Beaver Creek Township > Services

Recycling

Discussion regarding a Tire Collection Policy at our transfer site. It was suggested that unimproved property owners should be able to drop off tires also if they want to purchase a transfer site sticker. It was also suggested that those wishing to get rid of tires should first pay for it at the offices if they can, which is better than having the attendant dealing with it. Motion by Balmes and seconded by Little to accept the Tire Collection Policy as presented, with the above changes. All ayes, motion carried.

TIRE COLLECTION POLICY AT TRANSFER SITE
To Take Effect: January 10, 2011

In an effort to help keep our community of Beaver Creek Township clean and in an effort to keep tires from being left in the woods etc., the township has started a new program whereby residents can turn in old and abandoned tires at our transfer site for a charge of $3.50 per tire which will help towards our cost of getting rid of these tires and transportation to a facility to get rid of said tires. Through tire cleanup programs in the past, we have rid hundreds of tires from our community, but we do not believe that there will be future summer tire cleanup programs.

At a Special Meeting held November 15, 2010 the following motion was made:

Motion by Balmes and seconded by Hartman to take in 4 tires per year from improved property owners at the transfer site at a charge of $3.50 per tire, for a 12 month trail period. All ayes, motion carried.

The motion has stated that we can go ahead with the new tire program, but rules are now needed to help implement the program. A policy was implemented January 10, 2011, to help with the collection of used tires at our transfer site. They are as follows:

                a. Tires must be delivered to transfer site, and unloading them and paying the $3.50 charge per tire must not interfere with garbage removal being brought in by residents. Resident will place tires where instructed by attendant.
                b. Only 4 tires per year per sticker.
                c. Payment should be made at the township offices during regular business hours. Resident would then be issued a receipt to take to the transfer site with their tires and present to the attendant showing payment has been made. If this cannot be done and resident wants to make payment at the transfer site, payment must be made by check, payable to Beaver Creek Township, or if cash, the exact amount must be given to attendant, he will not have the ability to make change.
                d. Tire information regarding the number of tires, name of resident bringing in tires and amount of money received must be kept by attendant. The money and information must be given to the secretary on Monday or Thursday mornings by attendant.
                e. No tires full of water.
                f. Only tires from automobiles or like vehicles. No tractor/equipment tires.
                g. No rims.
                h. Unimproved property owners can drop off tires at the transfer site if they first purchase a transfer site sticker from the township.

Recycling Guidelines
PREPARE YOUR RECYCLABLES
Dry

• Clean—give them a quick rinse
• Empty—do not place one recyclable inside another, they need to be separate in order to go
through the sorting process correctly; liquids in containers can prevent them from being blown to
the right conveyor belt
• Loose & Unbagged—place recyclables loose in the bin; we cannot process them if they are
bagged!
• Food-Free—remove ALL food
• Caps and Labels are OK—attached lids have a better chance of being recycled
• Separate Materials—remove metal lids from glass bottles, remove plastic lining from cardboard
boxes, keep different materials separate
• Flatten Cardboard
• Do Not Flatten Containers—keep them round so our machines can process them
• Size—our machines can process materials larger than 2” x 2” and smaller than 2’ x 2’

👍 MATERIALS WE RECYCLE
• Aerosol Cans—must be empty
• Aseptic Cartons—liquid food packaging
• Bulky Plastic & Toys—kid’s toys, garden plastics, baskets, pails, buckets
• Cardboard—flattened and dry
• Cartons—milk, juice, soy, drink boxes
• Freezer Paperboard—ice cream and frozen-food containers
• Glass Containers—all colors
• Metal & Aluminum—cans, foil, trays
• Paper—newspaper, office paper, magazines, books, phone books, brown paper bags
• Pizza Boxes—no pizza! cut out the greasy circle if you can
• Plastic Containers—all types, even unmarked, including clam shell containers
• Plastic Film—grocery bags, bread bags, kitchen shrink wrap, bubble wrap, Visqueen
• Scrap Metal
• Small Appliances—including toaster ovens
• Styrofoam—egg cartons, styrofoam cups, packaging styrofoam (but not peanuts); see details below
under Advanced Recycling

👎 MATERIALS WE CANNOT RECYCLE
The following materials cannot be recycled at American Waste. Some items like lithium batteries are
dangerous to the recycling facility and our employees. Please keep them out!

