It’s a New Day at the Drop-Off Station!
March 11th, 2026
This season, April doesn’t just bring showers; it brings a brand-new day at the Drop-Off Station! Recycle Ann Arbor is thrilled to announce that we are expanding the Drop-Off Station hours by adding an extra day of operation each week. Starting April 3rd, the Drop-Off Station will now be open every Friday from 7:00 AM to 4 PM.
With the Drop-Off Station now operating four days a week, residents and businesses will have increased access to convenient, community-supported recycling services for hard-to-recycle materials such as electronics, scrap metal, textiles, appliances, traditional recyclables, and more! The new early Friday hours provide an excellent opportunity for early-morning contractors to drop off items or for residents to conveniently recycle before heading to work.
Additionally, the Drop-Off Station (and the Recovery Yard) has launched new material initiatives focused on source-separating usable wood pallets from our clean wood and glass bottles and jars from single-stream recycling streams. These new enhancements reinforce our commitment to landfill diversion, material recovery, and advancing a circular economy within our community.
Usable Pallet Separation from Clean Wood
Usable wood pallets will now be separated from clean wood at both the Drop-Off Station and the Recovery Yard.
Why this matters:
- Extends the lifecycle of reusable materials
- Reduces unnecessary grinding and processing costs
- Supports local reuse markets
- Increases overall diversion rates
Instead of being ground together with clean dimensional lumber for compost, structurally sound pallets will be staged for reuse or resale whenever possible. Damaged pallets will still be processed appropriately with clean wood. This operational shift emphasizes our commitment to prioritizing reuse before recycling — a core principle of sustainable materials management.
Glass Bottles and Jars Removed from Single Stream Container
Glass bottles and jars will now be separated from the single-stream recycling stream and placed in their own container on-site both at the Drop-Off Station and Recovery Yard.
Why this matters:
- Reduces contamination in the glass stream
- Protects processing equipment
- Strengthens downstream commodities
By removing glass at the source, we enhance the quality of paper, cardboard, and plastics commodities while eliminating glass sorting at the MRF. This ensures glass is diverted to it's highest and best use without additional labor, making RAA more efficient at diverting this infinitely recyclable material.
These operational improvements reflect our continued effort to increase landfill diversion, improve material quality, reduce processing inefficiencies, and align with our zero-waste mission.
Every pallet reused and every ton of glass properly separated contributes to a stronger circular materials system and measurable environmental impact.
April is all about fresh beginnings, so what better way to ensure your recyclables get the best new beginnings than by recycling with us at the Drop-Off Station!