Four Indiana companies will receive grant dollars intended to help attract recycling industry jobs to the state. The funding represents the first grants made since the state froze the board’s funds in late 2008 to help offset state revenue shortfalls.
Bruce Burrow, Chairman of the Recycling Market Development Board (RMDB) said, “The Indiana Recycling Coalition, along with Senators Breaux and Kenley and RMDB members deserve credit for persuading officials in April to free up the funding that will assist companies to either expand operations or relocate to Indiana, thus potentially creating over 200 new full time jobs.”
$500,000 will be distributed by the RMDB to four companies, including South Bend-based Green Tech Transfer & Recycling. Green Tech will utilize the funding to purchase a wood waste and asphalt shingle grinding machine that turns wood products into mulch and the asphalt shingles into a material that can be added to the blacktop used to pave roads. The device will divert tens of thousands of cubic yards of construction and demolition waste each year from the state’s landfills.
Another grantee, Electronics Recycling International (ERI) cited Indiana’s new electronics recycling law as one reason for ERI’s new and growing presence in Indiana.
The two other companies awarded funds Thursday make bio-based plastics. The fund is sustained by fees trash haulers pay at Indiana’s landfills and continues to grow.
