Help Reduce Landfill Waste
How Should I Dispose of...
Can You Imagine?
By reimagining the way we handle waste, we can generate change.
What we throw away in West Michigan:
What the trash we throw away is worth:
OUR GOAL: REDUCE LANDFILL WASTE 20% by 2020 and 90% by 2030.
Let Us Help You
Reimagine Your Trash
MEDICAL WASTE
Flushing or throwing away prescription drugs presents dangers by seeping into waterways.
ELECTRONICS
Small electronics can be recycled to divert potentially hazardous substances from the landfill.
APPLIANCES
Metal can be salvaged from your refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer and other large appliances.
BATTERIES
Utilize one of our partner battery drop-off sites that accept rechargeable batteries for recycling.
Reimagine Trash News
Kent County urges U.S. Senate to support recycling
On Monday, May 13, Kent County Department of Public Works Director Dar Baas traveled to Washington DC to speak to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Staff about the current crisis impacting recycling markets. Director Baas provided information on...
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Kentwood Recycling Drop-Off Station to close June 30
The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) has announced the Kentwood recycling drop-off station located at the Kentwood Public Works Facility will close June 30. “With improved access to curbside recycling in southern Kent County over the past decade and...
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Electronics Recycling to Celebrate Earth Week
Electronic devices, like TVs, computers, cell phones and microwaves are made of plastic casings, metal, plastic or glass screens and a variety of metals in the wiring and circuit boards. Some of these can be recycled and some need special handling, making recycling...
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Kent County DPW helps Ford Airport recycle more!
The next time you travel you may notice new recycling bins throughout the airport terminal facility, an effort to create an even more environmentally friendly space at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA). Working with Kent County DPW, GFIA placed 20 new...
read moreKent County keeps recycling despite turbulence
Kent County Recycling & Education Center in Grand Rapids receives recyclables from waste hauling companies that collect it at homes in West Michigan. In 2018 we received nearly 34,000 tons of recyclables and put 90% of those into recycling markets where they were...
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Gear Up for Spring Cleaning and Keep Clutter Out of the Trash
Refresh your home with these spring cleaning tips Seventy-seven percent of U.S. households will be tidying up their homes this spring, according to the American Cleaning Institute’s (ACI) National Cleaning Survey. The top spaces that will be cleaned include windows,...
read moreFacts About Kent County Department of Public Works
The Waste to Energy Facility generates enough energy to continually power all the households in City of Walker.
DPW facilities recycle over 4,000 tons of steel every year, nearly enough to build the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
The SafeChem program safely disposed of 152,800 pounds of chemicals from homes.
The methane captured at South Kent Landfill generates enough energy to power nearly 2,500 households.