Adopt-a-Forest- Waste Disposal
We receive many telephone calls asking how to dispose of stuff properly. We've placed some
links and suggestions below that may help you get rid of unwanted items.
1. REDUCE your trash output as much as possible.
Purchase products with the least amount of packaging. For example, if you can purchase
cereal that is either in a bag or in a bag that's also in a box…leave the box behind.
Purchase concentrated products (smaller containers) and bottles (such as cleaning
products) that are refillable.
Stop unwanted junk mail, e-mail, and phone calls:
http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/
2. REUSE it or give it to someone who can.
Reuse It
There are networking sites on the Internet that assist in hooking up
people who have good stuff to give away with people who can use it.
Check out www.freecycle.org
for an example of this type of website.
Cellular Phones
Have you been trying to figure out a good use for your broken or disconnected cellular
phone?
Call 1-888-901-SAFE (7233) or visit their website at www.donateaphone.com
. The Donate-a-Phone campaign accepts all models of cellular phones (working or not). This
organization refurbishes and sells the phones or programs them with emergency numbers and
distributes them to victims of domestic violence.
Christmas Trees
Many communities have compost areas that accept Christmas trees.
You can put them to even better use:
The Project Learning Tree program (www.michiganplt.org)
is in need of "tree cookies" for students to learn about forestry
and how trees grow.
Tree cookies are used at all workshops as name
tags and during many PLT activities. A few concepts taught include
species, parts of a tree, how trees grow, and correlations to
historical events based on the tree's age.
Directions on how tree cookies are made can be
found at
www.michiganplt.org/pdf/treecookies.pdf All sizes are
needed! The smallest size PLT needs many of is approximately
the diameter of a soda can and 3/4" to 1" thick. These are used by
students as keepsake name tags, so it's very helpful if two holes
are drilled near the top (large enough to draw string/yarn
through). It is not critical that this size be labeled with tree
species or coated with polyurethane.
Once complete, we would arrange to have them
picked up from your area and distributed to educators planning
workshops around the state.
If you are interested in donating tree cookies, please contact Ada
Takacs at 989-275-5151, ext 2049 or
takacsa@michigan.gov
For those who are not in Michigan,
click here to
find your PLT coordinator.
Clothes and Household Items
There are many donation centers such as Goodwill,
St. Vincent DePaul, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores, etc. that accept used
items. Don't forget to ask for a receipt so you can use it as a tax write-off.
To find a location nearest you, search a phone directory using keywords such
as Resale, Second Hand, Used Merchandise, or Thrift Shop.
Eyeglasses and Hearing Aids
Lions Clubs International, which has
been collecting and recycling used eyeglasses for more than 60 years, is the world's
largest service club organization with 1.4 million members in more than 43,000 clubs in
185 countries. The association joins volunteers in community service with special
emphasis on aiding the blind and visually impaired. Contact your local Lion's Club
to find the closest eyeglass drop-off to you. Used glasses are cleaned and repaired,
sorted by prescription, and then donated to needy people around the world.
Greeting Cards
St. Jude's Ranch for Children is no longer accepting used greeting cards.
Turn greeting cards into gift boxes, gift tags, etc.
www.makestuff.com/recycling/greeting_cards.html
Hair
Donate hair to "Locks for Love" for wigs for Children with cancer
www.locksoflove.org or call toll-free
888-896-1588 for further info.
 Leftover Paint
Many high school and college drama clubs need paint for creating
backdrops in plays. Call your local school's drama department to see if they are
interested.
Propane Tanks
Effective April 1, 2002, most Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders are required to have
an overfill protection device (OPD) in order to be legally filled in Michigan.
This includes propane tanks from outdoor grills, trailers, RV's, etc. Are your tanks
already retrofitted? If so, the valve handle is triangle shaped, not round.
If not, you can have your tank refurbished or recycled at most propane dealers. Kits are
also available at most major department stores for you do-it-yourself-ers.
A few volunteers have found old tanks during public land cleanups. Calls to the local
propane dealer allowed for proper recycling. One dealer even paid a finder's fee!
