This month, The Recycling Partnership and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy announced communities with fewer than 10,000 households are eligible for a grant to introduce communitywide projects aimed at reducing recycling contamination and improving the quality of materials recycled at curbside, drop-off locations or multifamily properties. 

In total, $800,000 will be available for Michigan communities. Together we can help Michiganders statewide learn the rules of recycling and gain knowledge and confidence to improve their recycling habits.

In addition to continuing to build on the success of Michigan’s award-winning Know It Before You Throw It recycling education campaign, grantees with curbside recycling service will utilize The Partnership’s nationally acclaimed Feet on the Street cart-tagging program – an initiative designed to improve the quality of curbside recycling by providing residents personalized and real-time education and feedback on their curbside recycling practices. In addition, selected curbside grantees will benefit from using The Partnership’s new mobile app. In contrast, all grantees will implement effective recycling education materials such as direct mail and targeted digital and social media campaigns. 

Grantees with drop-off recycling services will use a modified version of Feet on the Street to combat recycling contamination and illegal dumping at recycling drop-off sites while improving awareness and participation in the local recycling program. Selected grantees will benefit from inclusive signage and site improvements, security upgrades for features such as cameras, increased recycling participation, and other opportunities to educate households on what is and isn’t recyclable. 

Multifamily program grantees will participate in projects to engage with their residents directly on-site and provide education through signage, direct mail, and printed materials.  

All Michigan community recycling programs can apply for grants of up to $4 per household for curbside programs and up to $3 per household for drop-off programs.  These grants are first come, first served, so there is no application deadline. Applications are due March 10, 2023, and complete instructions can be found in the request for proposal (RFP) at recyclingpartnership.org/michiganrfp. 

Herasanna Richards is a legislative associate handling energy, environmental, elections, and external municipal services for the League. She can be reached at [email protected].