Q. Who is involved in recycling in Indiana?
A. It takes a village! The key players in the recycling industry in Indiana are:
Indiana’s Solid Waste Management Districts - operates county recycling centers, public drop offs, & education programs
Indiana’s Household Hazardous Waste Task Force - collects house hold hazardous waste through tox-drop programs and tox-away days
Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) - permitting, reporting, education, & regulatory body
Cities & towns DPWs and Offices of Sustainability - in charge of contracts with curbside collection service providers
Haulers - Republic Services, Ray’s Trash & Recycling, Rumpke, Waste Management, Quincy Recycle, & Best Way are Indiana’s main waste & recycling haulers.
Q. What can you recycle in Indiana?
A. This list varies by community - get in touch with your Solid Waste Management District or city DPW for accurate information. Here is a general list of what is recyclable in Indiana from IDEM.
Q. Where can I recycle in Indiana?
A. First check to see if your city or town offers curbside collection of recyclables or operates public recycling drop offs. As a business you can subscribe to recycling services via a private hauler in your area (see list above). For additional information visit IRC’s online recycling locator called RecycleSearch.
Q. What is Indiana’s Recycling Rate?
A. Indiana has a 50% recycling goal - however our current recycling rate hovers under 17%. See this page for information about how Indiana’s recycling rate compares to the national average. Included below are Recycling Activity Summary Reports from IDEM which track progress on our 50% recycling goal.
Indiana Recycling Activity Report 2017 - 16.8%
Indiana Recycling Activity Report 2016 - 16.7%
Indiana Recycling Activity Report 2015 - 11.7%
Municipal Solid Waste Characterization Study for Indiana 2012
Additional Recycling Resources - A to Z
Alliance to Save Energy
Composting Council
Guide to Composting your Apartment
Compost and Mulch
Composting for Facilities
Earth Day Indiana
Earth Day Network
Earth Day Network Green Your School Guide
Environmental Education Association of Indiana
Envirolink Network
Environmental News Network
How to Reduce Your Water Footprint
Indiana Dept of Natural Resources
Indiana Greening the Government Program
Indianapolis Recycling Locations
Internet Consumer Recycling Guide
Junk Mail
Managing and Transforming Waste Streams Tool
Mercury Information and Programs
Needle Disposal
Recycling At Work
Report Illegal Dumping
Reuse Development Organization
Saving Money & the Environment: A Kid’s Guide to Recycling
State Electronics Challenge
Steel Recycling Institute
Vinyl Siding
Wheels for Wishes (Car donation)
Worm Bins and Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting: Composting with Worms