This month, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality released a 2018 Annual Report for the state’s Recycling Reporting Program detailing expanded efforts and targeted outreach to increase the number of reporters, such as local governments, communities, businesses, and end markets participating in the program. The first year of the program demonstrated that these types of entities are key to helping fill in data gaps left by recycling establishments not participating in the program and to understand the recycling system more holistically. Outreach was completed through methods such as strategic partnerships, e-mail blasts, listservs, phone calls, individual visits, training webinars, conferences, and handouts explaining the program.
The report details the amount of paper, plastics, glass, metals, and single stream recyclables that were reported as recycled by participants in the Recycling Reporting Program in FY 2018. It also compares data between the first two years of the program. Participants include recycling establishments required by Michigan law to report, as well as other voluntary reporters. The report will help the state determine its accomplishments and identify where to focus its efforts in the future.
To view the report, see here.