How does Recycling Work?

How does the WWRA actually recycle products? There are many steps consumer products go through to get from trash to treasure. Let’s break it down:

First, recyclable consumer products are purchased, often in the form of packaging. For a full list of recyclable products, click here. Once recyclables enter a WWRA drop off or curbside bin, materials are separated from contaminates and by type. They are compacted into bales and sold to recycling facilities, such as Graphic Packaging (Kalamazoo, MI) and Clean Tech (Dundee, MI). Each material’s recycling process is specialized, but focuses on breaking down and cleaning each product. These processed materials are then used to create more products, closing the recycling loop. Want to learn more? Check out our recent post about plastic recycling!