IDEM Awards $1.4 Million in Recycling Expansion Grants

(UNDATED) – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) Recycling Market Development Program (RMDP) awarded 12 organizations including some locally with more than $1.4 million in grant funding to expand recycling efforts in Indiana.

The 12 grant recipients are located across Indiana and plan to expand recycling efforts through a variety of projects.

IDEM Commissioner Bruno Pigott

“We are happy to award grant funding to communities across the state to help expand their recycling programs,” said IDEM Commissioner Bruno Pigott. “The efforts made by these organizations will help Indiana get closer to our statewide recycling goal of 50%.”

City of West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County – Awarded $60,000 to purchase curbside food waste collection equipment. The equipment is part of an effort to expand the city’s educational food waste collection and energy conversion program. The program will divert approximately 165 tons of food waste from the waste stream annually.

CW Recycling, LLC, Marion County – Awarded $250,000 to fund the purchase of automated recycling equipment that will allow the company to triple its ability to recycle construction and demolition (C&D) debris. This project will result in an increase of about 40,000 tons of recycled C&D debris each year.

Dubois County Solid Waste Management District – Awarded $10,772.82 to provide a disposal option for large or refrigerant-based appliances and a space to store large, previously used items for residents to reuse. Both projects will help the district double the amount of material they divert from landfills.

Growing Green, Inc., Morgan County – Awarded $249,175 to purchase a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) optical sorting unit for a new materials recovery facility. This facility will have the capacity to process 30,000 tons of recyclable material annually.

Martin County Solid Waste District – Awarded $91,212.50 to purchase a cardboard compactor truck that will allow the district to expand their recycling routes and increase the amount of recyclable material collected. This project will divert an additional 390,000 pounds of cardboard from landfills annually.

Munster High School, Lake County – Awarded $5,185 to expand the school’s recycling collection program, including monthly recycling dumpster rental and pickup services. The school’s goal is to implement a streamlined recycling program and increase awareness among students about the importance of recycling.

O’Bryan Barrel Company, Vanderburgh County – Awarded $250,000 to purchase a new plastic wash line and grinding components. The new equipment will allow the company to recycle plastic drums and tote bottles into plastic pellets that can be used to make other products.

Opportunity Enterprises, Inc., Porter County – Awarded $60,050 to purchase and install a new baler that will enable the nonprofit organization to recycle an additional 1,000 tons of shredded paper each year.

Posey County Solid Waste Management District – Awarded $5,000 to purchase an industrial paper shredder, which will allow the district to offer paper shredding to the residents of Posey and surrounding counties.

Rumpke of Indiana, Inc., Jackson County – Awarded $175,000 to expand the company’s recycling facility. The facility expansion project will increase capacity and bolster recycling opportunities for rural communities and businesses in Jackson and surrounding counties.

Smith Creek, Floyd County – Awarded $250,000 to purchase a mobile diesel wood grinder to grind wood waste and create animal bedding products. This grant will allow Smith Creek to process an additional 10,000 tons of wood waste annually.

Warren County Solid Waste District – Awarded $22,595.50 to purchase recycling bins, a recycling trailer, and a glass pulverizing machine. Material created by the glass pulverizer will be used by the Warren County Highway Department as a construction aggregate.

By fostering recycling markets in Indiana through RMDP grants, IDEM supports the growth of the state’s private recycling sector infrastructure. In 2019, RMDP awarded more than $1.4 million in grants to 12 projects with an expected total investment of more than $15.1 million. The projects will help create 47 jobs and increase the amount of municipal solid waste, construction and demolition debris, and wood waste that is recycled by almost 85,000 tons.  

More information about RMDP grants, including upcoming grant opportunities, can be found on IDEM’s website

About the Recycling Market Development Program

The Recycling Market Development Program operates under the Recycling Market Development Board as established by IC 4-23-5.5. Grant money for the program comes from the Recycling Promotion and Assistance Fund, an account generated by a per-ton fee on solid waste disposed at Indiana landfills. The fund supports source reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting to prevent solid waste from being permanently disposed.  

About IDEM

IDEM (www.idem.IN.gov) implements federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through compliance assistance, incentive programs and educational outreach, the agency encourages and aids citizens, government, businesses and other organizations to protect Hoosiers and the environment.