Michigan residents recycled at a record rate in 2023, state officials announced Monday.
The recycling rate in Michigan was at a “record high for the third consecutive year” in the 2023 fiscal year, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Residents recycled a total of 703,369 tons of materials, an increase of more than 80,000 tons from the year prior.
It’s reportedly a major improvement for the state, which had a recycling rate of 14.25% in 2019. Since then, Michigan’s recycling rate increased to 21% in 2023, and to 23% as of Monday, June 24. The state is expected to reach its goal of a 30% recycling rate by 2029, EGLE said.
“Michiganders recycled more than 330,000 tons of paper and paper products during fiscal year 2023, over 237,000 tons of metals, more than 67,000 tons of glass, and over 58,000 tons of plastics and plastic products,” EGLE wrote, in part. “This equates to every person in Michigan over a 12-month span recycling 140 pounds of cardboard boxes, milk cartons, soup cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars, food waste and other recyclable materials.”
The recycling rate increase is partly due to a statewide effort to increase access to recycling services. This effort includes the distribution of new recycling carts throughout the state.
So far, EGLE says its partnership with national nonprofit The Recycling Partnership has resulted in over 245,000 new curbside recycling bins provided to more than 30 communities across Michigan. The state expects to give another 88,000 carts to residents in four Michigan communities this year.
The Recycling Partnership says the overall goal is to “improve recycling for at least 600,000 households representing 1.5 million people (15 percent of the MI population).” The nonprofit claims that “improved recycling creates jobs.” According to EGLE, Michigan recycling actually supports 72,500 jobs and contributes over $17 billion to the state’s economy.
The Michigan government is also giving $5 million in infrastructure grants to several projects throughout the state, including in Metro Detroit, to benefit recycling efforts. Local projects include a shift to universal curbside recycling in Sterling Heights; a “a community-wide recycling/trash cart program” for Madison Heights residents; and new robotic sorting equipment for the Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County.
Other projects funded by the grants include a new recycling dropoff facility in Genesee County, increasing recycling services in Van Buren County, and more.
Learn more about EGLE grants on their website here.