In 2014, Gov. Rick Snyder announced a statewide plan to double Michigan's residential recycling rate, and tasked the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) with developing strategies to boost recycling in the state. Key components of the Governor's plan include improving measurement, education, access, and marketing. The Governor's Recycling Council is a nine-member panel formed as part of the plan to advise the DEQ.
To provide input to the Governor's Recycling Council on the issue of plastics recycling, the Michigan Chemistry Council (MCC) and American Chemistry Council (ACC) provided comments on January 12th, 2016. The comments note the significant nationwide increases in plastics recycling and discuss proven strategies to achieve further gains in Michigan. The comments also urge the adoption of a sustainable materials management approach that combines recycling with other approaches and technologies to reduce overall environmental impacts.