HOLLAND, Mich. — The City of Holland is getting ready to officially launch its single-stream recycling collection service next week after rolling out new carts for residents over the past two weeks.
Residents will be able to place all loose recyclable items directly into a new, large recycling container instead of bagging these items, according to a news release Thursday.
The 96-gallon carts will replace the yellow bags currently used for residential recycling and come with wheels for easy maneuvering and attached lids to keep items dry and secure.
“Holland’s new recycling program makes the right thing to do, the easy thing to do,” Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks said. “It will increase community recycling participation significantly. I have already started filling my family’s cart with clean, dry recyclable materials. It is much easier than the old system ever was.”
Residents may begin using their new carts the week of May 3 for those in Zone A, and the first collection for residents in Zone B will be the week of May 12.
Recycling will be collected the same day as trash – trash weekly, recycling every other week.
Holland applied for and received a grant from The Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit organization that works with city governments nationwide to transform their recycling programs, along with a grant from the Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
The grant from The Recycling Partnership helped pay for about 9,500 new carts and includes funding for education and outreach about the new collection process.
The city asks that residents continue to do their part by placing only recyclable materials in their carts, including glass bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans, food and beverage cartons, paper products – including newspapers and cardboard – and empty plastic bottles and containers.
Food and drink containers should be given a quick rinse to help limit contamination.
Some items that cannot be recycled include plastic bags, paper towels, pizza boxes, electrical equipment, batteries and clothing.
These items often get mixed into recycling carts because of “wishcycling,” or the hope that they can be recycled. Though well-intentioned, city officials say non-recyclable items can cause serious issues.
