There’s no way to put this lightly: Michigan’s recycling rate is abysmal. At 15% we are far below the national average of 29%. Why? The state has failed to make recycling a priority and until recently Detroit, our largest city, did not even offer curbside recycling.
Recycling is one way we can reduce our state’s carbon footprint. If we were to boost Michigan’s recycling rate to that of other Great Lakes states (31%) the annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be the equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the road.
Recycling also has economic benefits. Every year $400 million worth of material that could be reclaimed and recycled is dumped in landfills.
MEC works at the state level to advocate for policies that incentivize recycling, boost composting and reduce our reliance on landfills.