2021 Community recycling events

FOR BERRIEN COUNTY RESIDENTS ONLY. BUSINESS WASTE IS NOT PERMITTED.

April 14, Wednesday, 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Reduce Reuse Recycle Day at Lake Michigan College. Participants must enter at the main college entrance, 2755 East Napier Ave., Benton Harbor and follow the Recycling Event signs. The event takes place in the parking lot south of (in front of) the Mendel Center.
4 ACCEPTED ITEMS (items will be unloaded from vehicles in the following order): 1st Foam/Polystyrene, 2nd Electronics (fees apply on some items), 3rd Household Chemicals, and Last, Personal Documents for On-Site Shredding. Scroll down this page for a complete description of accepted items and fees on some electronics.

This event is DRIVE THROUGH ONLY. Participants MUST stay in their vehicle. Staff and volunteers will unload materials from vehicles. This is an "open house" style event where participants can arrive any time between 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to drop off their materials.

May 15, Saturday, 8 a.m. - 12 Noon
Southeast Berrien County Landfill Recycle Center, 3200 Chamberlain Rd., Buchanan.
4 ACCEPTED ITEMS: Household Chemicals, Electronics (fees apply on some items), Foam/Polystyrene, and Personal Documents for On-Site Shredding. Scroll down for description of accepted items.

June 9, Wednesday, 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.  
New Buffalo Township Fire Station/Water Department, 17655 Clay Street, New Buffalo (near the Route 12 intersection).
2 ACCEPTED ITEMS: Household Chemicals and Electronics (fees apply on some items). Scroll down for description of accepted items.

September 18, Saturday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Silver Beach County Park, 101 Broad Street, St. Joseph, below the bluff. Event takes place in the parking lot at Silver Beach.
3 ACCEPTED ITEMS: Household Chemicals, Electronics (fees apply on some items), and Foam/Polystyrene. Scroll down for description of accepted items.

October 9, Saturday, 8 a.m. - 12 Noon
Southeast Berrien County Landfill Recycle Center, 3200 Chamberlain Rd., Buchanan.
4 ACCEPTED ITEMS: Household Chemicals, Electronics (fees apply on some items), Foam/Polystyrene, and Personal Documents for On-Site Shredding. Scroll down for description of accepted items.

description of ACCEPTED ITEMS

Contact Berrien County Parks (see contact information on the right side of this page) with specific questions about accepted items.

household chemicals accepted:

Home, garden, yard, garage, under-the-sink, bathroom, and home workshop chemicals, liquids and cleaners. Items with the words toxic, flammable, hazardous, or poisonous on the label.

Acids and Bases
Adhesives
Aerosols - all kinds
Antifreeze
Automotive Products

Bathroom Products (hair spray, perfume, nail polish, etc)
Batteries (all sizes and kinds)
Beauty Aids (hair spray, perfume, nail polish, etc)
Brake fluid

Canisters (sterno, small)
Caulks & Glues
Cleaners (soaps, shampoos, waxes, oven and drain cleaner, etc)
Chlorine
Cooking Oil
Cylinders (one-pound cylinders only, NO propane tanks)

Driveway Sealer

Fuels (kerosene, home heating oil, lighter fluid, gas, etc)

Gasoline

Light Bulbs (compact fluorescents, 8-ft tube and shorter, LED, neon)

Medications (pills, liquids, patches, aerosols, etc.; remove pills from personal pill bottles and put all together in a zip-lockable bag; medical sharps/needles must be dropped off in a puncture proof container)
Mercury (thermometers, thermostats, switches, liquid)
Mineral Spirits
Motor Oil and Filters

Needles/Sharps (must be dropped off in a puncture proof container and labeled with the word "sharps" or "needles"; containers can be a red sharps containers, laundry detergent bottle, or similar rigid/puncture proof container)

Oil-Based Paint (latex paint is NOT accepted, dry out latex paint and place in with regular household trash)
Oils (used motor oil & filters, cooking oil, etc.)

