Frequently Asked Questions

For information on where to take a particular item for disposal, view our FAQs below! 

Don't forget to utilize the three R's! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! 

Reduce - make changes in your life that will allow you to produce less waste. 

Reuse - can the item be donated or used for a different purpose?

Recycle - is there a place I can take it for recycling rather than putting it in the trash and sending it to the landfill?

The Lenawee County Recycling Drop Off Site (DOS) is open for use by all Lenawee County residents and accepts aluminum items for recycling. Many curbside recycling haulers do as well.   Businesses with large amounts of recycling materials should contact waste hauler services for alternative options.

The following information if for the DOS, but also applies to most curbside bins. For specific information, contact your local carrier. 

Acceptable:  

• All clean and dry non-returnable cans  
• Soup cans 
• Pet food cans 
• Coffee cans 
• Aluminum pie tins and other disposable baking pans (cleaned)

At the DOS, these items go in the rigids materials container along with plastics and glass.  

Unacceptable items: 

• Aerosol cans
• Paint cans
• Christmas lights
• Extension cords
• Appliances
• Sharps 
• Electronic waste including cell phones, tv, vcr or dvd players, computers (take these to the Goodwill Recycling Center on Division) 
• Hangers 

You can try taking your other metal to local scrap metal yards, including: 

• OMNI Source, which can be reached at 
• R&M Metals, which can be reached at 517--263-900

Aerosol cans CANNOT be recycled at the County Drop Off Site 

Why, you ask? Well, aerosol cans can contain substances, including the product itself and the gaseous propellant (the stuff that makes the product spray out of the can), which can create dangerous conditions when collected in the trash. They’re pressurized, which means they could explode under certain conditions, causing injuries and damage to our equipment. Additionally, the product contained in the can could leak out and mix with other chemicals in the load, causing dangerous chemical reactions.

BEST OPTION 

ReDuce, ReUSE, ReCYCLE 

• Consider avoiding the aerosol can when possible! Use sunscreen or bug spray lotion that comes in a bottle without a propellant. Or buy reusable spray bottles for oil instead of oil sprays in aerosol cans.
• If the can contains stuff in it use it up or find someone else that can use it!  Your local art, theater, school may be able to use that left over spray paint or cleaners.
• Investigate other recycling opportunities; just remember any cans you recycle should be empty of product and propellant. 

OTHER OPTION 

While there are no federal regulations that prevent aerosol can waste generated in residential settings from being disposed of in the trash or in a landfill, there are a few things to do to help ensure you are doing so safely:

• Make sure cans are completely empty before throwing them away. You may be able to tell if there’s still product in the can by shaking it and listening for a sloshing noise. Empty the can by spraying it until product stops coming out and the can stops making a hissing noise. You shouldn’t attempt to puncture or disable the can or the nozzle as this could be dangerous as well.
• If you can’t empty the can for any reason or if you’re not sure it’s empty, rather than putting it in the trash, take it to a special collection for hazardous chemicals.
• If the can contained a flammable liquid or one that is normally considered hazardous waste, consider taking it to a special collection for hazardous chemicals, even if you think the can is empty. (Legally, household waste is excluded from the definition of hazardous waste, so there are no regulations requiring you to do this.)

Some batteries are recyclable including lead, or lead acid, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride, lithium, and lithium-ion batteries.
Alkaline battery systems are safe to dispose of as regular waste due to a regulated decrease in mercury content in 1996. These batteries do contain the reusable materials zinc and manganese, but the recovery process is difficult and dangerous.

• Battery Wholesale located at 1002 N. Main Street in Adrian accepts all recyclable batteries.  517-263-3462  They may be able to help you determine which ones are recyclable.
• Lowe’s located at 1369 Division Street in Adrian accepts lithium and rechargeable batteries - 517-266-1000
• Staples accepts rechargeable batteries - 517-266-1176
• Recycle ANN ARBOR 2950 E. Ellsworth in Ann Arbor accepts lithium and rechargeable batteries 734-971-7400

It’s always best to contact them directly for confirmation prior to dropping off. 

