By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The City of Brighton is among more than 100 Michigan communities joining state, regional and national partners to combat recycling contamination.

The effort involves the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and The Recycling Partnership, a national non-profit dedicated to transforming recycling. Projects are made possible by an $800,000 EGLE grant awarded to 14 grantees, including the City of Brighton.

Communities will develop and implement operational and educational strategies to improve the quality of their recycling streams, leading to cleaner recycling practices and a reduction in the amount of contaminated materials improperly going into recycling. In addition to building upon the success of Michigan’s national award-winning Know It Before You Throw It recycling education campaign, the communities will utilize The Partnership’s “Feet on the Street” cart tagging program. It aims to improve the quality of curbside recycling and gives residents instant feedback on what is and is not recyclable.

Acting director of EGLE’s Materials Management Division Liz Browne says it’s more important than ever to communicate with the public in order to improve the quality of materials being recycled. She says everyone has a role to play in helping businesses get materials to make the essential products Michigan needs for economic recovery from COVID-19, such as toilet paper, food containers, and shipping boxes.

Michigan communities utilizing drop-off recycling programs will benefit from improved signage and site improvements, increased participation and other opportunities to educate residents on what is and isn’t recyclable.

The anti-contamination projects will begin this summer and continue through the end of 2021.