One of the country’s largest waste management companies said it plans to expand its footprint in Michigan with a new $35 million facility in Detroit. The new facility will serve as a recycling hub for the six other WM facilities in the state. Aaron Johnson is the Great Lakes Area Vice President for WM. He said only 20% of Detroiters are enrolled in curbside recycling pickup, which means a lot of recycling is ending up in the trash.
“Our hope is to increase the participation rates in Detroit. But before we can get more people to recycle, we got to add capacity because there’s just not a lot of capacity on the market today to process those materials,” he said. Johnson said WM currently collects about 60% of the trash, recycling, and yard waste from Detroiters. He said efforts to increase recycling participation will include social media campaigns as well as school visits to encourage kids and families to recycle.
“We’re more than just a waste company. We’re a sustainability company,” Johnson said. “Yes, we’re known for our landfills and the waste that we manage for people and for companies, but we want to create a circular economy, and we want to be at the center of the sustainability discussion.”