Accepted Items At The Calhoun County Free Recycling Event

One of our many jobs as humans on Earth is to take care of the planet that we live on. Unfortunately, we can all admit that we haven't done the best job of this and are still trying to find ways to improve on these methods. One of the most used methods is recycling any items and materials that can be used more than once.

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I remember being in elementary and early middle school when they began to introduce the reduce, reuse, recycle initiative in Michigan which was all about educating and promoting the benefits of recycling while also encouraging everyone to do their part. For the most part, this would help a lot of people to make changes in their life and how they treat the world around them.

Although some things have gotten better, there are still some things in our daily lives that are affecting the Earth in a negative way. Firstly, the carbon emissions from our vehicles and other items that are gas/coal/etc. run. There are also some products that are not disposed of properly due to some ignorance or a lack of a better solution.

What Items Will Be Accepted At The Calhoun Country Recycling Event

The landfill is the perfect example of not having a better solution to a problem that exists all over the world. There is nowhere to dispose of our waste other than pile it up and burn it, releasing terrible gases into our atmosphere, thus destroying it in the process. That's why recycling events like the one coming up in Calhoun County are such a huge help.

Calhoun County is hosting a recycling event on Monday, April 28, 2025, at Bailey Park, 1350 Capital Ave. NE., Battle Creek. The completely free public event is open to all Calhoun County residents and will start at noon and will end at about 5:30. To help traffic flow, participants are asked to right turn from Emmett St. onto Wagner Dr. to enter the event as this will be the only available entrance.

Here is the order they would like individuals to pack their cars to make unloading easier and how they should have the items handled:

Scrap Metal – stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, lawn mowers (remove fuel), metal patio furniture, metal railings, sheet metal, rims (no tires), metal fencing, metal doors, metal pipes, and bike frames. The following items with refrigerant will be accepted: refrigerators, mini-fridge, freezers, AC units, dehumidifiers, and water coolers.

Electronics – stereo equipment, DVD and VHS players, projectors, gaming consoles, computers, laptops, Chromebooks, LCD and CRT computer monitors, keyboards, mice, speakers, scanners, servers, switches, routers, cellphones, iPads and tablets, iPods and MP3 players, e-readers, printers, floor copiers, fax machines, copy machines, televisions (LCD, plasma, projection, and CRT), microwaves, toasters, blenders, mixers, vacuums, lead-acid batteries, power tools (including their rechargeable batteries), cameras, electronic toys, Christmas lights, and wires and cords from electronic devices.

Household Hazardous Waste - Oil-based paint, fuels (in fuel cans), solvents, acids bases, pesticides, household cleaners, mercury (place in Ziplock bag), medications, sharps (inside rigid puncture resistant container w/lid), household batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, propane cylinders (20 pounds or smaller), gas cylinders (no foam insulation), fire extinguishers, aerosol cans, PCB and non-PCB lamp ballasts, oxidizers, self-heating solids, flammable solids/liquids, toxic inorganics/organics, lighters, chlorophenols, lead, self-defense spray, peroxides, water-reactives, isocyanates and cyanide.

Below are some valuable tips for handling household hazardous waste:

• Empty containers can be thrown away.
• Latex paint is not hazardous. Tips on drying it up are available on our website.
• Please separate paint cans from the rest of your items.
• Pack your items so they stay upright.
• Use tarps and leak proof plastic totes or buckets to prevent spills in your vehicle.
• Please label all items that are not in their original packaging.
• You may be asked to park and wait if you want your gas cans returned.

Calhoun County does have other resources available for those products that will not be accepted at this event. You can find all the information for those events and how to handle those products at calhouncountymi.gov/recycling.

Below are a list of things you can NOT recycle in the state of Michigan: