AMERICA RECYCLES DAY

AMERICA RECYCLES DAY NOVEMBER 15, 2026
Recycling is one of the easiest things that we can all do to improve our communities, conserve natural 
resources and create green jobs. 

America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized day designed to build awareness of recycling and its 
benefits, and to encourage people to recycle correctly and buy recycled products. By 
recycling, you can help reduce emissions of greenhouse gas and water pollution, save 
energy, supply valuable manufacturing materials, create jobs, and reduce the need for 
new landfills. People can easily participate by making an effort to learn about the 
recycling programs in their community. Visit the Manitowoc County Recycling Center 
website at Recycling.manitowoccountywi.gov to learn more about local recycling and 
disposal options. Or try Wisconsin Recycles on Facebook for information on how to 
recycle better in Wisconsin.  If you want to do more, then make an effort to minimize 
contamination in your recycling bin, buy products that contain recycled content, and 
purchase products that can be easily recycled in your community. You can learn more 
about America Recycles Day website at Americarecyclesday.org. 

We would like to encourage everyone to review the recycling guidelines for their 
curbside program or local drop off site. Ours are listed on our website at 
Recycling.manitowoccountywi.gov. Recycling programs can differ depending on the 
municipality you live in or the curbside hauler providing your service, this can cause 
confusion about what is acceptable and how to handle it. It is also important to make 
sure your recyclables stay put when you put them out for collection, if the weather is 
stormy and your recycling or trash container is overflowing, that will create a mess in 
your neighborhood. Take steps to secure your recyclables using extra bins, bin covers, 
or a clear trash bag. Make sure to check with your curbside hauler since their 
recommendations may differ.  

Manitowoc County has demonstrated a very proactive approach towards recycling. In 
the early 90’s approximately 58,000 Tons of solid waste per year were landfilled from 
Manitowoc County. That number has been reduced to about 30,000 per year because 
of the recycling and waste reduction efforts. In 2025 there was 3.8 million pounds of 
paper and cardboard, and 512,600 pounds of plastic bottles recycled through the local 
recycling center. Despite these impressive numbers, there is room to improve. For 
example, the recycling center cleaned out 156,400 pounds of contamination from the 
local recycling stream. Also, numbers taken from the WDNR statewide waste 
composition study suggest that about 16% of materials going into landfills are 
commonly  recycled materials, like #1 PET bottles/jars (1.7%), office paper (1.4%), 
corrugated cardboard boxes (3.2%) and other recyclables. 

The Manitowoc County Recycling Center would like to thank Manitowoc County 
residents and businesses for participating in recycling and special collection programs 
like the Hazardous Waste Clean Sweep, Drug Disposal Program, Waste Tire Collection, 
Electronics Collection and the Composting Sites. By taking the time to learn about and 
use these programs, and others, our participants have helped improve our community, 
environment and economics. Visit the Recycling Center at 
Recycling.manitowoccountywi.gov or call 920-683-4333 to learn more about these 
programs.