MDEQ: Recycle More Solid Waste

Two groups created by Governor Snyder have released recommendations on how to better manage solid waste in Michigan.

The Governor’s Recycling Council and the Solid Waste and Sustainability Advisory Panel say Michigan should invest in infrastructure to process recyclables, begin education campaigns on the importance of recycling, and assist local governments in creating programs.

Steve Sliver is with the state Department of Environmental Quality. He says waste management can potentially be a big revenue source for the state.

“It’s been estimated at about $400 million worth of value is being disposed of in landfills,” Sliver says. “And that is an opportunity to come back into the economy if that material was diverted, creating jobs, and building up Michigan’s economy in a magnitude of billions of dollars.”

Sliver says recycled materials could be used in manufacturing.  

He says the state currently recycles 15 percent of its solid waste. That’s half of the national average.