Bulk waste includes items that are typically too large to be disposed of in your regular curbside trash container.

Check with your waste hauling service provider; they may be able assist you.  

Check with your municipality (city/township/village); they may have an upcoming all-trash pick up scheduled.

The following Transfer Stations / Landfills / Solid Waste Management facilities may accept your bulk items:  

• Liberty Landfill, Clarklake, MI 517-787-1177 
• Stevens Disposal & Recycling, Petersburg, MI 800-799-0344
• Modern Waste, Napoleon, MI 517-536-7900
• Jefferson Township Transfer Station, Osseo, MI 517-523-3019

SOME:

• newspapers and inserts (unbundled) 
• magazines
• paperback books (no hard cover books)
• phone books

Are accepted at the Lenawee County Recycling Drop Off Site (DOS)

Hard cover books are NOT acceptable.  You may want to check with your local library, Goodwill, or Neighbors of Hope. 

• The Lenawee County Recycling Drop Off Site (DOS) is open for use by all Lenawee County residents and accepts cardboard and paper.  Most residential curbside recycling haulers do as well.  Businesses with large amounts of recycling materials should contact a waste hauler service for alternative options.

The following information is for DOS recycling only, but can sometimes be applied to curbside containers. For clarification on what types of recycling can go into your curbside recycling, contact your local carrier. 

There are two types of cardboard: 

1. Corrugated:  This is thick cardboard with an extra layer of wavy fiber in between sheets.  The extra layer makes it stronger and a great option for shipping or packing boxes. Any size, shape or color of corrugated cardboard can be recycled.  Larger amounts of corrugated cardboard should be taken to Goodwill Industries located at 1357 Division St. 
2. Paperboard or Chipboard:  Each time we recycle corrugated cardboard, the fibers holding it together get a little bit shorter and as a result the cardboard gets slightly thinner it’s recycled and when the fibers become too thin to create strong corrugated cardboard, they are used for a class of cardboard called paperboard.  Paperboard or chipboard boxes are used for cereal boxes, cake mix boxes, and cases of pop.

As long as your cardboard and paper items are clean and dry it can be recycled at the DOS.   

Items accepted include: 

• newspapers and inserts (unbundled) 
• chipboard
• cardboard boxes 
• office paper
• magazines
• paperback books
• junk mail
• phone books
• cardboard containers (cereal, dairy products, dry foods)

What is not accepted: 

• Wet or greasy cardboard like pizza boxes or fast-food boxes are considered a contaminate and belong in the garbage.  Wet or contaminated items can jam sorting equipment and ruin good, clean material. 
• Plastic packaging and bags
• Styrofoam packing materials

Remember: 

• It’s important to break the boxes down avoid jamming the compactor, causing it to be shut down for maintenance. Most large items will not fit in the compactors, so they need to be broken down regardless. Doing so ahead of time will not only save room in your vehicle, but allow the line at the DOS to keep moving. 
• Close the door and let the compactor cycle through for larger loads. 
• If you have a large load of cardboard, you can avoid the compactor and take them to Goodwill Industries and their recycling center, located at 1357 Division St. (near Lowes. 

Please check the UPCOMING EVENTS page for updates.  

Thank you.

All recycling materials should be clean and dry. Why? Because if contamination levels are too high when a recycling load arrives at the facility, it might have to be rejected. In short, you run the risk of ruining everything in the container and diverting the whole recycling load – not just yours – to the landfill. That's a waste of everyone's time and effort. 

Here are the steps for preparing your recyclables: 

• Wipe out all food residue
• Empty all liquid
• Rinse thoroughly
• Leave it out to dry
• Add to your recycling bin! 