Paint Products (latex paint is NOT accepted, dry out latex paint and place in with regular trash)
Pesticides/Herbicides (all kinds)
Photography Chemicals (developer, fixer, stop bath)
Pills (remove pills from personal pill bottles and put all together in a zip-lockable bag)

Roofing Sealer

Sharps/Needles (must be dropped off in a puncture proof container, loose sharps are not accepted)
Swimming Pool Chemicals (chlorine, pH reducer, pH increaser)

Transmission Fluid

Waxes/Polishes

Latex Paint is NOT accepted.

electronic items accepted:

Unwanted electronic equipment from a Berrien County home that has a cord or is battery operated such as:

Computers
Computer monitors ($10 per monitor fee, all types)
Televisions ($20 per TV fee, all types and sizes)
Printers
Large and Small Appliances
Freon Containing Items ($10 per item fee) i.e. refrigerators, mini-fridge, freezers, AC units, dehumidifiers, water coolers.
Window Air Conditioners (Freon containing - $10 per item fee)
DVD/VCR Players
Power Tools
Dehumidifiers (Freon containing - $10 per item fee)
Cameras
Vacuum Cleaner
Irons (curling/straightening, clothing, etc.)
Phones (cell and land-line)
Scanners
Holiday String Lights
Ink and Printer Cartridges

Electronics are accepted and recycled by Green Earth Electronics Recycling, 4200 Niles Rd, St. Joseph, 269-326-1232, www.greenearth1.com. If you have a question about a specific electronic and if it is accepted or not, please call Green Earth Electronics Recycling.

foam / polystyrene accepted:

Ice chests, foam cups, clean foam "to go" containers, egg cartons, foam block packaging, pink & blue Styrofoam. Must be clean and dry. 

NOT ACCEPTED: soft/squishy foam, foam bedding or pads, packing peanuts, or blown-in foam. Foam that has glue, wood, paper, or any other item attached to it is NOT accepted.

personal documents for shredding:

Paper documents only, including office paper, brochures, blueprints, mail, folders, paper envelopes, checkbooks, etc. No need to remove staples or paperclips.

NOT ACCEPTED: CDs, x-rays, binder clips, driver's license, 3-ring binders, cardboard, books, plastic, metal, other non-paper items.

Year Around Options:

Household chemicals/Hazardous Waste

Kalamazoo County Household Hazardous Waste Center  Available for Berrien County RESIDENTS to use, free, year around. When utilizing the Kalamazoo HHW Center, Berrien County residents must show an ID with an address. Accepted items include household, yard & garden, garage, and workshop chemicals, cleaners, and liquids. See full list of accepted and not accepted items, along with hours of operation, at the HHW Center website.

Berrien County Recycling Guide: items such as batteries, used motor oil, fluorescent lights, unwanted medications, electronics, and many other items have local recycling options available year around. Click on the Recycling Guide headings in the blue box on the left side of this page to seek out drop off locations and recycling services. 

electronics recycling

Green Earth Electronics Recycling, the company that provides the electronics recycling services at the community events, is located at 4200 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. They are open Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., excluding holidays, for electronics drop off. Contact Green Earth at 269-326-1232, or go to Green Earth Electronics Recycling website. Ask about additional services such as business electronics waste recycling, hard drive shredding, pick up services, etc.  

Berrien County Recycling Guide: there are a number of local businesses that accept electronics for recycling and reuse. Click on the Recycling Guide heading for ELECTRONICS in the blue box on the left side of this page to seek out drop off locations and recycling services for electronics.

Foam / Polystyrene:

Berrien County Recycling Guide: Click on the Recycling Guide heading for PLASTIC In the blue box on the left side of this page to seek out foam recycling options.

paper shredding / document shredding

Berrien County Recycling Guide: there are a number of local businesses that provide document shredding services. Click on the Recycling Guide heading for PAPER In the blue box on the left side of this page to seek out paper shredding options. 

tire recycling

Berrien County Recycling Guide: there are a number of local businesses that will accept scrap tires from residents for proper handling and recycling. These businesses will charge a fee for this service. Please call ahead for information. Click on the Recycling Guide heading for TIRES in the blue box on the left side of this page to seek out tire recycling options.