GRAND RAPIDS – West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum will present a luncheon on the Governor?s Recycling Initiative on February 9 at Grand Rapids Brewing Company in downtown Grand Rapids.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has announced a statewide plan designed to increase access to residential recycling throughout the state. He has appointed a nine-member Michigan Recycling Council to guide the plan?s implementation.
?Michigan has a strong tradition of protecting and enhancing its environment,? Snyder said at the time. ?But when it comes to recycling, we must do better. Michigan trails other Great Lakes states and much of the nation in residential recycling. It?s a complex challenge, but one that we can address. This plan puts us on the right path.?
According to Snyder, Michigan?s recycling rate for residential household waste is about 15 percent while the national average is 35 percent. A recent study concluded more than $435 million in recyclables in the state are landfilled each year.
Steering that effort on behalf of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is Matt Flechter, the DEQ?s Recycling and Composting Coordinator.
The meeting will also feature a presentation on the Michigan MSW Waste Characterization and Valuation Study, a project of the WMSBF Solid Waste Task Force.
