For Friday, March 1, 2019

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1 – A second State of the Bay Conference is seeking presentations.

The conference is planned for Thursday, Sept. 26, in Bay City. The first biennial event was held in 2017.

The event will focus on watershed issues, education, restoration, conservation and more.

It’s being organized by the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.

Hundreds of people representing government, nonprofits, education and business are expected to attend.

Those with an idea for a presentation are asked to see a Call for Abstracts and Session Proposals at SaginawBayWIN.org.

The due date is April 5.

 

2 – How much do you recycle?

Data from the first two years of Michigan’s recycling program shows an increase of almost all materials from 2017 to 2018, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.

More than 550,000 tons of materials were reported as recycled in 2017, compared to about 1.2 million tons in 2018, nearly a 120 percent increase.

A state law requires recycling establishments to report on the portion of materials that should be counted to calculate a statewide recycling rate.

As of November 2018, 104 separate entities had identified themselves as recycling establishments. In fiscal year 2018, 76 percent (or 79 out of 104) of the registered facilities reported their recycling data through the system.

For 2018, outreach was done to increase the number of reporting agencies, such as local governments.

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR. Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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