RECYCLING

33 of Mid Michigan Waste Authority’s 34 member communities offer curbside recycling services to their residents, either on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. If you aren’t sure about your community’s recycling schedule, visit the MMWA Community Page or call MMWA at (989) 781-9555.

Recycling is just as easy as taking out the trash! Residents can include paper and boxes, cartons, cans, plastic bottles, jars, and tubs along with glass bottles and jars in MMWA curbside recycling. Reduce your trash when you combine only these items in your MMWA curbside recycling. 

MMWA Curbside Recycling Guidelines

  1. Residents should have their recyclables out by 7:00 am on their regular service day.
  2. If your properly prepared materials were out within the proper timeframe but not picked up, please leave them out until they are serviced.
  3. Report all missed collections on your service day or before 5:00 pm the next business day by calling MMWA. Each resident has a one business day window to report a missed pick-up.
  4. Recyclables that contain contamination such as food, plastic bags, tangler’s will not be collected. If you see an orange (WM communities) or yellow (Priority Waste communities) sticker, it probably means your materials are improperly prepared.
  5. Place recyclables away from your mailbox, parked cars, poles, or low hanging limbs.
  6. Holidays that fall on weekdays cause collection to be delayed one day for that day and the following service days for the rest of that week. MMWA observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
  7. Each member community determines the level of services their residents receive. Visit your community’s page for more information on recycling container guidelines and schedules.

On average, MMWA residents recycle 5,000 tons of paper, plastic, metal, and glass recyclables collected at the curb each year. MMWA accepts aluminum and metal cans, cartons, glass bottles and jars, cereal boxes, newspaper, magazines, office paper, junk mail, and cardboard, all plastic bottles, jars, and tubs and more at the curb. Other items such as plastic bags should be returned to a retailer, Styrofoam should be returned to the Saginaw Children’s Zoo, and tanglers, like hangers and cords, should not be placed in your curbside recycling. Let that in tact piece of paper be recycled but don’t put that shredded paper in your MMWA curbside recycling!

MMWA Acceptable Curbside Materials

Please ONLY put the below materials into your curbside recycling container. Keep them clean, empty, and dry.

Cereal Boxes, Paper, Newspapers, Magazines, and Cardboard (all colors and types)

Cartons (clean, empty, and dry)

Aluminum and Steel Cans (clean, empty, and dry)

Plastic Bottles, Jars, and Tubs (clean, empty, and dry)

Glass Bottles and Jars (clean, empty, and dry)

Know Your No’s!

Do Not Bag Recyclables 

No Plastic Bags  (return to retailer)

No Food or Liquid (empty all containers)

No Cords, Hoses, or Chains

No Styrofoam (take back to the Saginaw Children’s Zoo)

Recycle With Us!

MMWA is pleased to announce two single-stream public recycling drop off locations to make recycling accessible to those that live in apartment complexes or don’t have curbside service. Single-stream recycling accepts recyclable materials in one container.

 

MMWA Recycling Drop-Off Acceptable Materials

  • Aluminum and steel cans
  • Cartons
  • Glass Bottles and Jars
  • Paper (cereal boxes, newspapers, magazines, and cardboard)
  • Plastic bottles, jars, and tubs

Keep them clean, empty, and dry. Get it right at the site!

Priority Waste Recycling Drop-Off 

3155 S. Sawyer Dr.

Saginaw, MI 48601

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Friday

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

WM Recycling Drop-Off 

1957 Findley St.

Saginaw, MI 48601

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Friday

8:00 am – noon

Where Can I Find My Bi-Weekly Recycling Schedule? 

Visit your community’s page on the MMWA website to see your collection calendar. You can also download a 2023 recycling calendar. If you live in the City of Saginaw, visit http://www.saginaw-mi.com/residents/recycleschedulelookup.php to find your recycling week and download the correct calendar.