INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana is investing millions to improve recycling accessibility.
Indiana recycles at a rate of 19%, which is significantly lower than the national average of 35%.
“We have come a long way since we started taking numbers and reporting them,” explained Deanna Garner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). “We’re still working our way towards doing better."
IDEM has awarded $3.7 million through the Recycling Market Development Program (RMDP) to five organizations aimed at enhancing recycling efforts in central Indiana.
Garner highlighted that some projects will address the challenges of recycling sensitive items such as electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, and construction materials.
Republic Services, one of the grant recipients, plans to utilize the funding to implement advanced artificial intelligence technology.
In a statement provided to WRTV, Republic Services Vice President of Recycling and Sustainability Pete Keller said the following:
Republic Services is proud to be partnering with the City of Fishers to expand curbside recycling to all households as of Jan. 1, 2025.
Recycling collected from households and businesses in Fishers is brought to Republic Services’ Indianapolis 96th Street recycling center to be processed. Recycled plastics from this facility will then go to Republic Services’ new Polymer Center, whose grand opening we are celebrating March 18. The Polymer Center will produce recycled plastics that can be remanufactured into new sustainable packaging, supporting the circular economy in Indiana.
The grant will support an innovative new optical sorting unit for our 96th Street recycling center, helping increase the volume and quality of recycled plastics, including PET (#1), HDPE (#2) and PP (#5). Optical sorting units are AI-powered and can identify and separate different types of plastics in milliseconds. In turn, this new technology will enable more plastics to be processed at the Polymer Center, creating more high-quality recycled feedstock for use by Indiana-based manufacturers.
Garner emphasized the broader benefits of these recycling initiatives.
“It helps create jobs. It helps overall reduce pollution—air, land, and water—that IDEM is seeking to keep clean for Indiana," Garner said.
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Garner encouraged residents to participate in various recycling programs, whether through local drop-off sites or residential collection services.
“We can all recycle, and recycling does make a difference in our state,” she added.
More information about where to find recycling options around the state can be found here.
