$3 Million Awarded For Central Indiana Waste Diversion Pilot Projects

Indiana’s Recycling Market Development board awarded three organizations with $3 million in funding to pilot waste diversion and reuse projects in Marion County. The funds will be administered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Recipients and the amounts awarded include:

Cascade Asset Management: $730,000 towards an innovative flat panel television recycling system that will allow the company to recycle an additional 1,000 tons annually.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway: $270,000 to expand public access to recycling at events hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through additional receptacles and education.

Republic Services: $2 million to install medium infrared (MIR) optical sorters to recover black plastic from single stream recycling programs in Indiana. The equipment, as part of a larger project, will help divert approximately 400,000 tons of plastic waste from landfills annually and create 60 jobs.

The Central Indiana Waste Diversion Pilot Project was established in 2022 by the Indiana General Assembly (HEA 1226) to determine the most practical and effective means of diverting recyclable materials from waste streams for the purpose of commercial reuses.

The projects demonstrate direct connectivity in diversion of valuable raw materials for procurement to identified Indiana end markets as a commodity. As a result, these projects will benefit Indiana’s economy through increased infrastructure for recycling, job creation, and helping to solve local supply chain and production issues. The projects will also serve as models that can be replicated throughout the state.

More information about Indiana’s Recycling Market Development Program including upcoming grant opportunities, can be found on IDEM’s website.