According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, the state has more that doubled its recycling rate over three years. Monday marked the beginning of Earth Week. Friday is Earth Day.
Prior to 2019, Michigan had a 14.25% recycling rate. The recycling rate is the percentage of recyclable materials that are recovered from waste. EGLE has estimated that the state currently has a recycling rate of 35.4%.
“We really need to increase that rate and why there’s been such a focus on it,” says EGLE Director Liesl Clark. “The increase equates to Michigan capturing over half a million more tons of cardboard boxes, milk cartons, plastic bottles, organic material and other recyclables, equaling equating to over 110 lbs. Each person annually. This is great news as Michigan businesses recycle materials and put them back into their local economies. ”
Clark claims that the increase in recycling rates has been influenced by increased access to recycling services.
Clark says Clark connects with people in rural Michigan who need access to recycling services. More than 75% of households in the state have access now to either curbside recycling bins, or drop-off points within their communities.
According to EGLE, Michigan also recycles 500,000 more tonnes of recyclable materials per year due to the reported increase.
“We know that recycling is one of the most important things you can do every day to make a positive difference for our environment and the climate,” says EGLE Materials Management Division Director Liz Browne. “But what many Michiganders often don’t realize is that recycling has become an essential tool in supporting our state local businesses, both big and small and major employers in the manufacturing sector.
Browne claims that by recycling waste, it helps to conserve resources, protect the environment, and contributes to the economic prosperity of Michigan-based businesses.
“The grants we’re announcing today marked the largest employer in state history to promote recycling activities that divert materials from Michigan landfills, boost local economies, and also support Governor Whitmer’s climate change priorities through reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,” says Browne. “Michigan is uniquely exciting because this level of commitment and partnership to comprehensively promote recycling between Michigan’s private sector and state government has never happened in our state’s history. And we believe that it marks the greatest accomplishment in recycling since our state achieved its first in the nation status by introducing the bottle deposit law back in 1976.”
Clark states that since 2019, more than $460million has been invested in technology for recycling and maintaining infrastructure. It’s all part of the goal to help Michigan fight climate change and reach a 45% recycling rate by 2030.
There’s still a long way to go to reach the national average, which is about 32 percent.
The state will release the MI Healthy Climate Plan on Thursday. This plan, which covers a 30-year period, aims to make Michigan carbon neutral by 2050. An earlier draft of the plan was released earlier in the year.
Monday’s announcement by EGLE included $7 million in grants for state-wide recycling infrastructure.
One project receiving funding, in 9&10’s coverage area, includes a $1 million EGLE grant through Renew Michigan to support construction of a more than $5 million new recycling center near the Alpena County Regional Airport.