and batteries can be challenging. Many types of lightbulbs contain materials that are toxic to humans, pets, and wildlife and should not be disposed of in the trash. But regular community recycling bins and pick up are not designed to handle them either. Some retailers will provide recycling for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) but often not other types.  Because of the mercury contained in fluorescent bulbs, it is really important to take precautions when disposing of them. LED bulbs also contain metals like lead, and also cannot be placed in traditional curbside recycling. Most county recycling drop-off stations do accept all of these different types of lightbulbs for recycling. Some battery stores also accept hard-to-recycle bulbs (particularly the older, tube-style fluorescent) though sometimes for a fee.

Batteries can pose a variety of risks, including fire hazards, if they are tossed in the trash or household recycling. Lithium ion batteries, in particularly, are associated with fires and even explosions! This is why they are restricted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on flights. So what should we be doing with all those old batteries?
Luckily, many places accept different types of batteries for recycling and they provide valuable and recoverable metals. Common types of alkaline batteries (our standards like A, AA, 9-volt) are commonly accepted for recycling at hardware stores and e-waste recycling sites. Lead-Acid automotive batteries are almost all recycled, in part because of laws that require retailers that sell them to collect and recycle them.

Household Hazardous Waste

What about chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides, cleaning products, motor oil and other automotive materials? These can also accumulate. Pouring them down the drain or into the garbage can introduce them into our water supply and cause harm to anyone that comes in contact with them. But it can be a challenge to find appropriate recycling or disposal. Many communities offer a few “household hazardous waste” drop-off events each year to help families and homeowners safely dispose of these types of items. Often offered in the spring and fall, when we may be more inclined to take on bigger cleanout projects, these are great opportunities to clear out those chemicals and other potentially hazardous items. Look for these events in your community, or explore what your local recycling and waste drop-off sites accept throughout the year.

Medicines

Safe disposal of medication can also be a difficult problem to solve. Some medications are considered controlled substances. Other medicines that require injections can be dangerous if someone unexpectedly comes in contact with them during the disposal process. For all of these reasons, along with general safety concerns about children or pets accessing medications, medicine and medical waste need to go to specific drug take-back sites that are equipped to store and then dispose of items safely. Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) maintains an interactive map of locations that accept different types of medications throughout the state. It can be found here: https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/materials-management/hazardous-waste/drug-disposal

While safe disposal and proper recycling of some household materials can require more effort, they also contribute to keeping our families safe, our water clean, and our communities a little healthier!

For more information about your county’s upcoming household hazardous waste collection events and to determine what materials are accepted, please see the links below:

Livingston County: Hazardous Waste Collection Event, September 21, 2024

Macomb County: Hazardous Waste Collection Events, Fall 2024

Oakland County: NoHaz Events, Fall 2024

Washtenaw County: County Cleanup Days, Next events in 2025

Wayne County: Household Hazardous Waste Collection, October 19, 2024