LANSING, Mich — Some Lansing residents are passionate about recycling, with the city collecting nearly 6,000 tons of recycled waste last year. Now, a new proposal could shift some recycling costs from taxpayers to product manufacturers.
- Lansing collected almost 6,000 tons of recycled waste last year.
- A new proposal would require manufacturers to pay into a recycling fund.
- The average Lansing taxpayer currently pays about $125 annually for recycling services.
Across Lansing neighborhoods, recycling bins tell the story of residents' commitment to environmental sustainability.
WATCH: Lansing considers new recycling program that could save taxpayers money
Julie Vandeboom is one such resident whose recycling bin is consistently filled to capacity.
"Jars, cans, bottles, boxes, anything that needs to be recycled, I will recycle," Vandeboom said.
Fellow Lansing resident Jill Dombrowski has been recycling for years and feels she's making a meaningful impact.
"It's a little bit of a boost, I feel good that I am helping to stop polluting our planet unnecessarily," Dombrowski said.
These dedicated recyclers are part of a larger trend in Lansing, where the city collected nearly 6,000 tons of recycled waste last year. This volume has prompted discussions about improving recycling methods.
Randy Dykhuis, who leads a city environmental committee, is at the forefront of these conversations.
"I am currently the chair of the mayor's advisory commission on sustainability," Dykhuis said.
Dykhuis and his team proposed a resolution to the city council Monday night, asking them to support a state initiative for an extended producer responsibility recycling method.
"What it's designed to do is make producers and packagers more responsible for the products that they make and package," Dykhuis said. "So under this proposal, producers who make products and make packaging would be required to pay into a fund that would aid for recycling and also disposal."
This approach could bring financial relief to Lansing residents. According to city data, the average taxpayer currently pays about $125 per year for recycling services.
"Producers and manufacturers can be more responsible for the waste they make and produce and with this in place, this could mean we get less waste because they may think twice on what they are producing," Dykhuis said.
The implementation details will be developed later if municipalities like Lansing support the initiative. Seven other states have already incorporated similar methods, according to officials.
Residents like Dombrowski welcome the potential change.
"Here we're holding them more accountable for the goods they put out in the world and I think that is really good," Dombrowski said.
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