Flint and Bay City are among the communities contributing to improved household recycling statewide and the growth of Michigan’s sustainable circular economy. The eastern Michigan cities recently held local events to celebrate new recycling records.
Michigan continues to recognize five consecutive years of record-setting improvement in the state’s overall recycling rate. In April, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced a new record-high 26 percent rate based on the most recent data available.
Flint and Genesee County leaders announced a new all-time high of 2,200 tons a year compared to 624 tons a year before the rollout of “Flint Strong”-branded household recycling carts in 2024 – a 253 percent increase.
“Every bottle, box and can we recycle brings us one step closer to a sustainable Flint where both the environment and our community thrive,” Sheldon Neeley, mayor of Flint said. “This analysis by the City of Flint with EGLE reminds everyone how simple and important it is to recycle properly.”
Flint leaders attribute the recycling achievement to the distribution of more than 68,000 free 96-gallon trash carts and 64-gallon recycling carts to more than 34,000 residential households. The rollout marked the first major step in transitioning Flint to a cart based recycling program. The previous recycling program required residents to provide their own waste and recycling receptacles for curbside pickup.
EGLE provided Flint with a $1 million infrastructure grant to help the city buy and provide the recycling carts free to residents. National nonprofit The Recycling Partnership awarded a $3.3 million grant to help support Flint’s effort to modernize its waste management program and expand access to recycling.
The city’s recycling improvement coincides with plans for a new $12.7 million Genesee County Recycling and Education Center on Chavez Drive at the site of a former McDonald Dairy property. EGLE has allocated $900,000 toward the project.
Bay City leaders announced the city’s annual recycling rate has reached a record high, according to data from EGLE and the Bay City Department of Public Works (DPW).
Households recycled 1,396 tons of material in 2025, up 50 percent from 2022. That growth follows the Bay City DPW and City leaders’ 2022 launch of a citywide program to distribute new 96-gallon curbside recycling carts to 15,000 households, supported by funding from EGLE. Bay City’s recycling improvements are also attributed to increased use of the Bay City Recycles Drop-off Center, supported by a $50,000 EGLE grant.
The Bay City Recycles Drop-off Center – the first of its kind facility within the Great Lakes Bay Region – opened to the public in 2020. The number of visitors has tripled since its opening, from 464 visitors in 2020 to 1,400 visitors in 2025.
City leaders dedicated the site as the Michael and Sandy Buda Bay City Recycles Drop-off Center in honor of the longtime former Bay City mayor and his wife’s commitment to civic and environmental stewardship.
EGLE research shows Michigan has steadily increased its recycling rate from 14.25 percent before 2019 to 26 percent for fiscal year (FY) 2025, on track toward the state’s goal of a 30 percent recycling rate by 2029.
From 2024 to 2025, Michiganders increased their recycling to a total tonnage of 800,940 tons: more than 60,000 tons of glass, 577,000 tons of paper and paper products, and 41,000 tons of plastics and plastic products.
This equates to every person in Michigan recycling nearly 158 pounds of recyclable materials over a 12-month span, EGLE researchers found.
The combined total matches the weight of 10 Mackinac Bridges and would fill the football stadiums of the Detroit Lions, University of Michigan, and Michigan State University.
EGLE leaders attribute the state’s recycling success to funding for infrastructure and technical support for projects that increase access to recycling services, along with the “Know It Before You Throw It” education campaign featuring the Recycling Raccoon Squad.
Recycling in Michigan supports 72,500 jobs and contributes more than $17 billion a year to the state’s economy, according to an analysis by EGLE’s NextCycle Michigan Initiative.
Published November 2026
