The end-of-year holidays have started kicking off! Dinners, parties, shopping, events, and more - they may be a staple of the season, but that doesn't mean you can't celebrate sustainably! Thanksgiving is up next, so we're here to remind you what can and cannot be recycled following your feast. Read on for details!

Recycle Curbside or at RRRASOC Recycling Drop-Off Sites

Clean paper cartons (not ice cream), aluminum foil and baking pans, aluminum and steel cans, plastic and glass bottles, and more can be recycled with RRRASOC. Remember to keep these items loose, empty, and dry in your recycling cart!

If your cans and bottles are returnable, make a point to take them back to the store to get your deposit back. Why waste your money?

Recycle - But Not How You Think

On Thanksgiving alone, U.S. households throw out hundreds of millions of pounds of food waste, which totals out to around half a million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Compost your vegetative food scraps at home or take them to a local composting facility. If you live in Wixom, put them in with your yard waste!

Plastic bags and film are often accepted for returns at your local grocery retailer. Check locally!

Place in the Trash

Polystyrene foam takeout containers, cups, and plates are not accepted with RRRASOC, but can be taken to a foam drop-off location or placed in the trash.

Paper plates, napkins, and tissues are also not recyclable, as they could contaminate clean recyclables with food waste.

Plastic utensils are too small to recycle, but they can be replaced with reusable alternatives - as can all of the items listed above!

Speaking of reusable alternatives, remember to choose glass, hard plastic, or silicone food storage containers with a good seal when it's time to put away leftovers. Proper food storage ensures your leftovers will last longer! Switching to reusable not only reduces waste, but it also cuts down on costs - especially when it comes to plates and silverware.

Buy Nothing Day falls on the same day as Black Friday. That's not a coincidence - this day is meant to counter the excessive waste and spending that result from over-shopping for the holidays. Instead of shopping 'til you drop on Black Friday, enjoy a relaxing day at home or in nature without falling prey to Black Friday deals. This not only helps you save money, but will prove that many of those "hot deals" aren't worth it - especially if you didn't need the item in the first place. Not to mention you'll also be generating less packaging waste!

The answer is: Not in your recycling cart!

Textiles such as clothing, linens, towels, curtains, blankets, or anything else made from a woven or fabric material is not accepted for traditional recycling in RRRASOC communities. However, they don't need to be trashed either! Despite 85% of all manufactured textiles ending up in the landfill, there are sustainable diversion options available to you to help lower that number.

You can donate gently worn clothes locally or donate them from home with Simple Recycling - an easy, free, and convenient service available to RRRASOC community members to keep household goods out of landfills. Simple Recycling also accepts torn or unusable textiles and diverts them to textile recycling facilities - that way, nothing has gone to waste! It's as simple as scheduling a pickup appointment with their online tool and leaving the items outside in a clearly marked box on your scheduled pickup day. Simple Recycling will collect them and recycle their contents for reuse!

During the following HHW Collection Events, all residents of RRRASOC member communities are welcome to bring household hazardous waste for an opportunity to safely discard their hazardous items and e-waste. Simple Recycling and paper shredding services will also be available*.

April 5, 2025 👕

Wixom Dept. of Public Works

2041 Charms Rd., Wixom

9:00am - 2:00pm

April 26, 2025 👕

RRRASOC MRF - Truck Entrance

20875 Mapleridge Ave., Southfield

9:00am - 2:00pm

May 10, 2025

Oakland Community College

27055 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills

9:00am - 2:00pm

May 17, 2025 👕

Milford Civic Center

1100 Atlantic St., Milford

Enter from west off of Mont Eagle St.

9:00am - 2:00pm

July 12, 2025 👕

Wixom Dept. of Public Works

2041 Charms Rd., Wixom

9:00am - 2:00pm

October 4, 2025

Novi Dept. of Public Works

26300 Lee BeGole Dr., Novi

9:00am - 2:00pm

October 25, 2025 👕

RRRASOC MRF - Truck Entrance

20875 Mapleridge Ave., Southfield

9:00am - 2:00pm

*The T-shirt icon indicates an HHW Collection Event during which clothing, shoes, accessories, and small household items will be accepted by Simple Recycling.

For more information about HHW events and how to prepare your items, please visit our HHW page.

If you have HHW that you'd like to properly dispose of between collection events, you're in luck! Drop off your HHW without a fee at ERG Environmental Services during the following hours:

Monday - Friday:

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Not sure what to do with stuff?

Visit rrrasoc.org and use the Recycling Directory search bar to type in keywords and get recycling, composting, reuse or disposal instructions.

The searchable, intuitive format of the Recycling Directory provides RRRASOC specific information.

Also Available:

Mobile App

• From your App Store or Google Play, search for "Recycling Authority"

Want more tips, tricks, and updates about recycling? We have a Facebook page where we can reach each other to make recycling easier. You can also reach us via RRRASOC.org and email at education@rrrasoc.org!

RRRASOC - Recycling Authority | 248-208-2270 | rrrasoc.org