Recycling Your Holidays!

Welcome to the season of holiday joy, packaging materials and dead batteries!

If you’ve ever wondered where to recycle these items, wonder no more.
RecycleChicken.com has launched in NW Michigan. The site, searchable by zip code, will tell you where you can take anything and everything for recycling and reuse in your area.

Let’s search for how to reduce our waste this holiday season. RecycleChicken has recycling/reuse locations for the following holiday items:

• Christmas lights: You can recycle those burnt out incandescent lights. LEDs are all the rage these days.
  
• Scotch tape dispensers: Yes, tape dispensers!
  
• Snack chip bags: Recycle your Frito Lay brand snack chip bags after the holiday bowl games.
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• Styrofoam: Even the molded stuff! Visit the site to find Bay Area Recycling for Charities and Kalkaska County recycling program.
  
• Packing materials: We’re talking foam chips, bubble wrap, etc!
  
• Christmas trees: Find listings for local collection programs. Often times the resulting chips are used on area recreation trails.
  
• Household batteries: Don’t throw them away. Find recycling locations close by.
  
• Small appliances: Did you get a new blender for Christmas? You can find a location to take the old one whether dead or alive.
  
• Cardboard: You know how this stacks up in the garage.
  
• Sports equipment: Miss the swaps? Take skiing, snowshoeing, skating, hockey equipment to a reuse location.
  
• Electronics & video games: ‘Tis the season to upgrade your electronic gear and try out the latest technology. Take your old techy toys to a local drop-off location.
  

Also, please remember your waste hauler when tipping or gifting this holiday season. Did you know that every year, waste handling is ranked among the Top 10 dirtiest and most dangerous jobs? We owe a bit of gratitude for these guys. We’d be in a real pile without them.

Happy Holidays from RecycleChicken!

RecyclePumpkin?

Raising a family is a lesson in handling STUFF--and, if you’re a parent, you’ve muttered to yourself more than once about how your family has way too much of it. We’re all familiar with the items we can recycle at the curbside or drop-off. What about everything else? Nearly everything else is recyclable. I think you’re going to be excited to hear about the things you can recycle right here in your community.

RecycleChicken, a soon-to-be-live website coming to NW Michigan, will tell you where you can take anything and everything for recycling and reuse in your area. The site, searchable by item and zipcode, will list businesses and programs in your area that accept your beyond the curbside materials. Keep an eye out for the RecycleChicken launch! In the meantime, here is a preview of interesting and useful listings and seasonal waste reduction suggestions.

• Pumpkins: A few ideas here. You could, of course, make pumpkin pie. You could feed the deer. You could add to yours or a neighbor’s compost pile. Roast the seeds or plant them for next year’s crop.
• Baby: Green Island Earth Friendly Goods in Traverse City is accepting used cloth diapers and cloth diaper systems. Call 231-933-8465 for accepting conditions.
• Vacuums & vacuum parts: Check with your local vacuum repair shop about what brands and conditions they accept. Most shops rebuild and sell used vacuums--a potential deal in itself.
• #3-#7 Plastics: Check in with Bay Area Recycling for Charities or American Waste.
• Garden Plastics: Bay Area Recycling accepts black (and other color) nursery pots, trays and plastic lawn edging. The Head Hen’s personal heroes!
• Dry Cleaning Hangers & Bags: Most drycleaners will take back their own or unprinted paper hangers as well as plastic dry cleaning bags. Call ahead to your favorite cleaner to check.
• Computers & Accessories (working or not): In the Traverse City area, some easy options include Goodwill and TC eWaste. In Emmet County, take to the Recycling Center on Pleasantview Rd.
• Other Electronics: In Traverse City area, take to TC eWaste. They take a wide array and even have drop boxes at Oryana Food Co-op. In Emmet--Pleasantview Rd. center.