Marion County is home to Indianapolis, the capitol of the state of Indiana and the 12th largest city in the United States with a population of over 800,000. Curbside collection, drop-off locations, and MRFs (Materials Recovery Facility) are just some of the recycling resources available in Marion County. Even so, learning about recycling is a very complicated task. Information is found spread across a variety of websites and downloadable documents. The goal of this project is to increase recycling and reuse of materials while limiting the waste of disposable items.

 

I would like to address the "Three R's" of Recycling: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Each of these will be the focus of a different aspect of my project:

Reduce: 

In order to encourage the reduction of waste in Indianapolis, I will create a resource that provides advice on how people who live in the city can reduce their daily waste. This may include things like how to compost in a small apartment or what reusable items to buy to replace the disposables people use most.

Reuse: 

Reuse is the “R” most often neglected in recycling campaigns. I will create a resource allowing users to learn how to reuse objects that they might normally dispose of after a single use. This resource will focus on DIY (Do It Yourself) projects that would not require new materials.

Recycle: 

The final piece of this project will be a consolidated resource about recyclable materials and recycling services in the area. This searchable database will allow users to find information on things like whether or not specific items can be recycled or where the closest drop-off location that accepts batteries is.

 

Each of these aspects addresses a different need in order to encourage the reduction of waste and the increase of recycling.