Great Lakes Recycle
Overview
Material management is a fundamental component of a high performance
economy, therefore, in 1992, the Council Governors began
promoting the use of recycled materials throughout the Great Lakes
region. Believing that states should lead by example, the Governors
focused their efforts on harnessing the collective purchasing
power of the eight state region to stimulate the recycled product
markets in the Great Lakes states.
The Great Lakes Recycle Board was formed in 1996 and consisted of
one Governor-appointed representative from each Great Lakes state.
Michigan Governor John Engler, lead Governor for this project, designated
Andrew Acho as Board Chairman. Mr. Acho was Director of Environmental
Outreach and Strategy for  Ford
Motor Company and the champion for demonstrating Ford’s
commitment to the environment.
Since their appointment, the Board worked towards meeting
the Governors’ challenges which included:
- Working with state officials to identify and facilitate multi-state
purchases of recycled goods;
- Launching a Great Lakes Recycle seal or logo;
- Proposing a strategy to attract recycling industries to the
Great Lakes region; and,
- Developing a public relations strategy promoting recycling in
the Great Lakes region.
In addition to adhering to the Governors’ directions for
Great Lakes Recycle, the Board agreed to adopt the following
performance and quality criteria to guide their efforts:
- Products made from recycled materials must be as good as or
better than those made from virgin materials;
- Products made from recycled materials must be economically
viable.
In July 1997, the Governors created PAT or the Purchasing Action
Team to help facilitate the process of state purchasing of recycled
products. PAT consisted of Governor-appointed purchasing officials
from each state in the region.
Accomplishments
- Joint purchase of recycled copy paper. (1992) This purchase
resulted in the diversion of over thirty million pounds of waste
paper from disposal and preserved the equivalent of at least 130,000
trees.
- GLR logo designed and approved by the Governors. (July 1997)
This logo was used on the project Internet site, stationery,
and displays. It identified the project and the regional effort
of recycling.
- GLR Web site established. (July 1997) This Web site provided
project background information, contact information, state price
preference language regarding the purchase of recycled products,
a list of top recycled products purchased by the states, a display
of recycled products manufactured in the Great Lakes states and
a template to each state’s online recycling resources. Links
to over 30 national recycling and purchasing Web sites were made
in July 1998.
- Recycled content trashcan liner specification developed and
approved. (April 1998) These guidelines will be used by each Great
Lakes state in their next bidding cycle or when current contracts
expire.
- Article highlighting Ford Motor Company’s leadership
role in the Great Lakes Recycle project published in the Toledo
Journal of Great Lakes’ Law, Science & Policy. (July
1998)
- GLR sponsored a regional reuse symposium. (November 1998)
"The Executive Transportation Conference:
Secondary Materials in Highway Construction" provided
a forum for officials from the region’s state departments
of transportation, recycling market development and environmental
protection to jointly address the challenges and opportunities
presented by the reuse of foundry sand, coal ash, and mixed glass
in highway construction.
For more information, call 312/407-0177
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