Abandoned propane tanks may indicate a meth lab. If
items you find on public land look suspicious, avoid contact with them and call the local
authorities
Railroad Ties
Viking Energy Company in Lincoln MI (989-736-6618) and in McBain MI (231-825-2772) can
take creosote wood/railroad ties. Contact them in advance to find out their requirements,
hauling considerations, etc.
Televisions
Effective February, 2009, all signals
must be digital. Americans with older, analog televisions
which received signals by antenna will no longer be able to.
Subscribers to cable or satellite service should ask their providers
if they need special equipment for digital reception. If you
don't buy a digital model, a converter box will be required.
The boxes range from $50 to $75 each. For more info, visit
this DEQ site,
www.dtv.gov or call 1-888-225-5322.
Most televisions have cathode ray tubes that contain lead and some
contain liquid crystal displays with a small amount of mercury.
If you chose not to convert your old TV sets, please dispose of them
properly at community e-waste collections.
To find out where to recycle electronic waste,
visit the DEQ's
recycling website and search for your county contact.
Designations of Inertness
Sometimes trash can be used for other functions after its usefulness as its original
function has passed. An example would be using crushed scrap tires as an alternate fuel
source or as a backdrop at a shooting range or a mat under playground equipment. The
Department of Environmental Quality issues a "Designation of Inertness" in these
circumstances. Below is a list of links to these documents.
For further information on how to qualify to use Designations of
Inertness in lieu of disposal, contact the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality,
Waste and Hazardous Materials Division, at 989.373.2730.
Tire Material
http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-wmd-stp-TireInert97.pdf
3. RECYCLE or COMPOST it:
This site has information of many ways to recycle, compost, donate items, and so forth http://www.earth911.org/
Click here for a list of Recycling, Composting and Household
Hazardous Waste Contacts by County.
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)
As part of their long term commitment to the environment and
sustainability, The Home Depot
is pleased to offer free in-store CFL bulb recycling at all of their
stores nationwide.
Bring in any expired, unbroken CFLs, place them in a plastic bag and
deposit them both into one of the bright orange collection units.
The bulbs will then be
managed responsibly by an environmental management company who will
coordinate CFL packing, transportation and recycling to maximize
safety and ensure environmental compliance.
For further information, visit
www.homedepot.com/ecooptions
Electronics
Many communities have e-waste collection days. Check with
your county contact (link above) or watch for announcements in your
local newspaper.
Apple, Inc. sponsors free
recycling programs for iPods, the world’s most popular digital music
player as well as other electronics. More details of Apple’s
electronics recycling programs are available at:
http://www.apple.com/environment/recycling/
Lead Acid (car/truck/RV) Batteries
Department Stores such as K-Mart and Wal-Mart will accept these batteries and give you a
$5 "core charge" credit to waive toward purchase of a new battery on the same
day. Otherwise, you can just turn them in for recycling (some stores take them for free
and some give you a $1 deposit-call ahead).
Scrap Metal
Metal reclaiming prices continue to rise, so you can actually
earn money recycling metals.
Recycling facilities are generally listed in the telephone directory
under "Recycling Centers," "Scrap Metals," or "Waste Disposal."
Click here for
answers about reclaiming scrap metals from state forest land.
4. DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY:
Solid Waste Facilities
Household Hazardous Waste Information
DEQ
Waste Management General Information
DEQ Residential
Recycling
Additional Tips
5. Community Cleanups
Many communities offer special cleanup days. These are events we are aware of:
Crawford County
Tire collection days in June. Contact Bruce Patrick at 989-344-3258 or Lee Riley
at 989-275-9913 (Beaver Creek Twp) for further information.
Emmet County:
Household hazardous waste collections. Contact Kate Melby at 231-348-0660 for
appointment.
Roscommon County
Household hazardous waste collection in June and September. Contact
989-275-5231 for more information.
If you know of collection days scheduled in your community, let us know about it so we can
post it here.
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