The numbers tell the story: 230,000 pounds of electronics recycled, more than 18,000 tons of paper and 1,452 tires.
“Giving residents convenient, and easy ways to recycle - it really shows that people will use it.”
Marketing and Communications Manager Matt McPherson credits specific programs designed to handle difficult-to-recycle items, such as the new Polystyrene Densifier.
“It kind of pulverizes the big blocks of foam that go in there and puts it into these really dense bricks that then can be resold and reused. That was installed in May of 2025, and 20,000 pounds of Styrofoam were recycled, just from May to December of last year.”
The Swap Shop program collected 24,000 pounds of gently used household goods and redistributed nearly half back to the community for free.
The SafeChem program kept nearly 400,000 hazardous items like motor oil and paint out of the environment.
What’s next in Kent County recycling?
An organics drop-off program for food scraps with composting bins located around the county, starting with one at the Recycling and Education Center in Grand Rapids and a second at the North Kent Recycling & Waste Center in Rockford.
“They will be able to drop off any food scraps there, and then we’re partnering with Organicycle, who is a local composter, and they will be coming to haul and compost those products. We're really excited for that.”
That program starts this spring.
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