Home projects need not be a waste
Think it can’t be recycled? Think again

By Jeremy Adragna
C & G Staff Writer

From paint cans to concrete, spring projects can produce a hefty amount of junk that needs to be disposed of this time of year.

Despite what people might think, much of that junk can be recycled. Before it goes to the trash bin, consider looking into ways of disposing of it properly.

A common commodity that piles up in many garages is paint cans. If it won’t be used on a wall, the can and the paint can be recycled at a facility like the Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority.

The facility is funded by a consortium of suburbs in Oakland County and takes in possibly the largest list of odds and ends for recycling, along with ordinary recyclables like paper and plastic.

The facility takes motor oil, pesticides, fertilizer, syringes and antifreeze as part of its household hazardous waste program. Electronics can also be dropped off at the facility, including VCRs and fax machines.

The program is open to anyone, but only residents of the consortium’s member cities can drop off household hazardous waste at the facility, which is located at 995 Coolidge in Troy. 

SOCRRA officials said last week that they are determined to offer an assortment of recycling options for residents who want to take part in the popular program.

“The companies that we deal with, we’re always asking if they can take additional items,” said Kathy Hyde, a SOCRRA spokesperson. “When it turns out they can take it and we can expand, the residents are always real happy about that.”

Also, most cities and townships in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties offer an occasional household hazardous waste drop-off during the spring months.

For residents looking to make a little cash for their recyclables, Great Lakes Recycling, 30615 Groesbeck in Roseville, has a drop-off facility that pays cash for ordinary materials. The company pays 2.5 cents per pound for most paper products, and it pays the market rate for metals such as steel, copper and iron.

Great Lakes Recycling is also the only company in the state that recycles carpet, which officials first test for certain plastics, then take in for repurposing. Carpet can only be processed in large quantities, according to company spokesman Steve Rosen.

The company also recycles carpet pad, electronics and PVC, which is used in home siding and plumbing waste pipes. Check the company’s Web site, go-glr.com, to see what the company takes in from residential recyclers.

For really hefty materials, like concrete left over from a small or large job, a company like TJ Fiore Crushed Concrete, 33200 Mound in Sterling Heights, is more than willing to take unused rock. For $20 per truckload, anyone can drop off old concrete, which the company crushes up and sells as a stone mixture.

“It becomes crushed stone,” said company spokesperson Linda Marcellus. “We send it out to jobs or roadways.”

One of the more creative re-uses for junk wood like pallets, plywood, studs and yard waste is being undertaken by Mid-Michigan Recycling, which has a drop-off facility in Macomb Township, 24935 21 Mile.

Anyone can drop off their unused wood material at the facility, which the company hauls to its Genesee power station, where it is burned to make electricity. The company produces enough electricity to power 28,000 homes and sells it’s electricity to Consumer’s Energy.

For much of the material that residents bring, the company does not charge anything. However, if the material needs to be chipped, Mid-Michigan Recycling charges $6 to $8 per cubic yard — roughly the size of an ordinary pickup truck bed. No pressure-treated wood or railroad ties are accepted at the facility.

“Anybody can bring in material,” said spokesman Ted Barrett. “If they’re bringing woodchips, there’s no charge. If they are bringing in other types of wood, there is a charge for that material so we can properly process it.”

More information about construction waste recycling can be found at Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Web site, www.michigan.gov/DEQ.

You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Adragna at jadragna@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1101.