Recyclable: Yes (compostable) - real trees only

Preparation: Ornaments, lights, tinsel removed

Includes:

• Spruce

• Pine

• Fir

Curbside: Ionia on specific date

Drop-offs:

• Ionia Yard Waste

• Portland Yard Waste

• Belding Yard Waste

• Home Compost untreated trees

Note: some Christmas trees are treated with fire retardants. These trees should not be composted at home.

Recyclable: Yes, at select locations

Preparation: None

Includes:

• Select treated lumber (creosote or pentachlorophenol)

• Plywood

• Pressboard

• OSB

• Construction debris

Follow these links for more information:

• Exemption-Scrap-Wood.pdf

• Scrap Wood Recycling Locations

‍ ‍One location that accepts this material is Brink Wood Products of Byron Center

Recyclable: Yes (compostable)

Preparation: remove any plastic/non-compostable litter.

Includes:

• Leaves

• Branches

Curbside: Ionia on specific date

Drop-offs:

• Ionia Yard Waste

• Portland Yard Waste

• Belding Yard Waste

• Home Compost:

  • break larger branches apart or put them through a woodchipper for faster composting.

Recyclable: As (compostable or repurpose)

Preparation: Boil, Burn, Can

Includes:

• Bones

• Fat

• Eggs

• Meat

How to Reuse/Recycle:

• Canning

• Making Broth

• Make Bone Meal for the garden!

• Make Tallow (beef, bison, or goat fat) or Lard (pork fat) in a slow cooker

• Burn bones/carcasses
  ‍ ‍ *additional information from MSU and the EPA

Recyclable: Yes (compostable)

Preparation: Compost

Composting Basics:

Choose a spot: Pick a location or container for your compost. 

Add materials: Alternate layers of browns and greens. Browns are carbon-rich materials like dry leaves and twigs, while greens are nitrogen-rich materials like grass clippings and fruit scraps. 

Water: Keep the pile damp, not wet. 

Turn: Turn the pile at least once a month to help with decomposition. 

Wait: Let the compost break down. 

Dive deeper into at home composting here.

Recyclable: Yes (compostable)

Preparation: Compost - must be free of chemicals (preferably unbleached)

Includes:

• Paper Napkins

• Paper Towels

• Toilet Paper

Recyclable: Yes

Preparation: None

Includes:

• Clothes

• Towels

• Rags

• Sheets

Curbside: None

Drop-offs:

• Goodwill (recycles unusable textiles)

More Information:

• Explore ways to recycle textiles in West Michigan at the bottom of the Kent County Recycling Clothing and Textile page.

• Dive into all kinds of textile recycling in the U.S. here.