5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day in Macomb

Sunday is Earth Day, but how can you show some love for Mother Earth around Macomb Township?

Here are five green ideas to help keep the our environment in tip top shape for the next generation.

• Adopt-A-County Road

There are roughly 1,700 county roads in Macomb and County Executive Mark Hackel wants residents to adopt 1,000 miles of them. Hackel issued the 1,000 Mile Challenge in October of 2011 and 504 miles of road have been adopted to date.

Adoptive groups receive safety vests and trash bags for their clean-ups, a road sign recognizing the group after completion of the first clean-up and recognition on the Adopt-A-County Road website.

For more information, or to apply to adopt a road, visit www.macombcountymi.gov/adoptaroad, or call 586-463-8671.

• Adopt-A-Highway

You and at least two friends can also participate in MDOT's Adopt-A-Highway program. Participants adopt both sides of a section of state highway roadside to clean up for at least a two-year period. There is no fee to participate, and MDOT will provide bags for litter and pickup of filled bags.

Contact Macomb County AAH Coordinator Rosalyn Hayes at 586-978-1935 or
hayesr@michigan.gov about location availability prior to sending in your Adopt-A-Highway application form.

• Free Electronics Recycling

Neighboring Shelby Township partnered with Vintage Tech Recyclers, Inc. at the beginning of 2011 to offer free electronics recycling to area residents.

Collections are held on the last Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Shelby Township Municipal Grounds, at 52700 Van Dyke Ave. The next collection is April 28 and everyone is welcome to participate.

Acceptable items include televisions, computers, VCR's, microwaves, holiday lights, cell phones and handheld electronics, among others. For a full list of acceptable items, check out this flyer.

• Battery Recycling

, located at 18443 Hall Road, recycles batteries, light bulbs and many portable electronics. Battery Giant, at 20761 Hall Road, also recycles used batteries.

Accepted items at Batteries Plus include:

1. Lead acid (Pb) batteries, as used in cars, trucks and emergency lighting
2. Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries, as used in cordless phones, tools and two-way radios
3. Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries, as used in camcorders, cameras and bar code scanners
4. Lithium Ion (Li Ion) and Lithium Polymer (Li Poly), as used in cell phones and laptops
5. Portable electronic devices such as cell/smartphones, laptop/netbooks, MP3s, PDAs and portable tools
6. Used light bulbs and ballasts

• Adopt-A-Stream

Adopt-A-Stream is the Clinton River Watershed Council's volunteer water quality monitoring program. CRWC volunteers sample, test and record the water's physical habitat, biological community and channel characteristics such as erosion and the amount of streamside vegetation. CRWC provides volunteers with all the training and equipment needed to participate in Adopt-A-Stream.

If you are interested in becoming an Adopt-A-Stream volunteer, or have questions, contact the CRWC at (248) 601-0606 or email contact@crwc.org.

The CRWC also makes rain barrels available to residents. Click here to order or email contact@crwc.org or call 248-601-0606 for details.