GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Kent County Department of Public Works— and really all Departments of Public Works— have a wish list of their own this holiday season; your help.
Once the gifts are unwrapped and toys of all sorts opened, your next decision could seriously impact how well the recycling process.
According to the DPW’s 2022 Holiday Recycling Guide there are dozens of items that just cannot be recycled because of how it's made, despite being cardboard, certain plastics, or a paper-like product.
When these items are recycled, the system grinds to a halt. Machines have to be shut down— the offending item then needs to be found amid thousands of others and removed.
The problem costs your DPW time and money and risks workers getting injured the day it happens, but also puts wear and tear on the machines which means they'll need to be replaced sooner.
On the other hand— there's millions of pounds of waste filling landfills that could be recycled. Check the list below to find out what can be remade!
So, armed with this knowledge; please enjoy your holiday wrappings— just make sure you're disposing or recycling them properly!
