Recycling survey in newsletter, online

Township seeks input from residents on improving service.

Laketown Township is continuing its investigation into ways to improve recycling services and is asking the opinions of residents.

A survey is available in the fall newsletter that will be in your mailbox soon. The survey is also available online by clicking here. It is on the website at laketowntwp.org, under “Trash Services,” under “Recycling.” Download the document, fill it out and send it zoey@laketowntwp.org. You can also mail it to the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road, Holland, MI 49423 Attn Zoey, or drop it off. The township has a secure 24-hour-a-day drop box at the front doors.

Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

About recycling

The Laketown Township contract for trash collection with Republic Services will expire on April 1, 2027, with an option for early termination. To prepare a comprehensive Request for Information (RFI) and subsequent Request for Quotation (RFQ) from waste hauling and recycling service providers, resident input is essential.

Currently, recycling in the township is managed through the yellow bag system. These designated bags are collected along with regular garbage bags. While this is the least expensive option, it is also the least effective. If a yellow bag rips before sorting, its contents are treated as garbage and sent to the landfill. Studies of this system show that less than 20 percent of yellow bags are successfully recycled, meaning over 80 percent of recyclable material ends up as trash.

To help guide future decisions, all township households that use trash and recycling services are invited to participate in the survey.

Please complete the survey within three weeks of receiving it.

If you have questions about the survey, please call Zoey Hallam at (616) 335-3050.