Some people are using county recycling sites across the county as their own private dump.
That was clear the weekend of Aug. 15 in Cedar when the recycling bins were filled to the brim and then some.
“I was shocked,” said Kit Novak, who lives south of the unincorporated village of Cedar. “We do whatever we can … break down our (cardboard) boxes.
“I don’t know if it was summer people or locals, put whoever it need to behave.”
Outrage over the incident spilled out into social media.
“The poor worker had to dump one (container) and then hand move the overages to fill an empty one,” a woman reported.
During another overage three adultsize bikes were in the bins.
About the same time, a user of the Empire site found an old television left on the group.
“Recycle not dump,” Novak said. Recycling is supported by an annual $30 fee per household in the county. And it appears to be very popular.
The busiest recycling site in the county is the Elmwood Township (Greilickville) drop-off location, followed closely by the Cedar site.
According to collection data tracked by local reports Elmwood Township routinely processes the highest volume of materials in the county (recording over 408 tons in a single 10-month stretch), while the Cedar site ranks as the secondbusiest at 351 tons.
Through the end of August this year, 1,642.40 tons of materials have been recycled across the county’s nine recycling sites.
During the summer months of May through August, when the population is greatest in the county, 914.01 tons were recorded.
Most people assume improperly recycled materials go straight to landfill or the incinerator, but it’s not quite that simple. Contamination, meaning anything in a recycling bin that shouldn’t be there, is dealt with in different ways depending on what it is and how bad it is. Recycling do’s
• Do recycle aluminum and steel cans.
• Do recycle cereal boxes, newspapers, magazines and cardboard.
• Do recycle milk and juice cartons.
• Do break down large boxes.
• Do recycle glass bottles, jars and wine bottles.
•Do recycle yogurt tubs, butter tubs, drink cups, and sour cream containers.
Recycling don’ts
• Do not bag recyclables.
• Do not recycle cords, hoses or chains.
• Do not recycle bulky items (plastic chairs, laundry baskets)Do NOT recycle batteries or electronics.
• Do not leave items outside of the bins. The county’s recycling sites are located:
• Greilickville: 10750 E. Cherry Bend Rd. (Old fire station)
• Peshawbestown: 2518 N. West-Bay Shore Dr.
• Northport: N. Mill St.
• Cedar: 9054 S. Kasson St.
• Empire: 9880 W. Fisher St.
• Glen Lake School: 3375 W. Burdickville Rd.
• Glen Arbor: 5233 Old Homestead Rd., Leelanau School
• Suttons Bay: 10550 E. Eckerle Rd. Suttons Bay
• Leelanau County Government Center: 8527 E. Government Center Dr.
