Recycling
Empty. Clean. Dry. Please make sure your recyclables are empty, clean and dry before placing them in your recycling container.
For more information on recycling, visit RepublicServices.com or call 888-249-5112 or 269-216-8000.
Accepted
| Material | Accepted |
|---|---|
| Cardboard | Cardboard, paper bags, paper board |
| Glass bottles | Clear and colored glass |
| Metal cans | Aluminum cans, steel and tin cans |
| Plastics | Plastic jugs and bottles (#1 and #2), household plastics (#3 to #7) |
| Paper, magazines and phone books | Magazines, catalogs, junk mail, office paper, phone books, brochures, newspaper |
| Holiday recycling | Gift, shoe and shipping boxes; wrapping paper (plain or sparkly); cards and envelopes (without embellishments); paper gift bags |
Never recyclable
These items can never be placed in your recycling container:
Paper milk or juice cartons; Styrofoam containers and packing; propane tanks; paint or oil cans; medical waste; liquids of any kind; plastic bags; bubble wrap; ribbons and bows; gift bags (laminated, coated or dyed); cellophane; packing peanuts (polystyrene foam); chemicals (dry or liquid); household cleansers; garbage of any kind; pizza boxes; bagged film plastics.
Large items
Furniture, appliances and other large items go out for bulk trash pickup, twice a year.
To confirm with the City: the weekly trash and recycling pickup day, and whether household trash is a City contract with Republic Services. The old FAQ page said garbage collection is done by private contractors listed in the yellow pages.
Yard waste
Burning of yard waste is prohibited within the City. It is a violation of City ordinances to place yard waste in the City right-of-way before or after the periods noted below.
Other than during the yearly advertised loose leaf collection period, leaves and other yard debris (except brush) must be bagged and placed on the public right-of-way according to these rules.
Yard waste bags must:
- Be approved kraft paper composting bags.
- Contain only grass, leaves or other foliage.
- Not weigh more than 50 pounds each.
- Be placed on the public right-of-way between the property line and the street; not on private property and not on the pavement.
- Contain no trash, roots, stumps, dirt, stones, garbage, metal, broken concrete, lumber or other building material.
- Be set out on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday before the first Monday of the month.
- Be placed separate from brush.
Brush
City crews pick up bagged yard waste and brush on all city streets beginning on the first Monday of every month. If the first Monday is a holiday, pickup starts on Tuesday. Brush and bags combined may not exceed the amount that can be loaded on a one-ton dump truck per property per month.
Brush must:
- Be at least 2 feet long but not longer than 10 feet.
- Be less than 4 inches in diameter.
- Be stacked in one direction only.
- Not include loose leaves, twigs and similar material. These must be placed in approved kraft paper composting bags.
- Not include trash, vines, nails, building materials, plants, dirt, stumps or roots.
- Not be tied with string, twine, wire or other material.
- Be set out on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday before the first Monday of the month.
- Be placed separate from bagged yard waste.
Loose leaf pickup
The Plainwell Department of Public Works (DPW) collects leaves from all City streets each fall. Scheduled collection dates are posted on the City website calendar, advertised in the Union Enterprise and Shoppers Guide in October, and noted on postcards and/or water bills sent before the rake-out period. Collection dates vary each year to allow for placing holiday decorations and preparing for the City Christmas tree lighting, which takes place on the first Friday in December.
Residents, except those living on M-89, can rake leaves into the street next to the curb only during the designated collection period. The City will not remove leaves from the curb lawn. Streets will be swept after collection is complete.
Residents living on M-89 must bag their leaves in kraft yard waste bags and place them on the curb, not on the street.
Wood chips and compost
When available, the City offers wood chips and rough compost free to interested persons. Contact the Public Works office at 269-685-9363 for details.