Indiana’s Recycling Coalition has launched a collaborative project which seeks to further the success of the Indianapolis waste and recycling initiatives, Waste 360 reported.

Titled the Indianapolis Circular Economy Initiative (ICEI), this project is being organized with cooperation from the City of Indianapolis and a number of stakeholders. Its goal is to help the city’s Thrive Indianapolis Plan be a success moving forward. 

ICEI was an idea that originally was conceived in 2019 and hopes to help create jobs, promote innovative solutions and investments, as well as improve the economy and social and environmental aspects of the city and state. 

ICEI’s first big policy change was to give the Indianapolis City-County Council the task of creating a solid waste management district for Marion County. 

Indianapolis has long struggled to generate the funding needed to support their waste and recycling program, using the city’s general funds to remain in operation. 

“Historic funding challenges have created obstacles not only in providing these key services, but also in adoption of new diversion methods, such as curbside recycling or composting. Over the next five years, our department and key stakeholders will undertake a collaborative effort to reimagine how the City approaches solid waste management,” Daniel Parker, Director of Public Works for the city, told Waste 360. 

Indianapolis has a recycling rate of only 7%, one of the worst in the Midwest.

While there is not one single reason that the city has failed in recycling initiatives in the past, one factor is that Indianapolis residents are not given curbside recycling services. This means that residents are responsible for collecting and delivering their recyclables to the correct facility — which requires a great deal of effort. There are only 16 public drop off points for residents to use or they are required to pay $100 per year to have a semi-monthly curbside service — which only 10% of the city’s households choose.

Mayor Joe Hogsett wrote that now is the time for a recycling program to be implemented. 

“Based on Indiana Recycling Coalition’s demonstrated leadership, I am confident that our city can take advantage of these waste management opportunities,” Hogsett wrote in a release, Waste 360 reported.