The Indiana Recycling Coalition (IRC) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a year-long campaign that aims to celebrate the past, present, and future of the organization.
We will be recognizing key leaders, sharing member’s stories of impact, and raising funds to fuel our mission of working together to strengthen the circular economy in Indiana.
To celebrate the past 30 years, the IRC has identified 30 Recycling Rock Stars; individuals who have made a significant impact on the organization, its mission, and the circular economy in the state of Indiana.
Congratulations to our Recycling Rock Stars:
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The IRC will be recognizing these individuals by profiling them on this website, highlighting them via social media posts using the hashtag #IRCturns30, and recognizing them during a celebration planned for June 10, 2020. Once their profiles have been launched, there will be a hyperlink from their name in the chart above to their profile.
Individuals and organizations were encouraged to nominate individuals who have made a significant impact on the circular economy in Indiana, which includes the topics of recycling, waste reduction, reuse, composting, and rethink/redesign. Areas of impact included education, philanthropy, innovation, advocacy, community impact, and program implementation.
The IRC started in December 1989 as a group of dedicated and passionate individuals wanting to increase Hoosiers’ awareness of and access to recycling. The original purpose of the organization, as outlined in the Articles of Incorporation, was “to promote all aspects of source reduction, reuse and recycling of solid waste.”
The original founding directors represented a variety of perspectives from all over the state including local government, the recycling industry, and citizen groups. The organization was entirely volunteer-led until the early 2000’s when it employed its first part time Executive Director.
Over the years, the IRC grew in membership and strengthened its relationships with local governments, state agencies, and the recycling industry. It has hosted an Annual Conference for every year of its existence, and that tradition continues today. We currently maintain nearly 250 members, ranging from individual citizens to public servants and industry professionals.
The Indiana Recycling Coalition is heavily invested in helping the state achieve its goal of a 50% recycling rate. Currently, the state’s recycling rate is 16.8%. To achieve this goal, Indianapolis, the largest city in the state, must have a robust and sustainable recycling program.
Beginning in late 2018, the IRC began prioritizing our support for the City of Indianapolis to achieve its recycling and waste minimization goals, as outlined in the Thrive Indianapolis Plan, by coordinating resources and expertise from national, state, and local partners. This will require a multi-year initiative that activates our expertise in education, advocacy, and industry stakeholder engagement. The IRC is the organization best positioned to lead this effort.
We are intentionally aligning our programs to address Indianapolis’ waste and recycling challenges while also engaging with and providing benefit to our partners across the state, including Solid Waste Management Districts, state and local governments, industry, institutions, and individual Hoosiers. We will do this in a way that leverages Indiana’s recycling infrastructure, our industry partners, and local governments to increase their capacity and effectiveness.
We recognize that in order to strengthen the circular economy in Indiana, we must also go beyond recycling and pursue opportunities to revisit the linear model of our consumption of resources. As we work to improve recycling in Indianapolis and Indiana, we will seek opportunities that allow us to develop, nurture, and advocate for Indiana’s circular economy. The future demands that we not only maximize the positive impacts of a recycling economy, but that we invest in the sustainability of a circular economy.