LOOK: 3 Things You Cannot Recycle in Michigan

Recycling in Michigan pays off for us personally and for our communities. When we recycle our cans and bottles, we get cash back. Recycling also keeps our unwanted items from piling up in landfills. While recycling can be as easy as taking out the trash here in Michigan, some items surprisingly aren't accepted.

Michigan Making Recycling A Priority Across The State

Michigan is focused on making recycling more accessible to residents through curbside recycling. That makes it easy to get rid of unwanted items in a recycle bin and helps keep our neighborhoods free of things that can't go in the trash. But, certain items that may seem to fit in the recycling category cannot go out for curbside recycling.

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3 Things That You Cannot Recycle In Michigan

There are certain plastics and styrofoam that cannot be recycled curbside. Two of the plastic items include plastic bags and film packaging. According to Michigan.gov, the problem lies in processing these items:

Some recycling facilities are not designed to remove plastic bags prior to the recycling stream. When not properly removed, they can get tangled in machinery and processing equipment.

Another item that you won't be able to recycle curbside is styrofoam. According to Michigan.gov, Many programs don’t accept styrofoam because of its limited compaction ability, light weight characteristics, and bulkiness. Check with your local recycling program for information on dropoff centers for these items.