Missaukee County has had a recycling center in one form or another for decades and was started by a small group of dedicated volunteers. Missaukee Conservation District became involved in 1989 through a grant that provided mainly education and outreach to Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford counties.

Go forward to 2008 and that’s when Missaukee Conservation District really got involved. MCD wrote a grant to conduct household hazardous waste events and increase the capacity of the Missaukee County Recycling Center. At the time, the amazing people running the facility literally stood in a field and collected materials. Such a dedicated group. Missaukee County Commissioners were going to close the facility until concerned citizens expressed their overwhelming support to keep it operating. A fee of $5 per visit was imposed for one year and, while participation dropped, recycling was still available.

Community and federal support

More good things started happening. The USDA Rural Development grant was awarded, a grand opening was held in May 2009, and the per visit charge was discontinued. An anonymous donation of $32,656 was given to Missaukee Conservation District to construct a building. Such a difference. While there’s no heat or running water (yet), it provides space to have three balers and a loading dock used for loading collected materials onto semi-trailers which will then be transported to vendors.

Funds to improve the Missaukee County Recycling Center have come from USDA Rural Development Solid Waste Program, Lake City Women’s Club, USDA Community Facilities Grant, Missaukee Area Community Foundation, Walmart, Barton-Malow (windmill company), local businesses, MMRMA (County’s liability insurance company), Baker College, townships and LC Materials.

In March 2020, the citizens of Missaukee County passed a millage that will enable the Recycling Center to operate, improve, and provide special collections for 10 years, starting in 2021. Thank you.

Improvements

As promised during the millage campaign, grants continued to be written to support the Recycling Center. A Recycling Improvement grant was obtained through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy in partnership with The Recycling Partnership. These funds have been used to send out mailers, obtain new signage, bins, tables for the bins, hoppers to collect recyclables and make baling more efficient, cones to help direct traffic for the safety of all, informational handouts, reusable bags and refrigerator magnets. Please bear with us while we conduct a survey on-site through the first week of October to help determine how to improve our education and outreach while reducing contamination. Mark will ask you a few brief questions when you take in your materials.

Missaukee County Recycling Center

Operating hours through Labor Day are Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 to 3 p.m. and Saturday 9 to 1 p.m. Between Labor Day and Memorial Day open days are Wednesday and Saturday. The location is 6420 W. Sanborn Road, Lake City. Everyone is welcome to use the Recycling Center regardless of where they live, in the county or out of the county.

Accepted items are  #1 to #5 container shaped plastics, #7 container shaped plastics, newspaper, office paper, shredded paper, cardboard, vinyl siding, metals of all types, cardboard egg cartons, books, magazines, and bottle-shaped glass.

Cardboard, paper and #1 plastics are sold to companies in Michigan, other plastics are sold to either a company in Canada or Indiana. Vinyl siding is recycled in Dowagiac. Glass is taken to American Waste, Traverse City, to be used for the landfill roads and vapor barrier.

Trash can be disposed of at the Missaukee County Recycling Center during normal operating hours using trash bags that have been purchased from A&L, McNally’s, Missaukee Conservation District, Missaukee County Treasurer and Missaukee County Recycling Center. They are $5 each, five for $20 and ten for $35. Recyclers have less trash.

As a reminder, only two vehicles are allowed inside the Recycling Center gates at a time. Customers will sort their own recyclables into the appropriate containers at the Recycling Center under the guidance of staff, maintaining a six-foot distance. This procedure allows us to open under COVID-19 safe guidelines to continue providing recycling services.

Tire collections

This tire collection will take place Saturday, August 29, 2020 9 to 1 p.m. at Missaukee County Recycling Center, 6240 W. Sanborn Road, Lake City. Up to 10 tires free, can be on the rim, additional tires are $2 each, no oversized tires, maximum size 4’ x 12‘. Please be prepared to help unload your tires into the semi-trailer. We’re excited to have the Lake City High School Cheerleaders helping to unload and load. If you want to get rid of more than 10 tires you must contact Sherry at 231-839-7193 for prior approval. This information applies to all collections.

Saturday, September 19, 2020 9 to 1 p.m., Norwich Township Hall, 4551 E. Moorestown Rd. Moorestown Road, Lake City.

Saturday, October 10, 2020 9 to 1 p.m. at Missaukee County Recycling Center. For this collection we’re proud to have the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps - Michigan Mountaineers Division helping.

Other items

Pharmaceuticals, unused over the counter and prescription medications can be properly disposed of with no charge 24/7 at Missaukee County Sheriff Department, 110 S. Pine Street, Lake City, and at Lake City Family Pharmacy, 57 N. Morey Road, Lake City, during regular hours of 9 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Plastic shopping bags, bring to Walmart or Meijer. When shopping either bring your own reusable bag (if allowed by the store) or ask for paper bags as a better alternative. Thank you to Roger’s Lake City, for now offering their customer's paper bags.

Returnable beverage cans, if it’s a hassle to bring in your cans and bottles for their deposit, the Missaukee County Recycling Center will accept them for you.

Household Hazardous Waste, the next collection will take place Saturday, June 5, 2021 at the Missaukee County Road Commission. Stay tuned on our Facebook page and website for more detail as the time draws near.

Sherry Blaszak is the District Manager for the Missaukee Conservation District and Missaukee County Recycling Center.  For more information about recycling, volunteering, programs and partnerships, contact Sherry by phone at 231-839-7193, by email at sherry.blaszak@macd.org, or stop by the Missaukee Conservation District Office at 6180 W. Sanborn Road, Lake City.