Materials once headed straight to the landfill are now finding new uses in Northern Michigan. Paper cartons and cups become toilet paper in Cheboygan, plastic plant trays get another go around in East Jordan and South Haven, and yard waste returns to local gardens as compost. These tangible outcomes are a direct result of Emmet County Recycling, a thriving system with more than 80 percent resident participation “Emmet County is a shining star, not just in Northern Michigan, but across the country in the programming they deliver and the services they provide,” says Kerrin O’Brien, executive director of Michigan Recycling Coalition (MRC), which fosters resource use and recovery initiatives across the state.
Economic incentives and a pay-as-you-throw system divert materials toward recycling and composting. The program is comprehensive and convenient, recovering over 60 materials through 13 drop sites, a drop-off center and curbside collection. “A lot of people look at recycling as just [for] people who want to save the Earth,” says Andi Tolzdorf, the program’s director. “But really, it’s an economic driver that creates a lot of jobs and fuels the local economy.”
All waste is required to come through Emmet County’s facility, allowing the county to see what’s being thrown away and devise new purposes for commonly trashed items—like roof shingles, which are in the process of being approved for recycling as road aggregate through NextCycle Michigan, a business incubator. The aim is to create a basis for fostering a circular economy.