HOUGHTON — The Keweenaw’s First Waste Reduction Drive is taking place this Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the MTU Lot 24 parking lot. Since February, local families and community members have been collecting five items that cannot be recycled curbside in the Keweenaw. These five items are:

— Foil-lined granola/energy bar wrappers

— Plastic bottle caps and rings

— Any plastic bag containing a recycling number

— Alkaline batteries

— Egg cartons (Styrofoam)

Although these items can not be recycled curbside, that doesn’t mean they can not be recycled or reused. We’ve found a unique recycle/reuse opportunity for these five items:

— Foil-lined wrappers will be given to Terra Cycle to be converted into a hard plastic for manufacturing.

— Plastic bottle caps and rings will be sent to Preserve to be converted into kitchenware and toothbrushes.

— Plastic bags will be properly recycled.

— Alkaline batteries will be properly recycled.

— Egg cartons will be given to local chicken farmers for reuse.

We are excited to see the amount of waste we will be saving from the landfill as a community! In addition to reducing landfill waste, we are happy to be educating our community on the many recycle/reuse opportunities available for our waste.