Staples recycles computers, monitors, Accessories/adapters/cables All-in-one computers Cable/satellite receivers Calculators Camcorders CD/DVD/Blu-ray players Coffee Brewers (less than 40 lb.) Computer speakers Connected home devices Copiers Cordless phones Desktop computers Digital cameras Digital projectors eReaders Fax machines Flash drives Gaming consoles/handhelds GPS devices Hard drives iPod®/MP3 players Keyboards & mice Laptops Mobile phones Modems Monitors (including CRT, LED/LCD, plasma) Printers/multifunction devices Routers Scanners Shredders Small servers Stereo receivers Tablets UPS/battery backup devices Video streaming devices (Apple TV®, Roku Player, etc.) Webcams

You can also earn $2 on every recycled ink or toner cartridge when you sign up for Staple Rewards 

Check out their website for an updated list!  Staples.com 

Goodwill electronic recycling in Michigan. We recycle game consoles, computers, printers and many other electronics! The recycling process will turn old electronics into new products! This process prevents tons of toxic e-waste from entering the environment. www.goodwillsemi.org

Habitat ReStore  (517-266-0746) - may take it if it’s re-usable bricks, stones, tiles 

Tecumseh-Clinton Aggregate (517-456-8667) located 10555 Tecumseh-Clinton Hwy  

Liberty Landfill 7900 S. Meridian Rd in Clarklake (517-787-1177) 

Always call for accepted materials and current charges 

Recycle

Some building materials that are in re-usable condition may be accepted at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore located on US-223 in Adrian, or another salvage facility. 

Disposal

Call your local provider to see what services they may provide.

Or contact one of the following service providers: 

• Liberty Landfill in Clarklake 517-787-1177 
• Modern Waste in Napoleon 517-536-7900
• Jefferson Township Transfer Station in Osseo 517-523-3019
• Stevens Disposal & Recycling in Petersburg 800-779-0344

• Lenawee County Building & Grounds Department will crush and dispose of florescent tubed light bulbs for a nominal fee from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on weekdays.  They only take the straight, florescent long tubes. Call 517-264-4738 for more information. 
• Recycle Ann Abor collects the compact florescent bulbs. Call 734-971-7400.
• Home Depot in Jackson and Ypsilanti collects the compact florescent bulbs. 
• ERG Environmental Services in Livonia
• Cleanlites Recycling in Mason

ARE NOT ACCEPTED AT THE DOS  

Wet, greasy, or waxed cardboard; such as pizza boxes, fast food boxes, some freezer food boxes.  Wet or contaminated items can jam sorting equipment and ruin good, clean material. To get the most out of your program, be sure to remove any plastic packaging or bags from your boxes.  

Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifies, and water coolers contain ozone depleting refrigerants that must be removed by a certified professional. 

There is only one way to remove Freon from a HVAC system, and that is with the use of a reclaimer machine designed to capture the Freon, filter out the impurities and store it for future use. It is illegal to release Freon into the atmosphere. Freon contains fluorocarbons that are harmful to the environment.

Freon removal/unit tagging fees vary. Call ahead for fees and procedures. 

• Best Heating and Cooling - 2030 Weston Road, Jasper, MI 517-436-6307
• Garner Heating & Cooling - 304 N. Evans Street, Tecumseh, MI 517-424-5669 
• Naugle Plumbing & Heating - 304 N. Evans Street, Tecumseh, MI 517-423-3121
• OMNISource - 815 Treat Hwy, Adrian, MI 517-265-5195 

The Lenawee County Recycling Drop Off Site (DOS) is open for use by all Lenawee County residents and accepts glass.  Most residential curbside recycling haulers do as well.  Businesses with large amounts of recycling materials should contact a waste hauler service for alternative options.

The following information is for DOS recycling only, but can sometimes be applied to curbside containers. For clarification on what types of recycling can go into your curbside recycling, contact your local carrier. 

Acceptable Items:    

• Clean and dry glass bottles and jars 
• Both clear and colored
• It’s okay to leave the labels on 
• No lids, please

Not accepted: 

• Glass windows 
• Poured glass
• Light bulbs of any kind
• Christmas bulbs  

No, you cannot put your recyclables in plastic bags into your bins or the DOS compactors. It can jam the compactors or contaminate the load, which would defeat the purpose of all the extra work you did to recycle in the first place. 

