Waste Management - Grand Rapids Materials Recovery Facility

A large Waste Management facility on Chicago Drive that locals use for dropping off household trash and bulk items. Neighborhood residents and small haulers stop here when cleaning out garages or handling construction scraps. It's the kind of place visited more in spring and after projects than on a random weekday.

Drive up to an entrance booth and be ready to stop; many similar facilities have a scale early on, so expect to pull up and wait briefly. The site feels industrial - big pavement areas, piles or containers in the distance, and heavy trucks moving around. For recyclables and curbside-type dropoffs there are usually separate areas or lanes a short walk from the entrance. Weekends tend to be busier, with lines spilling back toward the street during peak cleanup times.