HOW READY IS YOUR IDEA?

Core materials needing improved collection and access include:

• Food Waste

• Glass

• Plastics

• Corrugated cardboard

Core focus for collection and access includes multi-family and rural residential curbside, commercial collection, comprehensive drop-offs statewide, and aceess .

100 strategically placed comprehensive drop-off centers would provide access to 98% of Michiganders and recover an additional 411,950 tons/year. The map to the right demonstrates where comprehensive drop-offs have the opportunity to reach the majority of Michigan’s population.

Michigan has the opportunity to build additional jobs and accelerate recovery of material by establishing additional end markets in the state and ensuring feedstock to current markets. The map to the right shows existing end markets in the state and reveals core gaps:

• No glass cullet end markets

• No aluminum UBC plants

• Regional disparities in markets

• Lack of robust markets for mixed plastics or film plastics

Collection encompasses the logistics of getting materials from where they are generated to a location to be processed. With those logistics comes the containers for collection, the methods used, and corresponding infrastructure. Known best practices for collection include:

• Use of carts for curbside programs with automated collection

• Pay as you throw cost structures and other program design considerations not limited to collection schedule.

• Educational components incorporated

• Hub & Spoke model utilized for optimal efficiency

• Comprehensive drop-off sites for collecting non-traditional recycling

• Specifically designed solutions for Multi-family

Processing of recoverable materials includes typical recyclables (paper, plastics, metals, glass) in addition to organics. Best practices include consideration for single vs. dual stream, strategic location of processing facilities, planning for material flow in processing facilities, including identification of end markets with an eye towards ‘highest and best use’ and regional end market opportunities. Technological investments and utilization of emerging technologies are well recognized for benefits of MRF automation.

Read this brief story about some of the robotic technology helping recover material in Michigan.

Organics processing also has known best practices in addition to policies and regulations to consider. Processing of food waste is a large gap in Michigan and it is a priority to ensure quality processing of this material stream. Site design, consideration for run-off, types of materials accepted, and day-to-day logistics all have associated best practices. Practices may vary by the type of organics processing whether windrow composting, anaerobic digestion, vermicomposting or other emerging processes.

Read this brief story on Ann Arbor working towards a robust organics processing.

Ensuring domestic end markets for recyclable materials is essential. End Market development requires collaboration, research, innovation, and application. Markets should understand material generation and available feedstock, learn about material value and market pricing, and design around potential fluctuations. Additionally, end markets should focus on quality of recovery to ensure materials can return to equal or better value.

Education is an important aspect of any initiative especially for recycling programs. Community engagement programs with regularly updated outreach improve the economics of recycling and achieve collection of a consistent and broad range of materials.

• Education supports increasing volume and quality of materials.

• Includes research to define goals and target audiences, planning for the delivery of messages, implementation of educational efforts, and finally evaluation to understand if efforts were successful.

• Ongoing touch points may include distribution of new recycling guides, use of ‘OOPS’ tags, web or social media engagement, among other opportunities.

Municipal and county codes, fees and ordinances as well as state-level laws or initiatives that support increased value capture and landfill diversion all may impact program or project development and need to be explored. Key practices relating to policy and legal negotiations include:

• Single Hauler contracts for one or a collection of communities

• Requests for Proposals (RFPs) well designed to incorporate best practices and standards

• Publicly committed goals and targets

• Pay-as-you-throw is an effective policy to reduce waste and encourage recycling

• Ordinances and tip fee surcharges can both encourage and help cover costs for recycling.

Pay attention to policies, codes, standards and specifications that exist in your area. Find resources in the Resource Library relating to these topics.

You don’t need to do it alone. Public-Private partnerships demonstrate agreements and financing approaches that leverage the human resources and financial capital of the private sector to assist local governments with recycling system and infrastructure projects. Public-Private partnerships can take a variety of forms to effectively implement recycling solutions.

• Recycling Authorities are organizing mechanisms for public-private partnerships. For examples, Oakland County is host to two: RRRASOC and SOCCRA

• Public-Private collaboration extends to contracting for single haulers to service communities

• Intergovernmental Agreements allow for communities (cities, townships, counties) to join together to achieve economies of scale, allowing for more competitive contracting, franchising, or program development.

Learn more below about partnership opportunities as a pathway for funding.

$100,000 Grants for Project Development Grants

$500,000 Grants for Project Implementation Grants

$3.28 Billion in Grants and an additional $453 Million in Contracts were budgeted in 2019 for the following, and other, agencies for small business innovation. These can be valuable places to look for funding.

• Environmental Protection Agency ​

• Department of Energy (DOE)

• Department of Defense (DoD)

• National Science Foundation (NSF)

• Department of Transportation (DOT)

Impact based financing is a growing investment focus with both capital and programming support an aspect of existing and emerging programs such as the following:

• Centrepolis Accelerator (C3 Program)

• Closed Loop Partners

• PRIME Coalition

• Wells Fargo Cleantech Innovation Incubator

At this phase you likely have a problem identified you want a solve, a specific material to address, or even exploring potential ways to collaborate.

MICROS could be a great starting point.

Whether you have just completed testing or starting to plan researching this phase is still high risk for many investors and often a point in need of a variety of support.

MICROS funding can help support early development and other Innovation Challenges can provide support for emerging from this phase.

At this phase you are likely designing your business canvas or refining your project scope. Partners are important to build or keep building at this phase.

Gaining support from Innovation Challenges are valuable for this stage.

Lots of detailing, development and networking occurs in this stage. Other considerations may include navigating contracts, legal requirements, and especially teeing funding commitments.

Gaining support from Innovation Challenges are valuable for this stage. At this point you may be ready to consider funding opportunity such as EGLE Recycling Grants.

At this stage you have put in the work to plan and develop a robust idea which is well vetted. Your project demonstrates minimal risk to investors with high potential for impact.

EGLE Recycling Grants may be a pathway for funding among other options.