Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette Keweenaw County resident and Copper Country Recycling Initiative member Doug McKenzie spoke at last Wednesday’s Keweenaw County Board meeting on his willingness to make residents more aware of recycling locations, hours and what items can and cannot be recycled.

EAGLE RIVER — Retired physician and Copper Country Recycling Initiative member, Doug McKenzie, addressed the Keweenaw County Board last Wednesday on the need for public education

McKenzie said that based on a questionnaire given to residents in the Houghton-Hancock area, the CCRI found that there were several items respondents would like to recycle. The questionnaire also revealed that many people were unaware that there are facilities that accept many items they expressed an interest in recycling.

For example, said McKenzie, electronics was among the items.

“Apparently, many people aren’t aware that most of those can go to Goodwill,” he said. “Batteries. Apparently, many people aren’t aware that Remy will take any batteries from them.”

Used motor oil was another item listed that respondents said they would bring to a facility for recycling.

“Bekkala Diesel Repair will take all your used oil,” McKenzie said. “People apparently aren’t aware of that. It was one of the things they said they want to have a place to bring it.”

The above-mentioned facilities are all in Houghton County, however. Goodwill is in Houghton, on Razorback Drive, near Walmart. Bekkala’s Diesel Repair is located on Oneco Road, in Calumet Township, about a mile north of the Houghton County Airport.

There were several other recyclable items listed, however, that currently do not have an outlet for in either Houghton or Keweenaw County. Fluorescent lights, for example, nor is there an outlet to receive oil-based paints. Scrap tires is a huge problem in the four-county area.

“Another thing that people brought up was used tires,” said McKenzie. “One respondent from Keweenaw County said that she bought a house and she inherited dozens of scrap tires. She has no idea where to get rid of these.”

The city of Hancock recently conducted a Scrap Tire Cleanup, said McKenzie. The cleanup, which was in May, was funded by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

“EGLE has a grant available for scrap tires, like 500 scrap tires, paid for them to be hauled away. The grant closes this Friday,” McKenzie said, adding that he had emailed the Board members about the grant opportunity about three weeks ago.

McKenzie went on to discuss his willingness to expand recycling initiatives in Keweenaw County, starting with providing residents information on where and when they can bring their recycling items.

“Another grant that’s available,” he said. “This one’s from the Recycling Partnership, who gets funding from EGLE is to send a 6×8-inch postcard to every residence in counties that are interested in engaging in this.”

The postcards contain that information and people can place them on their refrigerators. Mckenzie said that with the permission of the Board, he would make that happen.

“If I have permission from you folks, you actually don’t have to be involved,” he said. “We can put something together, I can send it to you for approval, we just tell them to go ahead and send it.”

He would need to contact each of the townships for the information.

” Houghton Township doesn’t have any,” he said. “I put in here that they have to go to the (Houghton County)Transfer Station. Sherman Township it’s curbside. Eagle Harbor it’s Wednesdays and Saturday’s here, and we have recycling at Lac La Belle, which –Thank you, thank you — saves me a long drive into Copper Harbor. I’d love to have that continued in the winter.”

Grant Township has always been by gosh and by golly, he said, adding, “Sometimes it’s posted in our mailboxes and sometimes it’s not.”

Board Chairman Don Piche said the County has had similar discussions in the past that have included the county’s lack of its own transfer station.

“I think what this county should be looking at is a spot in Keweenaw County like you have in Atlantic Mine,” he said. “I don’t know where the money would come from to do something like that. I think people would use that here instead of having to drive all the way to Atlantic Mine. I’ve heard this from many people: ‘Why don’t we have a transfer station here?'”

For more information on the Copper Country Recycling Initiative, visit their website at: https://coppercountryrecyclereuse.com

For a list of facilities that accept batteries, and even used tires, please visit Recycle 906 at https://www.recycle906.com/houghton-county