Council Report recommends actions to double Michigan’s recycling rate

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Two advisory groups have submitted separate reports highlighting actions required to boost Michigan’s low recycling rate. The reports were submitted by the Solid Waste and Sustainability Advisory Panel (SWSAP) and the Governor’s Recycling Council (GRC). The two groups were established by Gov. Rick Snyder to suggest proposals to step up solid waste recycling rate in the State. Incidentally, Michigan’s solid waste recycling rate is just around 15%, far below the national average of 35%.

The purpose of the GRC report is to provide recommendations to the Governor and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) on practical steps to be taken to achieve 30% residential recycling rate within two years. According to GRC report, doubling the recycling rate is expected to result in environmental and economical benefits. Further, recycling boost will also produce better quality of life. Recycling of more than 4.3 million tonnes of resources currently buried every year in Michigan will lead to savings of nearly 42 trillion Btu. In addition, the discarded waste is estimated to contain recyclables worth nearly $368 million. Processing of these valuable resources could result in more than 2,500 jobs, the report noted.

Further to close review of various existing resources, the GRC has identified 30 specific recommendations to address the current gaps in residential recycling system, which has been summarized under five core recommendations. Although there is investment and activity in the recycling sector, there also exists significant opportunities for improvement, the report states. Significant improvements to each part of the recycling supply chain will only help to lift Michigan’s recycling rate to 30%.

The GRC Report proposes to run a statewide education and engagement campaign to make more people recycle more materials. The second proposal is to authorize a Michigan Recycling Market Development Initiative to promote domestic use of recyclable materials. The GRC recommends steps to boost existing recycling system to make it more convenient and universally acceptable to customers across the state through enhancement of curbside and drop-off recycling infrastructure in urban, suburban, exurban and rural areas. The report points to establishment of a Michigan Recycling Improvement Fund to monitor allocation of resources to recycling initiatives. Finally, it highlights the need for a strict performance monitoring mechanism to help the state identify the shortfalls so as to achieve the set goals.

An investment will be required in a range of collection containers including rolling curb-carts. Also, these containers may require specialized trucks to service them. GRC estimates the total investment in cart and containers at around $268 billion. The collection truck investments are estimated to total around $74.25 billion. The estimates of capital investment needed to enhance collection and processing will largely be the result of private sector investment, GRC report noted.

The Governor’s Recycling Council (GRC) comprised of nine expert members appointed by Gov. Snyder.