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Unfortunate news from the CitPat on Friday. C'mon, Jackson - we can do much better than this:

Trash dumped at recycling center upsets officials

Friday, January 25, 2008
By Kristin Longley

A white, 6-by-8-foot sign looms over the Summit Township recycling center: ``Free recycling depends on good sorting and preparation.''

Unfortunately, not everyone is getting the message.

Officials increasingly have noticed improper use of the recycling center, located at the township offices, 2121 Ferguson Road.

People are dropping off unaccepted materials or leaving their recyclables outside the labeled green bins, said township Trustee Gordon Heins.

Use of the center is free to anyone and open 24 hours a day.

``This could be closed down, and we don't want to do that,'' Heins said. ``It's a very popular site and only a few people are ruining it for the rest of us.''

In the past several weeks, wooden pallets, plastic foam, mechanical parts and unflattened cardboard have been found at the center. Once, officials found a plastic tub containing unidentified materials left near the bins, Heins said.

The overhead sign clearly lists the accepted materials, which include cans, glass, plastic bottles, newspaper, magazines and paper.

The recycling center opened in 2004. It was not expected to cost the township beyond building the concrete slab on which the bins sit. But the recent problems have cost both time and money.

Scattered papers and other trash prompted township leaders to add a three-sided wooden fence around the center for about $1,800, Heins said.

Still, local firefighters and township officials, including Heins, frequently have to tidy up the area, he said. Fire Chief Scot Harvey said firefighters often help clear away unaccepted materials.

``We don't mind picking up, but the biggest issue is it's getting worse,'' Harvey said. ``It's taking more and more time, and it looks bad.''

The city of Jackson's recycling center, 209 W. Louis Glick Highway, is experiencing similar problems, said SanDee Porter, public works assistant.

Pieces of furniture and other nonrecyclable items are packed between bins. Staff members visit the area two or three times per week to pick up garbage and broken glass, she said.

``A lot of people are abusing it,'' Porter said. ``Something needs to be done.''

Northwest Refuse in Blackman Township handles the recycling centers in Summit Township, Jackson and six other sites in Jackson County, said Bill Thomas, resource recovery coordinator. Sometimes, complaints arise from an overflow of recycling materials, he said.

The bins are emptied at least every Friday, and staff members check them when trucks are in the area. People can call Northwest Refuse if the bins are overflowing, Thomas said.

``For the most part it's a community effort,'' he said.

Heins said people who witness misuse of the Summit Township site are encouraged to contact the township office at 788-4113.

``We don't like garbage. We don't like trash,'' he said. ``This is a real privilege, and we want to be able to continue it.''

2008 site open dates.

It's official: we're open in 2008.

Half-time, that is.

Below, you'll find our Monroe St. drop-off site open dates. You can drop off your materials from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• January 5, 19


• February 2, 16


• March 1, 15


• April 5, 19


• May 3, 17


• June 7, 21


• July 5, 19


• August 2, 16


• September 6, 20


• October 4, 18


• November 1, 15


• December 6, 20

Be sure to register as a member of Recycling Jackson to do all your recycling at our site for free.

How to prepare materials for recycling

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when you bring your recycling materials to our Recycling Jackson drive-up site at 1401 N. Brown St. (see map above).


NEWSPAPER: Loose or in paper bags.

MIXED PAPER, MAGAZINES & PHONE BOOKS: Junk mail, office paper, school papers, file folders, boxboard, etc. Loose or in paper bags.

CORRUGATED CARDBOARD: Break down and flatten boxes.

GLASS: Clear, brown and green glass. Rinse, remove caps and rings. No Pyrex, window glass, drinking glasses, dishes or lightbulbs.

METAL: Metal cans, rinsed and flattened. Other iron and steel.

ALUMINUM: Aluminum cans, pans, clean foil, lawn chairs, eaves, doors, etc. Remove screws and strapping from aluminum.

PLASTICS: All plastics No. 1-7 with recycling symbol, such as milk jugs, water and juice bottles, detergent/bleach containers, margarine tubs, cottage cheese/yogurt containers. Only lids with recycling symbol.

Items not accepted:
Plastic silverware, plates, cups, toys, flowerpots, automotive containers, hazardous-material containers, soda can rings, sandwich/bread bags.

Jackson-area recycling sites

Our new Jackson County map is live - check it out here (or click on it to go to a bigger one):


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Go here for a searchable map/database!

City of Albion - Corner of Clinton and Cass streets. Directly behind city hall.

Calhoun County Recycling Center - 12980 27 Mile Road (Albion)
Phone (269) 781-9841, open 24 hours
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Emmons Service Inc. - 913 Water St. Phone (517) 787-8710.
Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Accepts newspaper, mixed paper and magazines, corrugated cardboard, glass, metal, aluminum, plastic, batteries, grass/brush, appliances, motor oil

Grass Lake Township - N. Lake St.
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Great Lakes Waste Services - 1970 Ogden Hwy. (Adrian)
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Henrietta Township - M-106, north of Kennedy Rd.
Phone (517) 596-3374, open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Batteries, grass/brush, glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic, plastic foam, white plastic bags

City of Jackson - 209 W. Louis Glick Hwy (Downtown Jackson)
Phone (517) 788-4020, free, open to all 24 hours.
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

City of Leslie - City parking lot east of S. Main Street

Liberty Environmentalists, Inc. - 7900 S. Meridian Rd.
(517) 787-1177, Open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Fifty cents per 30-gallon bag; $5 per level pickup load.
Grass/brush, metal, mixed paper

Michigan Center - 913 Fifth Street, Michigan Center
Behind the Leoni Township Offices, (517) 764-4694.
Free, open to all 24 hours

Modern Waste Systems - 7255 Brooklyn Rd.
Phone (517) 536-4900. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday; 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Non-Customers $2 per visit.
Grass, glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Northwest Refuse - 2600 Lansing Ave.
Phone (517) 787-3699. Free, open during daylight hours seven days a week.
Grass/brush, glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic, white plastic bags

Omnisource - 701 Lewis St.
Metal, cardboard

Recycling Jackson - 1420 W. Monroe
Batteries, e-waste, grass/brush, glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic, plastic foam, styrofoam, tires, white plastic bags

Rives Township - State Rd. at Berry Rd.
Phone (517) 569-2232. Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Service limited to Rives residents only. $2 minimum fee; cost based on load.
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Sam's Club - 3600 O'Neill Drive in Jackson

Spring Arbor Township - Hutch’s Food Center, 8025 Spring Arbor Road
Free, open to all 24 hours.

Springport Township - 150 E. Main Street (across from police department).
Phone (517) 857-2030. Free, open to all 24 hours.

Summit Township - 2121 Ferguson Rd.
Phone (517) 788-4113. Free, open to all 24 hours.
Glass, metal, newspaper, mixed paper, plastic

Westwinds Recycling Center - Westwinds Community Church, 1000 Robinson Rd. Phone (517) 750-1111, ext. 23. Free, open to all 24 hours.
Cardboard, metal, glass, plastic, mixed paper and newspaper