Where does the recycling go?

The conversations that grew from our biodegradation and Great Pacific Garbage Patch activities were excellent background for our first field trip of the year: The Ann Arbor Materials Recycling Facility (MRF, often referred to as "the Murph").

We joined with Karl's class and visited on Wednesday, January 16th for a guided tour of the facility, accompanied by an informative talk and Q & A session with our guide. We learned exactly what can and cannot be put into curbside recycling bins in Ann Arbor (check out a handy list here), and we also learned where the materials go once they've been sorted. For example, newspaper and magazines end up in a paper mill in Kalamazoo, while boxboard is sent to a company in Rittman, Ohio. #1 plastic bottles get shipped to a company in Georgia (where they'll find new life as fabric, carpet, and fleece), while scrap steel gets sent to Pittsburgh, where it's used in the production of car parts. Check out this link for a comprehensive list of what gets sent where.

Of course, the highlight of the visit was the actual tour of the facility. The kids donned hardhats, safety vests, and goggles, then headed out to the floor to walk amongst the whirring conveyor belts and rumbling machinery.

Everyone marveled at each identifiable piece of recycling. "There goes a box of Cheerios!" "Those are the fruit snacks my brother eats!" "Somebody threw away the box to Hungry, Hungry Hippos!"

It's difficult to get a good sense of scale here, but the mound of recyclables in the background of this photo was probably taller than the Summers-Knoll building.

To the right of this stairwell was a massive pile of more crushed plastic cartons than you would have imagined could exist in the entire world. 

Watching the glass tumble and rattle...

Aristea spotted an environmentally-conscious fairy door at the MRF, complete with tiny recycling bins.

Karl's class, modeling both safety and style. 

Henry's go-to joke of the day was to point at random items spotted on the conveyor belts and exclaim, "Jason! I think that's the Dr. Pepper I was drinking last Thursday!" 

As Karl's class took their tour of the facility, we got to do some on-the-spot recycling at a paper-making station. 

If anyone happens to have a functional, but unwanted blender, we might be interested in taking it off of your hands. There was considerable interest in trying to make some paper of our own back at S-K.

It was another fun, educational field trip! The facility has monthly open houses. It's well worth a visit!

Extra special thanks to Superstar Parent Volunteer Jenny Hannibal, who saved the day we unexpectedly found ourselves with only one bus to transport two class loads of kids. THANK YOU, JENNY!