HOME Commissioners Departments... Committees Services Documents Forms Projects Links			RECYCLING and SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT Contact Information Phone:  231-882-0554 Email Us Personnel   Marlene Wood-Zylstra – Coordinator Location / Address Lower Level in Planning Dept. Government Center 448 Court Place Beulah, MI 49617 Office Hours   Monday — Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Office hours include field work. Please leave a message on voice mail and your call will be returned. Services Offered 24 / 7 Residential Recycling Household Hazardous Waste Collections Electronics Collections Community Educational Programs Business Cardboard Recycling Services Description Benzie County is committed to environmental health through recycling opportunities, household hazardous waste & electronic equipment collections, and educational programs. The Recycling Program provides alternatives to residents and businesses to properly dispose of solid waste and keep it out of the landfill whenever possible. Recycling Sites – Three recycling containers are at each site. One bin accepts flat cardboard and paper items. One bin accepts clean #1, #2 & #5 plastic containers and tin & aluminum cans. One bin accepts glass bottles and jars (clear & colored glass).  Barrels at each site are for clean #2 plastic shopping bags. Never put anything else inside a recycling bin and never leave anything on the ground. Almira Township Park on Ole’ White Road Benzonia at Sail Inn property on US 31 Beulah at Village Municipal Parking Lot Frankfort at Glen’s Market Honor at the Road Commission on US 31 Lake Ann Elementary School on Bronson Lake Road Thompsonville on Lindy Road @ CO 669 Materials Accepted – (all must be CLEAN) at the above Recycling Sites: Flat Cardboard and paper Clear and colored glass bottles Plastic containers - #1, #2 & #5 ONLY Aluminum containers Tin cans #2 Plastic bags in BARRELS ONLY About the Benzie County Solid Waste Advisory Committee The mission of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) is to develop and implement a cost effective and sustainable recycling, solid waste and hazardous waste management strategy that will meet or exceed local and state goals and minimize adverse effects on public health and the environment for the current and future residents of Benzie County. The Solid Waste Advisory Committee is comprised of Mary Pitcher, Jane Schultz, Dawn Campeau, Myra Elias, James Hanley, Ray Kadlec, Todd Warren, Ronn Beyette, Martin Metheringham, and Dale Flaherty. This committee meets quarterly to address the goals and objectives established in the county's solid waste plan. Recommendations of operation are made by the SWAC to the Benzie County Board of Commissioners for further action. The Solid Waste Department is pleased to announce that 100% participation in the Benzie County 24/7 Recycling Program has been achieved. There are seven 24/7 recycling sites located throughout Benzie County for residential recycling. Household Hazardous Waste Collections and Electronics Collections are included in the recycling program. Collection Dates for 2009: Mark your calendar for 2009 collections of miscellaneous items not accepted at recycling sites. These collections will include Styrofoam, tires, paper shredding, & electronics and are in addition to the two household hazardous waste (HHW) collections. Tires & some electronics may require a fee. January 3rd @ Beulah Government Center — Styrofoam (Holiday Packaging) May 2nd @ Almira Township Park — HHW & Other Misc.     June 27th @ Frankfort School — Misc. (No HHW) August 8th @ Honor Road Comm. — HHW & Other Misc. October 3rd @ Beulah Government Cntr. — Misc. (No HHW) All collections are on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon. APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED for HHW Collections. Please email or call 882-0554 to request a Hazardous Waste Brochure that will provide details about the 2009 collections and appointment information. Packaging Corporation of America, Inc. in Manistee provides three cardboard recycling trailers at Frankfort High School, Benzie County Central High School and Betsie Valley Elementary School to allow businesses the opportunity to recycle. Students and community groups benefit financially from cardboard collected at these trailers. Volunteers are welcome to become involved in the Benzie County 24/7 Recycling Program. Contact Recycling Coordinator, Marlene Wood-Zylstra at 882-0554 to find out how you can become a recycling volunteer. “Cash for Cardboard” Program A