In Grand Traverse County, visit Recycle Smart for locations that can recycle these materials, or
check the Michigan Recycling Directory.
Tanglers—items like chains, hoses, rope, clothing, clothes hangers and tarps get caught in our
machines and shut down the entire facility until someone crawls in and pulls them out, so even if a
tangler is made of metal or another recyclable material,
keep it out

• Batteries—batteries of all types are not accepted; lithium batteries are extremely dangerous in
recycling centers and recycling and garbage trucks
• CDs & DVDs
• Chip Bags—foil-lined plastic like chip bags and candy wrappers can’t be recycled because the
foil cannot be separated
from the plastic
• Clothing
• Cork
• Diapers—diapers are not recyclable
• Fluids—fluids are not accepted, including automotive and cleaning
• Foam—foam wrap, polyurethane foam, memory foam, latex foam, foams used inside cushions and
mattresses
• Glass—mirrors, tv/monitor glass, window glass
• Light Bulbs—fluorescent, tubes, CFLs, LEDs, any type
• Hazardous Waste & Solvents
• Marine Shrink Wrap
• Medications
• Mixed Materials—paper mailing envelopes lined with plastic bubble wrap cannot be recycled
because they different materials cannot be separated
• Packing Peanuts—because they make a terrible mess
• Paint—latex and oil-based paints and stains
• Propane Tanks
• Rubber
• Sharp and Dangerous Items—real people sort your recyclables, so please, no needles, sharp scrap
metal, or other pointy or dangerous objects

ADVANCED RECYCLING
Recycling right helps keep Northern Michigan green and provides Michigan manufacturers and mills
with the high-quality recycled materials they need to make recycled products. We welcome you to
take a behind-the-scenes tour of our recycling facility and learn everything there is to know about
recycling in our area, including:

S T Y R O F O A M
People often wonder if styrofoam cups and packaging material can be recycled at American Waste. The
answer is Yes! American Waste customers CAN put styrofoam cups, containers, and packaging material
in recycle bins and drop off containers.

So, if you get a new TV, the styrofoam that is used to package the TV in the box can be removed
from the box and sent to American Waste for recycling. We also accept plastic film, bubble wrap,
and other plastic that is used in packaging. But always please be sure to remove the packaging
materials from the box. The box should be empty and flat when placed in the recycling bin.

Y E S , W E A C C E P T :
• Styrofoam used in packaging
• Styrofoam cups
• Styrofoam take-out containers
• Styrofoam egg cartons
• Styrofoam containers

N O , W E D O N O T A C C E P T :
• Packaging peanuts—simply because they make such a huge mess!
• Foam—polyurethane foam, memory foam, latex foam, foams used inside cushions and
mattresses

S M A L L I T E M S D O N ’ T M A K E I T
Our system shakes out items 2” or smaller, so things like dental picks that are smaller than a
credit card have to go in the trash bin. That’s why it’s best to keep lids on your containers. Take
them off only if the lid is made of a material that is different than the container itself.

P L A S T I C B A G S A N D S H R E D D E D P A P E R
The highest and best way to recycle a plastic bag is to reuse it or return it to the store where
you got it. If you decide to recycle your plastic bags curbside, please place all your plastic bags
inside one bag and tie it up, so the bags don’t make a mess or blow away. This is one of only two
exceptions to the “do not bag” recyclables rule. The other: bag your shredded paper, do not place
it loose in your bin.

B O O K S
Hardcover and paperback books can be recycled at American Waste. However, the highest and best use
for books you no longer want is to take them to Blue Vase Books or Goodwill in Traverse City, or to
similar locations in surrounding
communities. Call your county’s recycling information line, or check the State of Michigan
recycling directory for locations near you.

K N O W I T B E F O R E Y O U T H R O W I T
Wish cycling happens when you place an item in your bin, unsure if it meets the guidelines, but
hoping someone will find a way to recycle or reuse it. You may hear the saying: When in doubt,
throw it out. A better option: When in doubt, contact us or
check the State of Michigan recycling directory.