LANSING, Mich. — The City of Benton Harbor has announced that more than 16,000 pounds of empty water bottles have been recycled through a plastic water recycling program. The program is offered during State of Michigan water distribution hours.
So far, seven trailers of empty water bottles have been processed. An eighth trailer is now accepting empty bottles. It is currently located at the Housing Commission parking lot at 721 Nate Wells Sr. Drive, and is adjacent to the water distribution site at the Boys & Girls Club.
Residents are encouraged to take home 33-gallon, clear plastic bags from the distribution site and use them to return their empty water bottles. The bottles can be returned to the Housing Commission during water distribution hours. Bottles can be returned with their caps left on and can also be returned if they are crushed. The distribution site only accepts water bottles.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services provides free bottled water to the City of Benton Harbor residents for cooking, drinking, brushing teeth, rinsing foods, and mixing powdered infant formula. Since September 2021, more than 13 million bottles of free water have been distributed.
Water can be picked up by Benton Harbor residents at the Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor Fettig Youth Campus on the following dates:
- Saturday, June 18 (12 p.m.-2 p.m.)
- Sunday, June 19 (2 p.m.-4 p.m.)
- Tuesday, June 21 (9 a.m.-11 a.m.)
Southwest Community Action Agency will also be hosting a water pickup from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the following dates:
- Wednesday, June 15
- Thursday, June 16
- Friday, June 17
- Monday, June 20
More information on bottled water pick up can be found here.
