McKenna Graham | Daily Press Skidsteer Operator Jeff Lundquist and Operations Manager Dave Lundquist sort through and pile recyclable items and rake them into the conveyor at the Delta County Landfill and Recycling Center Tuesday. The items are then loaded into a semi-trailer and transported to the Marquette County Landfill. The Delta County Recycling Program is striving to educate residents about the importance of recycling.

ESCANABA — The Delta County Recycling Program wants to make recycling easier for area residents. One of the ways it is doing that is to get the word out about local recycling efforts

Escanaba resident Dennis Pearson did just that this week when he presented a program on recycling to the local Kiwanis club in Escanaba.

“We really want to get the word out to help educate folks on how we can come together as a community and change our environment for the better,” said Pearson, a volunteer with the Delta County Recycling Program.

These changes, initially developed in Marquette in 2020, are being brought to Delta County through a contracted partnership with the Marquette County Waste Management Authority.

“Marquette County recently developed a $6 million recycling renovation,” said Terri Rabitoy, administration manager for Delta County Landfill and Recycling.

“Instead of processing and selling to them, we now are just trucking the materials ourselves,” said Rabitoy.

Through the partnership, Delta County is able to continue accepting more materials, which is a recent improvement from the past.

“We are now able to accept all types of materials; plastic bottles, cardboard, different types of boxes. However, there are still things people should be mindful of when recycling. Plastic bags of any kind cannot be recycled because of our automated systems, they just get wrapped up and jammed in the machines,” said Rabitoy.

For items that cannot be recycled, such as plastic grocery bags, individuals are encouraged to dispose of them properly in other receptacles or donate them to local businesses. Businesses such as Meijer participate in recycling programs in which individuals return grocery bags to the store, where they are then processed and made into other materials. Other reusable items such as kids’ toys are encouraged to be brought to places like St. Vincent de Paul Society in downtown Escanaba or Goodwill.

By recycling, individuals can help limit the amount of waste that is produced and brought into landfills.

According to Pearson, in 2021, 40 million tons of waste were produced with only 6 percent having been recycled. Additionally, 4.5 million plastic bottles get thrown out every hour in the United States.

“It can be hard to encourage people to recycle when they are not properly educated, or being given the resources, you know. This is why we want to help spread the word. Every day people go out to eat at places like McDonald’s and other fast food places, and they don’t have recycling bins, everything just goes in the trash,” said Pearson. “If we could get more recycling bins out in public places, that could make a huge difference in the amount of waste being produced and we would see an increase in items being disposed of properly,” Pearson said.

Workers with Delta County Landfill on average see four tons of recyclable materials on a weekly basis, according to Rabitoy.

“The amount we see changes day-to-day. Our busiest days are Wednesdays and Thursdays, usually,” Rabitoy said.

Pearson and the recycling program are striving to continue educating local residents on proper recycling measures as well as encouraging individuals to pursue even the smallest of efforts.

Even though people cannot do everything, that doesn’t mean nothing can be done at all.

“Start small, even something as simple as a milk jug can make a big difference,” said Pearson.