Local Resources for Living Sustainably
As your neighborhood hub for all things sustainable, we are happy to field questions about recycling, composting, mending, etc. And we figured keeping a local guide might be an easy way for neighbors to access this info as a quick reference. Please check individual organizations' websites for the most up-to-date info. This guide is by no means exhaustive, and we'll keep adding and modifying it as we get more info. If you have ideas to share, please let us know!
Recycling, general:
SOCRRA (includes the following communities: Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, City of Bloomfield Hills, City of Rochester, City of Rochester Hills, Clawson, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Lathrup Village, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Troy, Village of Franklin) provides curbside as well as scheduled drop-off for additional items such as scrap metal, batteries, light bulbs, sytrofoam, hazardous waste & electronics. Check out their Waste Wizard page or download the app to find out the best way to dispose of just about everything!
Detroit: Recycle Here has free drop off for residents that includes: paper, metal, plastics (hard and film), styrofoam & glass. Recycle Here is supported in part by Green Living Science, which also has lots of recycling info and resources for Detroit residents.
Recycling, donating or upcycling, specific items not covered under general:
Post-consumer Textile Recycling: (this means used clothing, sheets, etc. that are beyond donating and need to be recycled)
Free:
- Council Resale in Berkley accepts textile recycling along with other donations. See website for days, and make sure to label your recycling separate from donations.
- Simple Recycling offers free porch pickup in the Metro Detroit area of both clothing and home donations and textile recycling. (Some southeast MI communities even partner with Simple Recycling to get monthly textile recycling pickup!)
Paid:
- Paid bags for textile recycling from Trashie
- Purchase a box from Terracycle
- The Bra Recyclers for all undergarments
* Be aware that clothing donation bins in parking lots often say 'recycling' but largely the for-profit businesses will resell good conditioned clothes, then sell the rest by the pound to the global south, which is beyond flooded with the global north's waste. Insinuations that these bins benefit a non-profit are also often conflated. See more info here.
Recyling of Pens, Razors, Oral Care, Beauty Care Packaging, Snack Wrappers, Sneakers: Walking Lightly :)
Pet Food Flexible Packaging: Any Pet Supplies Plus
Electronics: SOCRRA, Best Buy, Staples
Varied items:
- Free: Try your local Buy Nothing/Freecycle/RAK group. Many are now groups through facebook rather than independent websites/apps
- Free: Many items can be donated to Arts & Scraps, and amazing non-profit in Detroit that combines upcycling, creative passions and education.
- Terracycle has some free brand-specific programs, as well as many paid programs.
Composting:
Free Composting Drop-Offs:
- City of Ferndale has five drop off locations available for residents 24/7
- City of Royal Oak offers food scrap drop off Saturdays at the Farmer's Market
- Madison Heights has free drop off for residents
- Walking Lightly offers free drop off for customers
Paid Curbside Pickup:
Mending/Repair:
- Find your local Repair Cafe, (we're so excited that Detroit Repair Cafe is now up and running)
- Use a Repair Cafe Guide
- Find your local tailor, seamstress, shoe repair, etc.
Borrowing:
- Carhartt Tool Rental (free!)
- Library of Things, available at most public libraries. Check with your local library (most include things like games & puzzles, tools, instruments, sewing machines, projectors, and much more) and note that most will also take suggestions.
Reducing Food Waste: (besides composting)
- Too Good To Go -app that allows customers to buy end-of-day food (meals, groceries) for discounted prices that keeps food out of the waste stream.
- Make Food Not Waste learn how to reduce your food waste with tips, recipes, and more digital recipes (and of course you can learn how to help this org reduce food waste across Metro Detroit).
- Learn food preservation with MSU extension
- Learn to kitchen garden with Floraculture
Lodging:
- El Moore Lodge, Detroit
- Acorn Family Retreats, Tawas
Solar Resources:
- Strawberry Solar, Solar installation company, Detroit-based
- Solarize Royal Oak grassroots initiative that works to connect residents, interested in rooftop solar, to each other for information, lessons learned, and the potential to purchase discounted solar through bulk-buying projects.
- Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association
Sustainable Banking & Investing:
- MarilynWaite.com As the leader of the Climate Finance Fund, Marilyn Waite has curated a list of banks & investment funds that are lending for social and environmental sustainability and support climate solutions.
- Green America.org
Climate-Specific Mental Health Resources: