landfills

Ann Arbor’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations (OSI) is working with community partners to provide winter clothing for children through a local circular economy. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Halloween may be behind us, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw away your jack-o’-lanterns. Washtenaw County is collaborating with local farms to give pumpkins a new purpose. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Washtenaw County is launching a pilot food scrap drop-off program in hopes of diverting more of the waste out of landfills. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Washtenaw County is joining a pilot program to help move food waste out of landfills and be used for composting. WEMU's Kevin Meerschaert reports.

A big crowd is expected Thursday at a Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy meeting. The topic is the license renewal and possible expansion of the Wayne Disposal hazardous waste landfill in Van Buren Township. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

If you live in Northeast Washtenaw County, you know about living with a with an unpleasant odor. Residents in Salem and Northville Townships have long complained about the smell emanating from the Arbor Hills Landfill. WEMU's David Fair checked in with the District Supervisor for Air Quality at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) on the matter. Scott Miller discussed the ongoing efforts to address odors and air quality in the area.

We have all learned how dangerous and harmful mercury exposure can be. Mercury has long been targeted by the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center. In fact, it is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the National Vehicle Switch Recovery Program it helped launch in 2006. This program was designed to remove mercury switches from vehicles before they were recycled, significantly reducing environmental contamination. WEMU's David Fair talked to the Ecology Center’s Jeff Gearhart about the program’s success and where we go from here.

Michigan attracts trash. Accumulated garbage from places like Ohio, Indiana and Canada ends up in Michigan landfills. In fact, out-of-state garbage accounts for about 25% of what is being dumped in Michigan landfills. State Senator Jeff Irwin is looking to make Michigan a less attractive dumping site by raising the cost of sending garbage here. WEMU's David Fair talked with the Ann Arbor Democrat about his bills to increase tipping fees.

When Governor Gretchen Witmer proposed a hike in tipping fees in her proposed budget, it was great news to State Representative Reggie Miller. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s new budget proposal includes a big increase in the state surcharge on dumping waste in landfills. We have more from Rick Pluta.