Handling household garbage on Drummond Island is a little different than in many towns and cities. While the township does not provide garbage service, there are three good options available to residents and property owners for managing their household waste.

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Curbside pickup at your home

Drummond Island Garbologist, operated by Carl Hartman, offers cart pickup service on the island. Weekly and biweekly schedules are available, with special pricing for single seniors. Visit www.digarbologist.com or call (906) 493-5926 to sign up or ask questions.

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Drop-off at the Johnswood Road site

The Drummond Island Garbologist drop-off site, also referred to as the transfer station, is located at 33648 E Johnswood Road, next door to the Country Store and across the street from Chuck's Place. This is the only legal location to drop off household garbage on the island.

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Garbage drop-off and bag purchase hours: Monday: 10 am to 8 pm

Tuesday: 10 am to 8 pm

Wednesday: Closed

Thursday: 8 am to 5 pm

Friday: 8 am to 5 pm

Saturday: 8 am to 5 pm

Sunday: 10 am to 8 pm

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Bags are sold on-site during open hours at $5 per bag or 11 bags for $50. Bags must be purchased at the drop-off site itself. Please plan your trip during open hours so that bag purchase and drop-off can be handled together.

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Dumpster service

GFL Environmental offers dumpster service for property owners who would like to keep a dumpster on-site. To arrange service or ask questions about dumpsters, call GFL directly at (906) 635-3380.

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A note about GFL bags at gas stations

Island gas stations are no longer accepting GFL bag drop-offs. GFL ended this service in compliance with changes in Michigan state law. Any prior arrangement involving gas station bag drop-off is no longer in effect. The Johnswood Road site is now the only place on the island to drop off household garbage, and Garbologist bags are now the bags used for that drop-off.

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Spring Clean Up

The township sponsors an annual Spring Clean Up event each June, sometimes called Dump Days, for larger or unusual items that do not belong in regular household trash. See the Spring Clean Up section below for current dates, accepted items, and details.

Drummond Island Township provides recycling on the island through the blue recycling trailer, located between the Emergency Services Building and the Ice Rink, just a short distance toward Townline Road. The blue trailer is open for drop-off any time, and is picked up and emptied on Monday and Thursday mornings during the summer schedule, and on Wednesdays in the winter.

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Recycling on Drummond Island is provided in partnership with Northern Transitions, a regional recycling organization that processes our materials and returns them to the supply stream. Following the guidelines below keeps the program running smoothly and protects our materials from contamination.

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What goes in the blue trailer

The blue trailer accepts four categories of clean, sorted recyclables.

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Plastic containers numbered 1 through 7

Look for the recycling number on the bottom of the container. If a plastic item does not have a number, or has a number outside the 1 to 7 range, it does not belong in the trailer. Containers must be clean.

 

Plastic clamshell packaging, plastic film, plastic wrap, and plastic bags are not accepted regardless of any recycling symbol they may carry.

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Metal

Aluminum cans, steel and tin food cans, aerosol cans (empty), aluminum foil, and metal lids are all accepted. Cans should be rinsed.

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Paper

Newspapers, envelopes, magazines, and paper bags are accepted. Paper should be clean and dry. Wet or food-soiled paper is not accepted.

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Glass

Glass bottles and jars are accepted in any color. Lids must be removed. Containers should be rinsed.

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Preparing your recycling

All items must be loose, clean, and sorted before they go in the trailer. Containers should be rinsed to remove food residue, since dirty containers can contaminate the paper and other materials nearby. Lids should be removed from glass jars and bottles. Plastic container caps may be left on or removed based on your preference, but the container itself should be empty and clean.

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About bags

If you arrive at the trailer with recyclables in a plastic bag, please empty the containers into the trailer and take the bag home with you to reuse or dispose of. Plastic bags do not belong inside the trailer, even in the plastic section, and even if they contain recyclable items. This is the single most common contamination problem in our program. Plastic bags create delays for Northern Transitions, and can cause entire loads to be rejected.

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If you would like to recycle plastic grocery bags and similar plastic film, many grocery stores in Sault Ste. Marie and other nearby communities have drop-off bins specifically for plastic bag recycling near their entrances.

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Not accepted in the blue trailer

No plastic bags or plastic film of any kind, loose or bundled

No garbage, food waste, or food-soiled containers

No Styrofoam of any kind, including packaging foam and food trays

No window glass, mirrors, drinking glasses, dishes, or ceramics

No toys, furniture, or household items

No vinyl siding or PVC plastic

No single-use paper cups, including coffee cups

No light bulbs of any type

No batteries, including household, rechargeable, or vehicle batteries

No electronics of any kind

No medical waste, including syringes, sharps, or unused medications

No unwashed containers

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When in doubt, leave it out.

One wrong item can contaminate an entire load, so a single careful choice protects the program for everyone.

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Questions

Questions about township recycling can be directed to the township office at (906) 493-5321 Monday through Friday from 9AM to 2PM.

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Thank you to our partners at Northern Transitions and to every island resident who participates in this program with care. Your attention to the details is what keeps Drummond Island clean and sustainable.

Many longtime islanders call it Dump Days, while others know it as Spring Clean Up. Either way, this annual township-sponsored event gives Drummond Island residents and property owners a way to dispose of approved materials that are not easily handled through normal trash service.

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Dates and hours

Saturday, June 13 through Monday, June 15, 2026

 

Open daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

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Cost

Free

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Who can participate

Drummond Island residents and property owners only. This is for household items from island properties, not for commercial, business, or contractor waste.

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Where to go

Turn south at Four Corners onto Warners Cove and South Shore Road, then turn left by the old laundromat. The entrance is on Johnswood Road and will be monitored.

