Assuring access to electronic waste recycling in the Upper Peninsula

Ten years later and after multiple cooperative efforts between the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE), Materials Management Division (MMD), tribes, local environmental groups, businesses, non-governmental organizations, several communities and an electronics manufacturer, there are nine permanent collection locations and three retailer collection sites operating across the Upper Peninsula. 

“After seeing that warehouse full of gaylord boxes of broken television tubes, I knew there had to be a way to assure U.P. residents and businesses that they could have proper access to recycling unwanted electronics on an ongoing basis,” said Steve Noble, EGLE’s electronics recycling specialist. 

Small grants were part of the answer. Grants to support electronics collection events in communities throughout the U.P. grew into grants to support setting up permanent collection locations. The grants helped the communities establish a collection location that operated year-round. Events are great but then the residents need to wait 364 more days until the next one. Ongoing access to recycling opportunities is one of the keys to a successful program. Also of particular importance are the private and public partnerships that EGLE established with the Indian communities across the Upper Peninsula including Bay Mills, Hannahville, and the Keweenaw Bay Indian communities.      

Add to this mix a relationship with an important environmental group with a passion to support environmental protection efforts and their network of supporters of environmental groups, churches and individuals and you have a successful formula for building a network of collection sites and collection events. In 2025, over 120,000 pounds of electronics were collected from the collection sites and nearly 100,000 pounds more from collection events. Year after year, the collection volume is growing by almost 15% as residents grow accustomed to convenient drop-off sites. 

“The U.P. collection network continues to operate through the support of small EGLE grants and contracts,” Noble added. “Because of the rural nature of the U.P., it is difficult to collect trailer loads of material in any one location. So, the economics of collecting electronics is a challenge. EGLE support keeps the collection of the electronics affordable for residents and small businesses that use the service. Otherwise, simply due to the cost, the material would end up in one of the landfills across the U.P.”

All the material collected at 10 EGLE-supported e-waste collection locations is properly recycled through a nationally certified electronics recycler. The recycler follows the proper data sanitization protocol and is audited annually by a third-party auditing firm to assure compliance with environmental regulations.

In addition to the permanent collection locations, EGLE grants support multiple community collection events across the U.P. The environmental group handles events in the middle and western portions of the U.P., while an electronics recycler based in Sault Ste Marie supports collection events in the Eastern U.P.
This effort continues to grow. Last year, another collection site was added in Marquette. An additional community in the west central U.P. has voiced interest in being a permanent collection site. EGLE is always looking for communities that are willing to be part of the solution. The department also wants to hear from communities that are willing to host a community collection event. Contact Steve Noble, EGLE’s e-waste program coordinator, at Nobles4@Michigan.gov for more information.