Page 56 - Plastics News July 2024

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ing their recycling behavior for the better following plan focusing on recyclable materials.
EGLE’s 2019 launch of its “Know It Before You Throw
It” recycling education campaign. “Now that Part 115 has been updated, we will see all
Michigan counties begin to plan for the first time in
In 2008, the Michigan Recycling Coalition began a 25 years for materials management,” O’Brien said. “I
concerted effort to educate and to provide a vision think we’ll see more advancement, more conversa-
about how the state’s recycling system could grow, tion, more opportunities and more recognition that
identifying ongoing funding as the key, O’Brien these services that need to be paid for will be paid
said. Once then-Gov. Rick Snyder came on board for.
with that vision, she said, he saw the opportunities
and helped the organization spearhead an effort to Michigan is at the start of its recycling journey, and
move funding through the legislature. needs much more investment for a full transition
into a circular economy, she said.
“Parallel to that effort, he recognized that the state
agency needed to facilitate industry leaders with “Recycling has been around for years and years,
a conversation around how Michigan’s solid waste but it’s really been since 2018 that Michigan has in-
laws could be more inclusive of productive materials vested in a meaningful and ongoing way, and we’re
management,” she added. seeing progress with that investment,” O’Brien said.
“If we’re going to put more use back into that mate-
Looking ahead rial, it’s going to require more investment. Statewide

In 2022, an update to the state’s solid waste law, leadership is important but all of this work really
known as Part 115 of the Natural Resources and En- does happen at the community level.”
vironmental Protection Act, became law. Source – Resource Recycling

Included in the package of bills was a mandate for
counties to implement a materials management

Plastics Recycling Conference 2024:

Charting a course in plastic recycling

58 PLASTICS NEWS July 2024