Eight Indiana recyclers have received grant funding totaling $1 million from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Recycling Market Development Program to expand recycling throughout the state. The efforts are part of a combined $2 million commitment to operations that will benefit the environment and result in the creation of new jobs. A couple of area groups were among the recipients of those grants.

IDEM says that the city of Shelbyville is receiving $118,250 to initiate its first curbside recycling program. The program will include collecting commingled recycling products at up to 5,500 homes within the city. Recyclables will be collected by the City of Shelbyville Street and Sanitation Department on a weekly basis. IDEM says that currently, the Shelbyville provides curbside trash service to all city residents with a voluntary paper recycling program. Their goal is to provide all city residents with a full service, convenient program to exponentially increase recycling participation and to significantly lower the amount of refuse taken to the landfill.

Rumpke in Jackson County is receiving $87,425 to develop a recycling collection point at the Rumpke Medora Landfill. The project will include the construction of a 5,540 square foot pad with an enclosure to protect a horizontal baler as well as loose, single stream recycling services for both residential and commercial entities in adjacent counties. Rumpke will provide a compactor unit with a receiver box and a horizontal baler with infeed conveyor to support this project.

IDEM says that the Recycling Market Development Program was established in the early 1990s to better manage solid waste by developing markets for recycling. Municipalities, non-profit organizations and public and private businesses located and doing business in Indiana are eligible to apply for funding. Eligible candidates may seek a grant starting at $1,000 and up to $500,000, with a 50 percent required match.