When it comes to grocery bags, the first choice would be to utilize reusable bags, so you do not create waste with every grocery trip. However, if you do not have them on-hand, the answer to the question "paper or plastic?" should be paper! 

A few things to consider: 

• The only way to recycle plastic shopping bags is to return them to a participating store drop-off.
• Paper grocery bags can be recycled along with the paper/cardboard/newspaper (fibrous materials). 

You will need to first determine what type of paint you have.   

OIL-BASED paints are considered Hazardous Materials which may harm the environment.  These items must be properly disposed of at a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility or event; to find a HHW facility visit the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy at www.michigan.gov/egle   

LATEX and ACRYLIC paints: Place open cans of latex or acrylic paints outside or in a well-ventilated area to allow the paint to harden. This process can take a couple of days to a few weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity.  Once the paint is solid and completely dry - it can be thrown away with your regular trash (leave the lid off of the can).  

If there is a lot of pain left in the can you can add kitty litter or an oil absorbent material to dry the pain out more quickly.   

Alternatively, apply any leftover paint to scrap lumber or cardboard and allow it to safely dry

Recycle Ann Arbor will accept water-based paints ONLY. 734-971-7400

Watch the website for future Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events.

ERG Environmental 734-437-9650 accepts hazardous materials including oil-based paints, stains, and solvents. 

Michigan Clean Sweep - Dispose of Your Unused or Unwanted Pesticides

The Michigan Clean Sweep program helps protect the state's natural resources and prevent agriculture pollution by ensuring the safe and proper disposal of outdated, unused, unwanted pesticides in Michigan. Clean Sweep sites will accept pesticide products free of charge from any Michigan resident.

For more information on Clean Sweep visit the website: http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-2390_45388-11759--,00.html 

ERG Environmental 734-437-9650 https://ergenvironmental.com/ 

The Lenawee County Recycling Drop Off Site (DOS) is open for use by all Lenawee County residents and accepts plastics #1-7.  Most residential curbside recycling haulers do as well.  Businesses with large amounts of recycling materials should contact a waste hauler service for alternative options.

The following information is for DOS recycling only, but can sometimes be applied to curbside containers. For clarification on what types of recycling can go into your curbside recycling, contact your local carrier. 

Clean & Dry Plastics #1-7 are accepted:  

This includes: 

• Condiment bottles: ketchup and mustard bottles, sour cream, frosting and butter tubs, salad dressing and syrup bottles, etc.
• Bathroom accessory bottles: shampoo, body wash and hand soap bottles, lotion bottles, plastic cosmetics tubes, etc.
• Cleaning supplies: Spray bottles, dish and laundry soap bottles, fabric softener bottles, windshield washer jugs, empty aerosol cans, etc.
• Other plastic containers: sports drink, juice, milk, or water bottles, saline solution bottles, baby wipe containers, etc.

Reminder: it’s okay to leave the labels on, but caps removed, and the container rinsed out and dry. 

We do not take the following: 

• Plastic bags
• Bottle caps
• Food wrappers
• Bread bags 
• Styrofoam 
• Plastic fencing
• Appliances
• Toys
• Vinyl siding 
• Garden hoses 
• Plant boxes
• Plant trays
• Pool liners
• Laundry baskets
• Plastic pipes
• Auto parts

Plastic shopping bags should be returned / accepted at your local grocer. 

Meijer accepts not only grocery bags, but case overwrap, product wraps, newspaper sleeves, dry cleaning bags, salt/pellet bags, ice bags, packaging air pillows, LDPE/HDPE films, food storage bags, cereal liners, and bread bags! http://meijercommunity.com/plastic-bag-recycling 

Since there’s a possibility of propane/gas left in the tank, many landfills, recycling centers, and scrap metal dealers will not accept unwanted tanks for recycling.  

Couple of suggestions:

If you have a propane tank that you don’t want, place your old tank beside a Blue Rhino display and they’ll take care of it. 

Baker's Gas & Welding Supplies and Baker's Propane in Tecumseh may accept empty propane or other cylinders.

