Great Lakes Works

We all throw things away, but some items should never go in the trash. These things can harm the environment, damage your home, or even hurt people. They may also cause fires or leak dangerous materials. Here are 10 common items you should avoid tossing in your regular trash, and what you can do instead. 1. Electronics Old phones, TVs, laptops, and chargers contain harmful materials like lead and mercury. These can leak into soil and water when they end up in a landfill. What you can do: Take them to an electronics recycling center. Many stores also accept old electronics for recycling. 2. Batteries From small batteries to car batteries, these can leak acid or even explode if thrown in the trash. Battery acid is dangerous to people and pets. What you can do: Drop them off at a battery recycling point or your local hazardous waste center. 3. Paint and Paint Cans Paint often contains harmful chemicals. Even dried-out cans may have leftover paint inside that should not go into...

  Fall Is Beautiful, But Leaves Bring a Mess In Michigan, fall is a lovely time. The air is cool, and the trees turn bright colors. But those pretty leaves don’t stay on the trees. They fall fast and cover your yard, driveway, and street. This can become a big problem if you don’t clean them up. Too Many Leaves, Not Enough Time Michigan has many trees. That means more leaves to deal with in fall. Raking leaves every weekend takes a lot of time and energy. Bagging them and finding a way to get rid of them is even harder. If you don’t clean up leaves, they pile up fast. Wet leaves can make your yard slippery. They can kill your grass and block your drains. Why Curbside Leaf Pickup Helps ✅ It Saves Time and Work You don’t need to rake, bag, or haul leaves. A pickup service takes care of everything. This helps busy people and older folks too. ✅ It Protects Your Lawn Leaves left on your grass can stop sunlight and air from getting through. This can hurt your lawn. When you ...