Contact: Shoshannah Lenski

A team from the Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS) at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) has been awarded a research grant from the CGLR Foundation as part of its Circular Great Lakes initiative. 

The team will work with stakeholders across Michigan and the Great Lakes region with interests in recycling and sustainable materials management to assess the effectiveness of, and opportunities to improve, the State of Michigan’s bottle deposit law. 

The research aims to support the state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan goal of 45% recycling by 2030 and the growth of the state’s circular economy, as well as the CGLR Foundation’s Circular Great Lakes initiative that is advancing the policy changes, infrastructure solutions and shifts in consumer behavior that will forge a future without plastic waste and litter across the eight Great Lakes states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

Michigan is one of ten states nationwide that have bottle deposit programs, and states with deposits have had significantly higher recycling rates on average than those without. The U-M team will benchmark the state’s legislation and performance against peers in the Great Lakes region and beyond, interview stakeholders across the industry, and convene a workshop to address challenges, stimulate new ideas and evaluate policy options to ensure the state’s and the region’s approach to resource recovery is effective and efficient for all those involved. A report will be published in the fall of 2025.

The U-M team is led by Shelie Miller, SEAS professor of sustainable systems and co-director of CSS, with support from Shoshannah Lenski, CSS associate director, and Tamanna Sengupta, a U-M graduate student researcher. 

“Creating a circular economy is definitely possible and Michigan’s existing bottle deposit legislation is a great place to start. Achieving greater material recovery will require input and collaboration from a wide range of partners,” says Miller.

On issuing the grant, the president and CEO of the foundation, Mark Fisher, says, “To reach a 50% recycling rate in the Great Lakes region by 2030, it is estimated that an additional 3 million tons of plastics will need to be recovered, recycled, and returned to the economy every year for reuse in new products. Adopting effective policy solutions and programs that support sustainable materials management will be crucial for meeting this goal in Michigan and the broader region.”

About CSS

For more than 30 years, the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan has pioneered systems science to accelerate real-world solutions for sustainability challenges across systems of energy, mobility, the built environment, food, water, and consumer goods. CSS researchers have published more than 1,000 scientific studies, many in collaboration with partners across industry, government, and communities. CSS’s mission is to advance systems science for climate action and a sustainable society.

About CGLR

CGLR is made up of the Council of the Great Lakes Region (Canada), the CGLR Canada Foundation, the Council of the Great Lakes Region (USA), and the CGLR Foundation. Together, they are focused on accelerating the transition to a sustainable future by uniquely bringing diverse perspectives and interests together to explore and solve the most pressing socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence region. Their aim is to create the first sustainable region in the world. Please visit https://councilgreatlakesregion.org for more information.