DTE Energy has joined NextCycle Michigan as a partner to help grow the recycling, composting and materials management industry in Michigan. DTE plans to continue to support opportunities to keep more materials out of landfills, back Michigan businesses that use recycled content and seek new market solutions to reuse materials such as solar panels and wind turbines. As a part of the initiative, they will collaborate with other partners that range from government entities to manufacturers, large companies to start-ups. This collaborative effort is designed to help the state meet its 45% waste diversion goal by 2030 and build a robust circular economy.
NextCycle Michigan is an initiative of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), facilitated by Resource Recycling Systems Inc. (RRS), the Michigan Recycling Coalition, and Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University. It is designed to connect entrepreneurs, companies, organizations and communities to technical support, financial resources and capacity building for recycling, recovery and reuse projects.
鈥淛oining NextCycle is continuing DTE鈥檚 journey in the circular economy space as we further our commitment to creating a cleaner, healthier environment today and for generations to come,鈥� said Christy Clark, director of environmental sustainability at DTE. 鈥淒TE鈥檚 team is always looking for creative ways to make the business more sustainable and are looking forward to the unique opportunities NextCycle will help us identify to reduce waste in our landfills. This partnership is just one more step toward building a cleaner future for Michigan and beyond.鈥�
DTE is Michigan鈥檚 largest energy provider serving millions of residential and business customers across the state. The company is building a clean energy future with plans to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2040 through a growing portfolio of Michigan-made clean energy. It has already made strides toward minimizing waste through efforts like appliance recycling programs and the sale of thousands of gallons of used transformer oil per month through Goodwill鈥檚 Green Works. A partnership with NextCycle will continue DTE鈥檚 work to grow Michigan businesses, while caring for the environment and the state鈥檚 future.
The EGLE initiative helps grow collaborative projects to solve complex problems systematically. DTE will be able to advance their recycling endeavors through collaboration and partnership. Since the beginning of this network, partners have supported accelerator teams through guidance, networking, and funding. Since 2018, it鈥檚 estimated that $680 million have been invested in growing Michigan鈥檚 circular economy through NextCycle Michigan鈥檚 efforts.