By Tanya Cabala, WMEAC’s Lakeshore Outreach Organizer
Muskegon, MI. May 9, 2024 – West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) is pleased to announce that it has received support from the Environmental Endowment Fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County for its innovative recycling initiative, “Revitalizing Recycling: Transforming Muskegon County’s Sustainability Landscape.”
The grant, awarded through the Spring 2024 Committee Grant Round, will support WMEAC’s efforts, with a group of community leaders, a Recycling Leadership Team, to help improve recycling infrastructure and increase recycling rates throughout Muskegon County. The initiative, which aligns with the Foundation’s Environmental Committee priorities, aims to address recycling challenges, and promote environmental sustainability in the region.
According to Janelle Mair, Vice President of Community Investment for the Foundation, “We supported WMEAC’s recycling efforts several years ago, and this grant will build on those efforts and support the next steps to get recycling infrastructure in place. The Environmental Committee recognizes the need and the value of investing in recycling in Muskegon County and is glad WMEAC is continuing to lead and inspire our municipalities and community members towards increased participation in recycling efforts.”
“We are grateful to the Community Foundation for Muskegon County for its support of this important recycling initiative,” said Tanya Cabala, Lakeshore Outreach Organizer at WMEAC. “This funding will enable us to work alongside community partners to advance necessary improvements and work towards creating a more sustainable future for Muskegon County.”
The “Revitalizing Recycling” initiative will focus on three key areas:
- Enhanced Inter-Municipal Collaboration:
- Organizing meetings to gather input from municipalities, align strategies, share best practices, and identify potential collaborative cost saving measures.
- Fostering a cohesive and coordinated effort among municipalities to address recycling challenges at a broader county level.
- Public Awareness Campaigns:
- Developing a comprehensive communications plan and educational materials, based on updated recycling infrastructure information, to raise awareness and foster a sense of responsibility.
- Establishing partnerships with schools, municipalities, and organizations to educate the community on the why, how, and where of recycling in Muskegon County.
- Comprehensive Recycling Coverage Countywide:
- Collaborating with interested community partners to design and propose a central collection hub and recycling drop-off center model, ensuring broader coverage and increased participation to align with new requirements of the state solid waste law, Pt. 115, that requires counties to improve recycling services and programs in the next several years.
“We believe that by working together with local partners and community stakeholders, we can make significant strides towards achieving our recycling goals,” according to Doug Wood of Muskegon Rotary, a co-chair of the Recycling Leadership Team guiding the project.
According to the Team’s additional co-chair, Cedar Creek Township Supervisor, Linda Aerts, “The “Revitalizing Recycling” initiative is especially important because it aims to educate residents on waste reduction and recycling and contribute improvements to our area’s environmental quality.”
