GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Environmental, Great Lakes, and Energy said Michigan is seeing a steady increase in recycling and is on track to reach its goal of a 30% recycling rate by 2029.
EGLE said its research shows that Michigan residents have increased their recycling rate from 14.25% before 2019 to over 25% today. In fiscal year 2024, EGLE said residents recycled more than 71,000 tons of glass, 329,000 tons of paper and paper products and 56,000 tons of plastics and plastic products.
“Michigan’s commitment to recycling is shaping a cleaner, more resilient future. By increasing our recycling rate, we not only conserve natural resources but also generate substantial economic benefits — supporting over 72,500 jobs and injecting billions of dollars into our economy,” EGLE Director Phil Roos said in a release. “Every bottle, box and can recycled brings us one step closer to a sustainable Michigan where both the environment and our communities thrive.”
To help expand recycling access in Michigan, EGLE said it has given out more than $11.8 billion in grants. In West Michigan, the following grants were given out:
- City of Holland: $1 million to promote a new drop-off facility to recycle standard materials and hard-to-recycle items, designed to be used as a model for other communities.
- Calhoun County Comprehensive Recycling Center: $500,000 to help build a comprehensive drive-through drop-off recycling center.
- Ionia Conservation District: $222,622 to construct four recycling drop-off facilities in Ionia County.
- Pentwater Township: $93,000 for upgrades to the recycling drop-off facility that will allow it to stay open during the winter.
- Design Declassified, Grand Rapids: $250,000 to scale operations to transform locally sourced plastic waste into durable, solid-surface materials for countertops, tables, wall panels, furniture and more.
- Goodwill Industries of West Michigan, Muskegon: $250,000 to develop a process for manufacturing of eco-conscious wood products made from unsellable and scrap wood-based materials received through its donated goods programs.
- OkaTerra, Grand Rapids: $218,000 to enhance material prototyping and carry out environmental and safety testing for an initiative focused on commercializing the use of waste wool from Michigan farmers to create innovative products, including sound-absorbing screens for the contract furniture market.
- Perfect Circle Recycling, Grand Rapids: $155,000 to buy three 10,000-gallon refrigerated tanks to integrate into existing material de-packaging processes, enabling the recovery of surplus milk from suppliers and repurposing it as animal feed for local farms.
- Public Thread, Grand Rapids: $210,700 to research and develop capacity growth and processes for material collection and sorting, as well as collaborate with local designers and innovators to upcycle post-consumer apparel and textiles.
- Revolin Sports, Holland: $242,000 for cutting-edge research and machinery to fabricate lightweight, high-performance composite materials made from recycled thermoplastics into products such as pickleball paddles and eventually in industries such as automotive, office furniture and construction.
- Wormies, Grand Rapids: $122,240 for infrastructure that will allow the small business to pursue more customers for the residential and commercial food waste pickup service, as well as increase efficiency at the compost site, offering a compost management service for farmers and ranchers processing over 1,000 cubic yards of feedstock a year.
- TrueNorth Services, Fremont: $100,000 to purchase a refrigerated food rescue vehicle that will expand the service area by 80 miles and increase food surplus collection volume from 54 tons to 168 tons annually.
- Community Action House, Holland: $53,438 to support the Lakeshore Food Rescue Program, which rescued 3 million pounds of food in 2024. The addition of a refrigerated storage container will increase storage capacity and facilitate handling of full semi-truck loads.
