Recycling partnership working to improve residential recycling in Manchester Township
submitted by Shawn Personke, Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority
Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority (WWRA) has joined the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), The Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit organization that works with communities, companies, and governments to transform recycling, and nearly 100 other Michigan communities to help residents recycle more, better.
Starting in June 2022, and with the assistance of a $27,382 grant, the WWRA drop-off recycling program will be able to improve signage, engage with residents at drop-off recycling sites, and make site improvements to help residents be able to access recycling easier, and understand what is and isn’t recyclable.
“Recycling is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do,” said Marc Williams, WWRA Facility Manager. “Recycling properly saves our taxpayers money by reducing the cost of sending recyclable materials to the landfill, supports jobs, and improves the health of the environment. We have such a great community of recyclers and I know they want to recycle the right way. Through this campaign, we are providing them personalized, real-time feedback to do just that.”
“The Recycling Partnership is excited to continue working with MI EGLE and Michigan communities to improve residential recycling across the state,” said Cassandra Ford, Community Program Manager at The Recycling Partnership. “Through this project, we are helping capture more quality recyclables that are then transformed into new materials, as well as creating and supporting jobs, less waste, and stronger, healthier communities.”
“EGLE is excited to continue working with The Recycling Partnership and Michigan communities to continue to improve residential recycling through these quality improvement projects,” said Emily Freeman, Recycling Specialist with EGLE’s Materials Management Division. “We all have a role to play in the circular economy and these grants will help even more Michigan communities engage with their residents and improve the quality of recyclable materials collected in curbside and drop-off programs across Michigan.”
This year, more than $790,000 in grant funding will be allocated to 13 recycling program grantees, representing more than 362,000 households across the Great Lakes state. Overall, these 13 new grantees are building on the impact made during a 2021 project with a similar goal to improve recycling across Michigan that reached 100 communities and to expand Michigan’s award-winning Know It Before You Throw It campaign, aimed at increasing the state’s recycling rate to 30% by 2025.
Learn more about where you can recycle, as well as what is and is not acceptable at wwrarecycles.org.
Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority (WWRA) is a not-for-profit partnership of and subsidized by Manchester Township and four other municipalities (Townships of Dexter, Lyndon, and Lima, and the City of Chelsea) working together to find alternative ways to handle waste and promote reducing, reusing, and recycling. The townships are served by convenient drop-off centers while the City of Chelsea has weekly curbside recycling pick up. For more information, visit www.WWRArecycles.org.
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