In 2019, Circular Indiana partnered with Purdue University Environmental and Ecological Engineering Program, to produce an in-depth study of the recycling infrastructure of a 10-county region in Northwest Indiana.  This work was funded by a grant from the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network Regional Cultivation Fund.  The study zeros in on residential recycling activities via remote recycling drop offs, curbside collection programs, and at public and private recycling centers in the region.  

Over the course of 10 months, Circular Indiana (CI) engaged with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), six (6) solid waste management districts, 18 municipalities, and six (6) private recycling centers, multiple materials recovery facilities, public and private and haulers to better understand the following components of the regional recycling infrastructure: education, contamination, access, material flow, challenges, and investment opportunities.  

Using available and collected data, the team conducted an in-depth analysis leading to key findings for each theme which helped informed the final compilation of regional recommendations.  Over forty-five (45) region-specific recommendations are provided in detail and ranked and scored in list format.  A second short list of the top thirteen (13) recommendations that arose from the prioritization process is also provided at the end of this report.  CI is optimistic that the analysis and recommendations will spark conversations which lead to informed, forward-thinking solutions for the region that leverage local talent, build upon intimate knowledge held by regional recycling stakeholders, renew program vitality, and increase a sense of connectedness and regionalism within Northwest Indiana’s recycling system.  

The project was an enlightening process, both from collaborating with partners to develop methods of data collection, and from analyzing and understanding the results of that data.  CI is excited about the recommendations within this report and the ways in which this effort will continue to impact future studies and investments in Indiana’s recycling industry and the greater circular economy.  CI hopes the investment ideas proposed within the report garner the interest of local, state and national funders like the WHIN Regional Cultivation Fund, IDEM’s Recycling Market Development Grant Program, The Recycling Partnership, and others.