Contact another welding supply store.  

Dry, clean tin cans are recyclable and can be dropped off in the appropriate container at the Lenawee County Recycling Drop Off Station (DOS) located on River Street, in Adrian.  

• Contact your local waste hauler provider for larger items
• Check with your local municipality (city/township/village) for upcoming collection events
• Contact a scrap metal yard such as:
  • OMNI Source - 815 Treat Street, Adrian, MI (517) 265-5195
  • R&M Recycling - 2675 Treat Hwy, Adrian, MI (517) 263-9000
  • Goodwill SE Michigan - 1357 Division Street, Adrian, MI (517) 263-2135

Call for hours of operation and additional information:

Solid Styrofoam products

One of Styrofoam’s main physical properties is that it is a thermoplastic. This means that the material is solid at room temperature, but flows as a liquid when heated to a specific point. As a liquid, the Styrofoam can be molded in fine detail; creating a solid styrofoam such as meat trays, egg cartons, styrofoam cups, etc.

• DART Container Corp. - 432 Hogback Road, Mason, MI 517-244-2866   FLYER (pdf)
• Recycle ANN ARBOR - 2950 E. Ellsworth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 734-971-7400

Packaging Materials 

Stryofoam peanuts, styrofoam sheeting, pillow packs, bubble wrap, 

• Postal Plus - 1416 S. Main Street, Adrian, MI 517-264-4072
• GreenJak Inc - 240 Salisbury Street, Morenci, MI 517-438-0936

Contact your local tire dealer about disposal and confirm sizes accepted, current pricing, and hours of operation. 

Other options for larger loads :

• Huffman Rubber - 7510 25-1/2 Mile Road, Homer MI 517-568-3353
• Jefferson Township Transfer Station Recycling & Solid Waste Management - 3255 Pioneer Rd. (M-99), Osseo, MI 517-523-3019 
• Deerpath Recycling 56625 Wood House, Dowagiac, MI 49047 269-782-7232

Check the Schedule of Events for special collections. 

Contact the site prior to visiting for up-to-date services and pricing 

Contact your local service provider or

A waste transfer station plays an important role in a community’s total waste management system, serving as the link between a community’s solid waste collection and the final waste disposal facility.   Items accepted may vary by site and you are encouraged to call before visiting.  

See our list of Local Service Providers

Liberty Landfill - 7900 S. Meridian Road, Clarklake, MI 49234 517-787-1177 

• Transfer Station
• Construction & Demolition Debris
• Non-Hazardous Waste Materials
• Yard Waste
• Oil Disposal/Recycling
• E-Waste Recycling

Stevens Disposal & Recycling Services - 1629 Ida West Road, Petersburg, MI 800-779-0344

• Transfer Station
• Non-Hazardous Municipal Waste (construction/demolition waste, bulk items, truck & trailer loads welcome)

Modern Waste - 7245 S. Brooklyn Road, Napoleon, MI 517-536-7900

• Trailer loads trash
• Recycling drop off

Jefferson Township Transfer Station Recycling & Solid Waste Management - 3255 Pioneer Rd (M-99), Osseo, MI 517-523-3019

• Tractor/farm, auto, semi tires
• Mattresses, box springs
• Construction/demolition materials
• Televisions/e-Waste
• 9-volt, D, C, AAA, AA batteries
• Bulk items (couch, chair, love-seat)
• #1 & #2 plastics, all metals, paper/newspaper/books, used oil, anti-freeze, foam cups/packaging (no peanuts), clean-clear food containers, appliances 

Whether you have a flat screen television that has gone on the fritz, or a big old tube television sitting in the corner of your grandma’s basement to get rid of – Goodwill is there for you! Their recycling drop-off site at 1357 Division St. in Adrian (not the store, but at the SE Michigan Goodwill headquarters next to Lowes), accepts televisions!

Flat panel TVs are free to recycle, but there is a fee for the CRT (tube) televisions. Small ones start at $10, up to $40 for the big wood boxed ones. If you have questions about the size, call 517-263-2135.