Press release: NextCycle Michigan to award more than $50K dollars SHOWCASE
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is pleased to announce the NextCycle Michigan Showcase at the Michigan Recycling Coalition’s Fall Into Recycling educational workshop, Oct. 6-7 at the Michigan State University Management Education Center, 811 W. Square Lake Road, Troy.
An initiative of EGLE, NextCycle Michigan has prepared 24 presenting teams for implementation and funding. At the Showcase, the teams will demonstrate for judges, public-sector decision-makers, and private-sector investors the potential of their innovative ideas in four pitch categories: beyond recycling, community-based solutions, shovel-ready, and turning the wheel of innovations. EGLE Director Liesl Clark will present over $50,000 in award funding from NextCycle sponsors to further support team initiatives, accelerate the circular economy, and advance climate health in Michigan.
For more information on the NextCycle Michigan Showcase and MRC Fall Into Recycling programming, or to purchase tickets, visit the event’s website.
Read the full press release here: NextCycle Michigan to award more than $50K dollars to environmental businesses and initiatives
THE TEAMS
Beyond Recycling
Projects that go beyond traditional recycling, providing a spark for a more diverse and robust circular economy in Michigan.
Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit: Deconstructs buildings in Southeast Michigan to keep environmental resources out of the waste stream and to make affordable housing materials available to low- and moderate-income families.
City of Ann Arbor: An initiative that aims to stimulate the expansion of the circular economy in and around Ann Arbor, MI.
City of Mt. Pleasant: A collaboration between the City of Mt. Pleasant and Central Michigan University to explore co-digestion of food waste and sludge at the waste water treatment plant.
Pink Elephant Products and Events: Seeks to expand zero-waste event services in Southeast Michigan to recover valuable materials for marketing and diversion from the landfill.
Public Thread: Seeks to develop and market a line of recycling collection bags made from waste vinyl billboards.
RRRASOC & SOCRRA: Develop a strategic Storm and Disaster Debris Management Plan.
Suppliers Partnership for the Environment: Seeks to develop a circular system for recycling the packaging of auto parts along the supply chain.
Community-based Solutions
Community projects to increase access to recycling and material management programs to meet local needs.
Biz Aid LLC: Seeks to develop and expand a hub and spoke collection network in parts of Southwest Michigan that lack recycling access.
HSC Foundation, Alger County, Schoolcraft County: Pursuing recycling solutions in the Upper Peninsula including re-development of an old transfer station and engagement around recycling in the region.
Michigan Technological University: Collaborating to plan a construction section of recycled glass asphalt pavement in Dickinson County.
Northeast Michigan Council of Governments: Providing supportive educational and professional services to 8 Northeast MI rural counties desiring to provide a robust, collaborative resource recovery program for its constituents.
Pontiac Regional Chamber of Commerce: Aligning communities on recycling opportunities and collaborative approaches to improve access and keep value in the region.
Shiawassee Health and Wellness: Seeking to expand recycling and vocation opportunities.
West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum: Developing recycling infrastructure and circular economy opportunities in Benton Harbor.
Shovel-Ready
Projects ready to break new ground and execute public and private partnerships. These solutions are primed for funding and implementation.
BSG Tire Recycling, Porous Pave Inc.: Turning Detroit-based scrap tires into a valuable community asset.
Goodwill Industries of West Michigan & HydroBlox: Seeking to utilize recycled plastic to be manufactured into storm water drainage systems.
Noble Polymers: Seeks to pivot its business model to focus on producing post-consumer recycled content resin and other sustainable polymer inputs such as hemp plastic and plastic from MSW.
St. Clair County Road Commission:
Technisoil Industrial: Aims to pilot roads made using plastic waste in Michigan.
Turning the Wheel of Innovation
Projects focused on the recovery of materials generated across the automotive life cycle and/or plastics supply chains.
American Classic Construction and Supply: Pursuing the development of a portable grinding operation to service all of Michigan.
Edge Materials Management: Seek to expand to post-consumer materials, with an initial focus on agricultural and marine film plastic.
GAIA Analytical Sciences: Developing a novel method for rapid road repair that includes a high percentage of scrap tire rubber in the mixture.
NecoTech: Creating asphalt from mixed plastics that will be used for the replacement of deteriorating roads, bridges, and highways.
Rampf Group Inc.: Seeks to test the efficacy of hot melt adhesives, produced from recycled PET, mixed with asphalt.
ReCharge Recycling: Seeks to develop a phased approach to collect, discharge, test, refurbish and ultimately process and recycle lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles and other sources.
VMX International: Seeking to develop a recycling center in the city of Detroit focused on lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles.