Waste not — Wondering how to recycle more of your garbage? The Southeast Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority (SOCRRA) is organizing a workshop to explain where and how to recycle household items and demonstrate what can and can't be recycled (using an actual bag of trash). Free, but registration is required: 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28, Royal Oak Senior Community Center, 3500 Marais Ave., Royal Oak; 248-288-5150 or socrra@socrra.org.

Budget buster — Armchair budget analysts are invited to Michigan's State Budget Challenge, a forum in Lansing sponsored by the Michigan League for Human Services. State Budget Director Mary Lannoye and others will be there to hear opinions on how Michigan can better balance its checkbook. $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers: 10 a.m., Monday, Feb. 27, at the Lansing Center, 333 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. Call 517-487-5436.

Mardi Gras fundraiser — The Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team will celebrate the signature New Orleans holiday with a benefit for the homeless in metro Detroit. For a $50 ticket, half of which is tax-deductible, partygoers can dance to live jazz music, participate in a silent auction and eat their fill of Cajun food: 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Mirage, 16980 18 Mile Rd., Clinton Township. Call 586-415-5107.

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