Florida DEP Opens Recycling Business Assistance Center

After a 2010 Florida statue directed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to create the Recycling Business Assistance Center (RBAC) , it is now open. The RBAC is charged with expanding markets for recyclables, including glass bottle, so that Florida can reach its 75% recycling goal by 2020. The state’s current recycling rate is 29%.It is hoped the Center will help put recycled materials in higher demand in the state and region. According to Loni Hanka, RBAC Coordinator, the RBAC has already started to reach out to the state´s recyclers to get a sense of what opportunities exist for new markets and what can be done to enhance existing ones.The RBAC has also launched a new web site with information on accessing low-interest loans to purchase equipment and machinery for recycling, tax credits, federal grants, and a directory of processors and waste management contacts 19.01.2011, GPI Headquarters