Mel Trotter Ministries among Recyclers Recognized for Contributions

LANSING, MICHIGAN (June 08, 2010) – At its 28^th Annual Conference in Detroit, the Michigan Recycling Coalition recognized several companies and one individual for their contributions to recycling in Michigan. 

Lansing’s Marvin E. Beekman Center received the Outstanding Recycling Education Program for reducing their environmental footprint while educating others.  Beekman Center special education teachers, Nancy Lubeski and Lester Duvall, use waste reduction, recycling and composting to teach science, math, social studies and other subjects to students with severe cognitive impairments and autism.  They have organized staff and students into building-wide recycling efforts and have moved the building from very low levels of recycling to pending green school certification. 

Outstanding Innovation in Recycling went to Michigan-based, Rewards for Recycling, which partners with municipalities to increase household participation in recycling programs.  R4R works with local businesses within communities to provide retail coupons and savings for residents that participate in municipal programs, providing financial incentives to recycle.

Rewards for Recycling or R4R also partners with waste haulers, recycling centers and corporate sponsors to offer affordable programs to municipalities of all sizes, that educate in new ways and seek to expand the recovery of a wide variety of materials.

Mel Trotter Ministries, located in downtown Grand Rapids, provides shelter, food, clothing, education, computer-based learning, and work training and experience for men and women in need in West Michigan.  Mel Trotter received the award for Outstanding Nonprofit Recycling Program for efforts to green their facility.  The Ministry was already taking cast offs to provide food and clothing to those in need and now works with a local composter and recyclers to capture compost food scraps from their cafeteria and recyclables throughout the facility.  Mel Trotter is actively moving toward a recently adopted zero waste and green purchasing policy.

Michigan State University’s Surplus Store and Recycling Center received the award for Outstanding Institutional Recycling Program.  Recycling plays an important role in MSU’s “Be Spartan Green” initiative.  MSU built a Recycling Center that provides comprehensive recycling opportunities in all 579 campus buildings. The new Recycling Center is a LEED Certified building and also houses the already successful MSU Reuse Center.  Through this new facility MSU also offers drop-off recycling opportunities for many recyclable commodities to surrounding communities.

Sarah Archer, founder and director of Iris Waste Diversion Specialists received recognition from the MRC Chair of the Board for her years of work with Coalition.  Sarah has provided leadership on a number of initiatives undertaken by the MRC over the past fifteen years and continues to be a leader in her field.