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- RecycleNOW - Free Drop-off Recycling
RecycleNOW - Free Drop-off Recycling
The RecycleNOW program accepts the following empty, clean, and dry materials:
Acceptable Materials Include:
- Flattened Cardboard
- Paper
- Metal Cans
- Plastic Bottles & Jugs (#1 & #2)
- Cartons
- Glass Bottles
RecycleNOW is a single-stream program which means all items go in the bin loosely, not bagged or stuffed into other items. They'll be sorted at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
Want to learn all about recycling right? Click the following: Recycling Simplified
No plastic bags should ever go in the bins. Plastic bags are the number one contaminant in single-stream recycling and are known as "tanglers." They bring the recycling process to a halt and ensure your items will go to a landfill. Want to take a peek inside a recycling sorting facility? Click on the "Tangled Up!" one-and-a-half-minute video below that shows what happens when plastic bags end up in recycling.
For more info on recycling's economic and environmental merits and challenges, please check out the Frontline investigative special on recycling. Or learn why Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse. Or how the plastic industry spent millions selling recycling — to sell more plastic
However, you can recycle your plastic bags along with bubble wrap and other stretchy plastic at local retail stores such as:
- Kohl's
- Kroger
- Lowe's
- Meijer
- Target
- Walmart
- And more!
Find examples of plastic bags, wraps and other plastic films that can be recycled in those storefront bins.
What Happens to Your Recyclables
Curious about what happens to all those recyclables you put in the bin? They're taken to a Materials Recovery Facility or MRF. You can find out more by watching the following Recycling Center Video Tour.
Recycling Locations & Hours
Bins are available from 7 am to 6 pm.
- Every Tuesday: Bedford Township Hall, 8100 Jackman Road, Temperance
- Every Wednesday: Monroe Charter Township Hall, 4925 E Dunbar Road, Monroe
- First and Third Monday of the month: Dundee Kroger, 571 E Monroe Street, Dundee
- Second Tuesday of the month: St. Joseph Catholic Church, 2238 Manhattan Street, Erie
- Every Tuesday and Thursday: Stevens Disposal, 16929 Ida West Road, Petersburg
Note: If RecycleNOW day falls on a Holiday, this will usually cause a one-day delay during that week
Only Have Paper to Recycle?
Monroe has over 50 paper recycling locations at our schools, churches, and municipal buildings! Paper placed in the Paper Retriever bin is directly recycled back into newsprint within a few weeks. NOTE: NO Cardboard is accepted.
Below are the accepted materials:
- Books (hard and soft cover)
- Catalogs
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Office paper
- School paper
Find a paper retriever bin near you!
- Why "tanglers" should never go in your recycling bin and what are “tanglers”?
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Plastic bags, rope, electrical cords, string lights and clothing are all examples of "tanglers" - long or stretchy items that get tangled up in the gears of the machinery that sorts recyclables.
- Why is this a problem?
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When plastic bags and other items get tangled in the machinery staff must shut down sorting and cut them off the gears, one-by-one. This is dangerous for staff and shuts down the facility and sorting process, making it slower and more expensive to sort recyclables and get them ready for the next leg in their journey. Films and flexible packaging, wreak havoc on waste management systems. They are difficult to sort, contaminate high-value loads, and jam systems, which leads to significant downtime. This downtime drives up operational costs and leads to higher service fees to municipalities.