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Michigan City panel presses for stronger recycling at festivals and city events
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Summary
Commissioners urged more aggressive recycling at summer events, discussed providing toters or small recycling dumpsters, staffing bins, and coordinating pickups with the waste district to reduce landfill tipping fees and increase diversion.
At the Feb. 12 meeting the Michigan City Sustainability Commission focused substantial discussion on improving recycling at city-sponsored events after members said last summer’s events had little visible recycling.
Commissioner Abigail Neary and others said informal observation showed low recycling rates and urged practical steps: stationing people by waste containers to guide attendees, using familiar curbside-style toters or small recycling dumpsters for events, and scheduling drop-off and pickup logistics with Michigan City Refuse to avoid leaving volunteers with heavy bags.
A participant noted the fiscal incentive: "Our tipping fees last year for garbage for the city were in 400,000 plus dollars," and another observed the total may have exceeded $500,000. Commissioners said increased diversion could reduce landfill fees and suggested the city communicate changes through water bills, social media and press releases. They also recommended engaging the mayor's office and Chris Carter at the waste district to develop operational plans.
The commission discussed alternatives to single-use water bottles, including refill stations and refill troughs connected to city water for festivals, and proposed pursuing grants to purchase portable refill stations or toters. Members agreed to follow up with waste-district contacts and city parks staff to test logistics ahead of the summer season.
Next steps assigned include outreach to the waste district to explore toter drop-off/pickup and sketching a pilot plan for one or two events this summer.
