What’s happening: An AI-powered battery recycling operation in Wixom; a way to repurpose glass waste into premium architectural tiles in Southfield; and a pilot program to distribute unsold produce to community food pantries in Detroit are among those projects to secure their share of $5.6 million in Circular Economy Grants from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). A total of 30 projects won the grants intended to advance recycling efforts and develop circular supply chains throughout the state.
What it means: Circular supply chains aim to minimize waste through recycling and other means, making better use of resources and preventing materials from ending up in landfills. The 30 projects selected for the grants achieve that through “material reuse, repair, remanufacturing, recycling, organics recovery, composting, and increasing markets for recovered materials,” per a release from EGLE, and can be found in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in communities urban, suburban, and rural throughout the state.
Small towns, big plans: Of those winning projects happening in metro Detroit, it’s a list that includes Cirba Solutions in Wixom, which received $193,155 to install an AI-powered battery recycling sorting system; Great Lakes Recycling of Oak Park, which received $155,000 for equipment to dismantle and ship used electric (EV) battery packs; and PLOP in Southfield, which received $250,000 for materials and equipment that converts glass waste into premium architectural tiles. Projects in Bloomfield, Farmington Hills, and Harper Hoods were also among the group of 30 grantees.
Why it’s important: “The Circular Economy Grants fund innovation and collaboration to reimagine the reuse and recycling of materials,” says Matt Flechter, recycling markets specialist with EGLE. “Through programs like
NextCycle and accompanying grants, Michigan is progressing toward the goal of a 30 percent recycling rate by 2029. Michigan’s economy and our environment both benefit when we attract and grow innovative businesses like these.”
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.