Solid Waste Management

Health Monroe - Recycling and Green Community ProgramOffice of Recycling & Green Community Programs

The Office of Recycling and Green Community is charged with managing waste reduction, recycling, and hazardous waste disposal in Monroe County. The recycling and green community coordinator is responsible for communicating with local municipalities in orchestrating recycling events and hazardous waste disposal days. Michigan Green Communities Member

Reduce>Reuse>Recycle

We’re all familiar with the three R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, but did you know they’re in order of importance and impact? The first ­"R" is reduce because the most effective way to prevent waste is not to create it in the first place. Put another way, the most sustainable product is the one you don’t buy. The next best thing is to reuse what you already have, like a reusable water bottle instead of single-use plastic.  Making new products like single-use plastic water bottles requires extraction, transportation, and processing of limited and natural resour­­ces and all of these actions pollute our planet. This comes at a cost not just to our environment, but also to our health. Remember, everything must come from somewhere and there is no "away." 

The Division of Environmental Health is calling on you to help make recycling efforts in Monroe County the best and most affordable to all. To that extent, we ask that you sort your recyclables accurately to ensure the materials will be recycled. Many who faithfully store up their recyclables in anticipation of a successful contribution to a greener environment are denied that hope because of those who use the bins as rubbish collection sites. We must provide a clean source of materials or the collections may prove fruitless.

Please feel free to contact The Office of  Recycling and Green Community Program for any questions regarding your concerns with household hazardous waste and recycling.

Announcements