Title
Resolution to Advocate for the Expansion of State of Michigan Recycling Grants
Memorandum
The State of Michigan through the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy provides a series of grant opportunities for third parties to promote recycling in the state. These grant programs include efforts to promote recycling among citizens, to build recycling infrastructure, and also to contribute to the research and development of recycling end markets. This last grant program, the end-market development, is of particular interest to the city because of the importance of developing markets where recyclable materials can be economically used as a resource, especially given the disruption in the international recycling market that has caused the purchase price of recyclable materials to plummet.
Staff
Prepared by: John Fournier, Assistant City Administrator
Reviewed by:
Approved by: Howard Lazarus, City Administrator
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Ann Arbor is a community dedicated to environmental stewardship, sustainability, and creative problem solving; and
WHEREAS, The City has historically been a leader in recycling, both in terms of community participation and in the innovative recycling programs that we have implemented; and
WHEREAS, Over the last two years the market price of recyclable materials has dropped significantly, causing a crisis in local recycling markets and causing many municipalities to divert recyclable materials to landfills; and
WHEREAS, While the City of Ann Arbor has maintained its recycling program over this stretch of time, it is clear that new end-market recycling opportunities need to be developed domestically to promote diversion of recyclable materials and bolster local recycling programs nationwide; and
WHEREAS, in 2014 the State of Michigan created a recycling grant program under the now-named department of Environment, Great Leaks, and Energy to proposes to fund recycling end-market development opportunities among other important programs; and
WHEREAS, in FY2019 the State of Michigan funded the recycling end-market development grant program at $2 million, with a maximum grant amount of $500,000; and
WHEREAS, recognizing the extent of the solid waste and recycling issues that we face, and the resource intensive nature of recycling product development and research, $2 million is insufficient to meet these challenges; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the City of Ann Arbor urges the state legislature and the governor to prioritize and substantially increase funding for the recycling end-market development grant program for future budget years.