SUSTAINABILITY AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
The following information can be found on this page:
Recycling
Organic Waste
Household Hazardous Waste
General FAQs
Photo credit: J Allen Heise
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
The Ionia Conservation District acts as an extension of Ionia County to assist overseeing materials management. Our comprehensive services include information about handling organics, municipal solid waste, household hazardous waste, and recycling. Get ready for remarkable changes ahead!
Learn more here!
RECYCLING
We are currently in the process of putting new recycling compactors throughout Ionia County. Our first compactor location is under construction and should be opening soon! Stay tuned on our Facebook page and here for updates.
Site Locations:
Village of Muir - 190 Center St, Muir, MI 48860
City of Belding (address TBD)
Village of Saranac (address TBD)
Portland Township (address TBD)
When will these recycling sites be open? 24/7 of course!
RECYCLING GUIDELINES
As a general idea of what we do and do not accept, please view the following infographic.
What does “clean” mean in the diagram? The goal is to pass a general “grossness” test. A pizza box must have a grease stain smaller than the palm of your hand. Regarding other containers, if there is enough material remaining in the container to attract ants or catch flies, wipe or rinse the container out more. You do not need to scrub recyclables with soap and water.
There is one issue with recycling that we cannot emphasize enough: DON’T BAG YOUR RECYCLABLES. The compactors can be damaged by bags that are thrown in, and bagging recyclables makes the recycling process more difficult down the line. To transport your recyclables, please store them in a box/bin.
Regarding the materials not accepted:
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), some flammables, fuel tanks, and batteries can be collected at the Household Hazardous Waste collections. See what materials we accept at those events below in “Items Accepted at Collections”.
Plastic bags and wraps might be accepted at other recycling locations. One such example is your local Meijer! For more information on what kinds of plastic bags/wraps they accept, follow the “Meijer Bag Returns” link.
IS RECYCLING WORTH IT?
YES! Kent County Recycling and Education Center has a 90% recycling rate on a bad day. That means that 90% of the materials that come into the facility are sorted, bailed, and then sold to nearby companies that reuse the material. Other recycling companies also achieve a 90% recycling rate, or higher. This process of sorting recycled materials is very efficient, but it starts with you putting your recyclables into the compactors!
More questions? Follow the link below!
Bails of recycled paper
ORGANIC WASTE
Discover convenient options for composting your organic waste. Take advantage of the yard waste drop-off centers in Ionia and Portland or consider building a personal compost pit to dispose of food scraps.
CLEAN SWEEP
Ionia county is one of several counties in the state that are a part of the Clean Sweep Program. We collect pesticides at each of our Household Hazardous Waste Collections. At these collections we only accept containers of 2.5 gallons or smaller.
We can accept pesticides from any resident in the state of Michigan, however we cannot accept your other hazardous waste if you are not a resident of Ionia county.
If you have large quantities of old or unused pesticides please contact our office at (616) 527-2098 and we will help you to properly dispose of your pesticides.
ITEMS ACCEPTED AT COLLECTIONS
At Ionia Conservation District, we gladly accept a wide variety of items at our Household Hazardous Waste collections. If you're unsure about a particular item, bring it to us or contact us for guidance in finding its permanent home. For an up-to-date inventory of everything we've collected so far, please refer to the link below.
PAINT
We have facilities to accept and properly dispose of oil based paints only. We are currently unable to collect latex paints.
ELECTRONICS
Electronics accepted include: TVs, computers, printers, cords, remotes, calculators, power tools, scanners, radios, projectors, copiers, cell phones, toasters, and small kitchen appliances. We do not accept electronics that contain Freon or large appliances.
*There is a $5 charge per TV due to the weight and the cost to recycle. All other electronics are free to recycle for Ionia County residents.
FAQ’S
Q: If you can't take my latex paint, what do I do with it?
A: Use it for miscellaneous projects, soak it up with kitty litter, or paint it on a board, repeating layers after drying until paint is used up.
Q: When is your next household hazardous waste and electronics collection?
A: April 12 in Ionia! Check out the Events page for more information.
Q: Where can I take my electronics right now?
A: Goodwill is an R2 verified electronics recycler, meaning that they can ensure that your electronics will be disposed of in a safe and ethical manner.
Photo credit: Whorely