community program to collect and recycle corrugated cardboard is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at Frankfort High School, Benzie Central High School & Betsie Valley Elementary School. Packaging Corporation of America in Manistee provides the trailers and pays students & community groups $50 per ton for cardboard collected at these locations. Businesses, contractors & residents are encouraged to support the youth of Benzie County by bringing clean, flat, corrugated cardboard to these trailers. Frequently Asked Questions Q: WHO pays for the recycling program? A: Households in Benzie County pay an annual fee for recycling and hazardous waste collections. This is not a tax. It is a recycling surcharge fee. Businesses do not pay this fee; only households pay for the recycling program and only households may use it. Q: WHAT can be recycled in the program? A: Households can recycle tin and aluminum containers, all colors of glass bottles and jars, #1, #2 & #5 plastic bottles and jars, paper & flat cardboard and #2 plastic shopping bags at any of the 24 / 7 recycling drop off sites. Everything must be rinsed and free from food residue. Q: WHERE are the recycling sites located? A: There are seven 24 / 7 recycling drop off sites throughout Benzie County: Glen’s Market in Frankfort, Sail Inn in Benzonia, Municipal Parking Lot in Beulah, Road Commission in Honor, Lake Ann Elementary School on Bronson Lake Road (Inland Twp), Village Property in Thompsonville (669 & Lindy Road), and Almira Township Park. Q: WHO may recycle at these sites? A: Benzie County Residents may use any of the recycling sites. No commercial use or out of county use is permitted. Q: WHY can’t more items be recycled? A: We contract for services to transport and process recyclables. There are high transportation costs and processing charges involved in these contractual agreements. We are contractually limited to what is accepted. Look on the bottom of plastic containers for the # of plastic that is listed inside the recycling logo. Recycling is not meant to take the place of waste disposal, but to reduce the amount that goes to the landfill. Q: WHAT happens if the wrong items are placed inside the bin? A: The bin is weighed before it is emptied. We pay for the total weight of the bin’s contents. If non-recyclables are inside we pay for the weight before it goes into the landfill. The bottom line is that it costs us money and isn’t getting recycled. Wrong items are considered contamination. Q: HOW can I save money by recycling? A: When shopping, buy items that are in recyclable containers, buy in large quantities for less packaging, pass by disposable items for reusable items. You can reduce your trash disposal costs by using budget bags for waste and recycle whatever you can in this program. Q: WHAT about Styrofoam? A: Styrofoam usually has the #6 inside the recycling logo. This # is not acceptable in our recycling program. Don’t put Styrofoam in any of the recycling bins. Store your Styrofoam until a collection is held. There are 5 collections scheduled throughout the year where you can recycle your Styrofoam. Q: DO we profit from any of the marketed recyclables? A: The recycling program does not profit from collected recyclables. They must be transported, sorted, baled and marketed by a recovery facility. Benzie County does not have a recycling facility. Our main purpose is to conserve natural resources and keep recyclables out of the landfill. The cardboard program at the schools profit from recycling. Students receive $50 per ton from Packaging Corporation of America for cardboard collected at the schools. Fees An annual recycling fee is charged per household. The annual fee for 2009 is $19.00 per household. This fee covers unlimited use of 24 / 7 recycling drop off sites and household hazardous waste collections. Documents Benzie County Recycling Program Brochure (PDF document) Household Hazardous Waste Report - 2008 Totals (PDF document) How to safely dispose of household hazardous waste (PDF document) Summer Recycling Tips (PDF document) Related Web Links Michigan Department of Environmental Quality TV Converter Box Coupon Program — For those using an antenna and analog TV to be ready for the February 17, 2009 switch to digital television. [ Top Of Page ] Note: To view the PDF documents on this page, Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed. If you do not already have it, you can get it free from Adobe. Once installed, simply clicking on the link will bring up the document. 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