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Items accepted

Tires, but only off the rim with the sidewalls cut and removed

 

Scrap metal

 

Dried paint

 

Shingles, but only bagged or in a container that can be dumped by hand

 

Items not accepted

Household garbage

 

Yard waste, including trees, brush, and stumps

 

Hazardous materials

 

Lumber and plywood

 

Pallets

 

Cement blocks

 

Boats, Campers

 

Loose shingles

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These rules will be enforced to keep the event running safely and efficiently, so please sort your load before you arrive.

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Year-round disposal options

For everyday household garbage, use the Drummond Island Garbologist drop-off site on Johnswood Road, curbside cart pickup at (906) 493-5926, or dumpster service through GFL Environmental at (906) 635-3380.

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Some items not accepted here can go to Reina Recycling in Sault Ste. Marie year-round. Call them at (906) 748-7614 to confirm what they take.

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Standard recycling can be dropped off year-round at the blue recycling trailer next to the ice rink. See the Blue Recycling Trailer section for the current list.

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Further Questions?

Contact the Drummond Island Township office at (906) 493-5321 during business hours 9 AM to 2 PM, Mon - Fri.

Drummond Island Township provides a separate trailer for cardboard recycling, located next to the blue recycling trailer between the Emergency Services Building and the Ice Rink, just a short distance toward Townline Road.

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The white cardboard trailer is open for drop-off any time. Unlike the blue trailer, the cardboard trailer is not on a regular pickup schedule. It is picked up whenever it becomes full, so how quickly we get a fresh empty trailer depends on how well it is packed.

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Cardboard recycling is an important resource for island business owners who generate large amounts of shipping cardboard, and the trailer is open to all residents as well.

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What goes in the cardboard trailer

Flattened corrugated cardboard, including shipping boxes and moving boxes

Brown paper bags

Tissue boxes

Cereal boxes

Soda pop boxes and similar paperboard cartons

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How to prepare cardboard

Flatten all boxes before placing them in the trailer.

Break down boxes completely, including any internal flaps or dividers.

Remove any plastic packing inserts, foam, Styrofoam peanuts, and shipping labels if they peel off easily.

Remove tape if you can, but small amounts of tape that do not come off easily are acceptable.

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How to load the trailer

Please follow the signage posted inside the trailer. Stack flattened boxes from the very back of the trailer first, all the way to the top, then work forward toward the door. The goal is to fill the trailer completely from back to front, floor to ceiling.

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Loading this way matters more than people realize. A trailer packed tight with flattened cardboard holds many times more material than a trailer with boxes tossed in loose, and it means we get a fresh empty trailer sooner.

 

If you are dropping off several boxes, please take a moment to stack them flat and tight rather than tossing them in. The next person using the trailer will thank you.

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Not accepted in the cardboard trailer

No whiteboard, glossy cardboard, or coated cardboard such as frozen food boxes

No greasy or food-soiled boxes, including pizza boxes with grease stains

No tape, wire, string, twine, or rope as separate items

No plastic of any kind, including bubble wrap and plastic film

No Styrofoam, including packing peanuts

No plastic bags

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Questions

Questions about cardboard recycling can be directed to the township office at (906) 493-5321 during business hours, Monday through Friday 9AM to 2PM.

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Thank you to everyone who takes the time to flatten and stack their cardboard properly. Your effort keeps the program running well for the whole island.

Some items cannot be recycled through the township trailers or accepted at Spring Clean Up, but can be taken to Reina Recycling and Resource Recovery in Sault Ste. Marie. Reina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that accepts a wide range of materials year-round, including many items that are difficult to dispose of properly anywhere else. Donations are always welcome, and many items are accepted at no charge.

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For island residents, Reina is a particularly important resource for electronics, batteries, and small appliances, all of which are not accepted in the township recycling trailers and should not be placed in household garbage.

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Items accepted at Reina at no cost

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Electronics:

desktop and laptop computers, keyboards and mice, tablets, cell phones and other mobile devices, WiFi boxes, DVD and Blu-ray players, VHS players, remote controls, video game equipment, electronic toys, digital cameras, calculators, corded and cordless phones, and stereo equipment.

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Small appliances and household items: microwaves, toasters and similar small appliances, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, curling irons, hair dryers, CPAP machines, power tools, hand tools, cords and cables, holiday light strings, and scrap metal including steel, aluminum, copper, and brass.

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Fee-based items

Some items require a small fee to cover proper disposal costs.

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Televisions and monitors with cathode-ray tubes (older tube-style TVs and monitors):

Up to 19 inches: $10 20 to 29 inches: $15 30 to 39 inches: $20 40 inches and up: $25 Add $5 for projection and plasma televisions and CRT TVs in wooden cabinets.

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Flat-screen televisions and monitors:

Up to 19 inches: $5 20 to 39 inches: $10 40 to 59 inches: $15 60 inches and up: $20

Batteries: Lead acid batteries: no charge All other batteries including alkaline, NiMH, NiCd, lithium-ion, and lithium polymer: $1 per pound

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Other fee-based items:

CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and cassette tapes at $1 per pound.

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Location and hours

Reina Recycling is located at 401 Fort Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. Drop-off hours are every Saturday from 2 pm to 5 pm. Weekday drop-offs can be arranged by appointment by calling ahead.

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Reina also operates a Mackinac County drop-off location at The Hope Chest, 250 Ferry Lane, St. Ignace, with hours Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 am to 4 pm. Please note that the St. Ignace location does not accept televisions, monitors, or batteries.

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Contact

Phone: (906) 748-7614

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Call ahead to confirm current accepted items, fees, or to schedule a weekday appointment.