INDIANAPOLIS –  Indiana businesses, local governments, solid waste management districts, higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations are invited to submit grant proposals ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 to fund recycling projects through the Indiana Recycling Market Development Program (RMDP).

Projects should demonstrate sustainability, an understanding of the changing economy for recyclers and how grant money can be used to boost recycling in Indiana through expanded markets, manufacturing capacity and job creation.

Proposals will be accepted through June 13, 2024. Eligible proposals must show economic impact, increased public awareness through tangible outreach and education efforts, and result in at least one of the following:

• an increase in the amount of recyclable material collected or used;
• a reduction in municipal solid waste shipped for final disposal;
• improved partnerships with communities.

RMDP grants are administered through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Final funding determinations will be made this fall.

For more information, including eligibility requirements and project guidelines, or to apply, visit idem.IN.gov/recycle/recycling-market-development-program. Additional help is available by calling 800-988-7901 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About the Recycling Market Development Program The Recycling Market Development Program operates under the Recycling Market Development Board as established by IC 4-23-5.5. The grant money for the program comes from the Recycling Promotion and Assistance Fund, an account generated by a per-ton fee on solid waste disposed at Indiana landfills. The fund supports source reduction, reuse, recycling and composting to prevent solid waste from permanent disposal.

About IDEM IDEM (idem.IN.gov) implements federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through compliance assistance, incentive programs and educational outreach, the agency encourages and aids businesses and citizens in protecting Hoosiers and our environment.  

STATEHOUSE – Indiana State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla supports Indiana’s additional $5 million investment in Israeli Bonds, as announced today by State Treasurer Daniel Elliott.

“What a privilege to represent a state that is offering further investment to Israel that aligns with our fiduciary duty to deliver solid yield, low risk and high liquidity with state dollars,” commented Comptroller Nieshalla. “As an American, seeing what is happening to Israel and the Jewish people is devastating and there is a strong sense of duty to stand with our friends. As a Hoosier, I value the opportunity for our state to partner with a country that has offered us decades of innovation and security support.”

Comptroller Nieshalla manages the distribution of tax dollars to units of government and it is vitally important that state dollars are invested with integrity.

Indiana currently holds $105 million dollars in Israeli Bonds – today’s announcement increases the State’s investment to $110 million. The three-year investment at a fixed rate of 5.5% will yield at 65 basis points higher than US Treasury notes.

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), co-chairs of the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, reintroduced the bipartisan Assisting Community Colleges in Educating Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act. The legislation would boost student success and career readiness by increasing work-based learning opportunities and apprenticeships, ensuring students have access to support services like career navigators and counselors, and creating career pathways to meet the changing skill demands of the U.S. economy.

“From life sciences to semiconductors to pharma to ag, many exciting things are made in Indiana by Hoosier workers,” said Senator Young. “We need to support the ingenuity and talent of our Hoosier workforce by increasing work-based learning opportunities and apprenticeships. Our bipartisan bill will help provide greater access to the training and education needed in our modern economy.”

“The needs of our economy are often changing, and Virginians should have easier access to the training and education they need to adapt and get good-paying, in-demand jobs,” said Senator Kaine. “The ACCESS to Careers Act would help provide students with those opportunities, boost Virginia’s economy, and help employers hire high-skilled workers.”

Specifically, the ACCESS to Careers Act would authorize the Secretary of Education to provide: 

• Grants to states to develop strategies such as dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and accelerated training programs to support student success and workforce preparedness.
• Grants to Community Colleges and Consortia of Community Colleges to increase the number of students who attain postsecondary credentials in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industries and develop and improve strategies to support student success.

Young and Kaine have long led efforts to expand access to job training, including introducing the Data for American Jobs Act in 2023 to ensure that federal education data and research incorporates job training to help improve states’ career readiness programs, meet the needs of the economy, and expand the skilled workforce.

The legislation is endorsed by American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Higher Learning Advocates, Jobs for the Future (JFF), and the National Skills Coalition (NSC).