The History of Recycle Ann Arbor

1970
Sponsored by the Libbey Owens Glass Company, the Ecology Center starts a drop-off recycling station at Arborland Shopping Center.
1977
Recycle Ann Arbor incorporates.
1978
Recycle Ann Arbor begins a curbside collection program in sections of Ann Arbor. Residents can leave their recyclables in marked bins to be collected at curbside.
1981
Recycle Ann Arbor and the Ecology Center merge and receive the first contract from the City of Ann Arbor to collect recyclables from the curb. Throughout the 1980s, Recycle Ann Arbor is managed as a program of the Ecology Center.
1985
Curbside collection is expanded to reach the majority of the Ann Arbor community. Recyclables are collected monthly.
1990
Recycle Ann Arbor is reorganized as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ecology Center. As part of the reorganization, the Ecology Center drop-off station is given to Recycle Ann Arbor to operate.
1991
Curbside collection is again expanded to reach all Ann Arbor residents on a weekly collection basis. The collection program includes multi-family housing dwellings.
1997
The Drop-Off Station is moved from its location on South Industrial Highway to 2950 East Ellsworth Road. Area residents can drop off all curbside collectibles, as well as hardcover books, Styrofoam, egg cartons, car tires, truck tires, car batteries, transmission fluid, anti-freeze, brake fluid and fluorescent light tubes. Residents can also purchase inexpensive compost and mulch.
The ReUse Center opens at 2420 South Industrial Highway as an alternative to throwing away reusable items. Used materials are collected and sold at affordable prices, saving tons of useful items from landfills.
1999
The Environmental House Green Building Demonstration Area opens its doors inside RAA's ReUse Center to educate the public on the finer points of "Green" (or environmentally-friendly) building techniques.
2000
The Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors awards Recycle Ann Arbor's ReUse Center and Environmental House with the 2000 Environmental Awareness Award.
The ReUse Center expands into the attached paper baling warehouse, doubling floor space to more than 20,000 square feet. Energy-efficient lighting is installed.
2001
The Michigan Recycling Coalition names Recycle Ann Arbor the Recyclers of the Year, for its outstanding reduction and reuse programs.
2003
Recycle Ann Arbor receives the Waste Knot Winner award from Washtenaw County.
2005
The National Recycling Coalition presents Recycle Ann Arbor with the prestigious Tim McClure Award, recognizing outstanding environmental and community leadership.
2006
The ReUse Center celebrates its tenth year of successful operation, thanks to the grassroots efforts of customers and volunteers.
2007
Recycle Ann Arbor acquires Calvert’s Roll-Off Containers in February of 2007. Calvert’s becomes the only 501(c)3 non-profit organization in Michigan to offer complete construction and demolition (C&D) waste and recycling services.
Recycle Ann Arbor launches its annual Earth Day Essay Contest for students attending fifth and sixth grades in Washtenaw County schools. More than 100 entries are received, and the winner is awarded a $500 United States savings bond.
2008
The Drop-Off Station holds its first free, secure document shredding event for residents and businesses in Washtenaw County. More than 500 customers participate, resulting in more than two tons of paper being shredded and recycled.
Recycle Ann Arbor introduces “Project Recycle!”, an educational outreach program for third-graders attending City of Ann Arbor public and private schools. More than 3,000 students participate in the program in its first two school years.
2009
The Drop-Off Station institutes a $3.00 entry fee, following the loss of funding from Washtenaw County and the decision to charge all customers equally to enter the facility.
2010
Curbside recycling in the City of Ann Arbor transitions from a dual-stream to a single-stream program. The traditional recycling bins are replaced by wheeled carts, and new automated-lift recycling trucks are purchased which utilize an energy-saving hydraulic hybrid braking system.
2016
The ReUse Center celebrates 20 years of keeping reusable goods out of the landfill. Recycle Ann Arbor launches a brand new website that includes a searchable A-Z Recycling Guide. 
2017
Recycle Ann Arbor is awarded the interim contract with the City of Ann Arbor to facilitate the sorting and processing of recyclables by transporting them to our partners at Rumpke in Ohio. 
2018
Recycle Ann Arbor celebrates 40 years as a community based non-profit recycler. 
2019
Recycle Ann Arbor co-founded the Alliance of Mission-Based Recyclers, a coalition founded by the pioneers of mission-driven, community-based recycling in the US. Together we are guiding new recycling policies and infrastructure investments to rebuild credible, transparent recycling systems that serve as a bridge toward a circular economy and just, resilient local communities.
2020
Recycle Ann Arbor closes the Reuse Center due to pressures of the pandemic and an inability to renegotiate rental terms with the landlord.   
2021
Recycle Ann Arbor completes construction on its Zero Waste MRF, which began processing the area's recyclables on Dec. 1st, 2021.