LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has officially signed legislation ensuring that guns collected through Michigan State Police buyback programs will meet their final fate in the scrap heap.

That means: no refurbishing, no reselling, no repurposing. Every single piece of those firearms is destined for total destruction. The days of “green” gun recycling, where parts were quietly salvaged and resold, are over.

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Although the Michigan State Police (MSP) announced in March of last year, they’d start destroying entire guns they received – and pulverizing them at a Jackson facility – now it’s the law. Back in 2023, the MSP handled more than 11,000 guns says spokesperson Shanon Banner.

The new law aligns perfectly with the goals of community buyback programs, like the one run by Rev. Chris Yaw of St. David’s Episcopal Church. In 2022, his Detroit-area church saw a 2-mile-long line of cars full of unwanted firearms traded for gift cards.

The Rev. says that the gun destruction is what “Michiganders want and expect.”

Mostly, it sounds like what gun owners are expecting is gift cards in exchange for guns. In Grand Rapids in 2022, residents turn in almost 300 firearms in exchange for $100 and $200 gift cards. Other programs have taken place in Ann Arbor and in other parts of the state.

Supporters of the law argue it’s a step toward reducing gun violence and ensuring unwanted firearms don’t return to the streets. Critics, however, see it as little more than political theater, with no measurable impact on crime rates. Regardless of the debate, the new law is clear: there’s no second act for buyback guns.