Sample Abstract - Environmental and Natural Resources

Recycling in Michigan

Erin Seavoy Jennifer Copus Erik Jonasson
Under the direction of Mark Largent, James Madison

Within our culture, recycling is seen as an important way in which we can help preserve our wildlife and protect the earth for our children’s future. With this positive reputation and strong public interest it would be reasonable to believe that recycling programs are widely supported and funded throughout the state of Michigan. However, this is not the reality. Within our research we plan on investigating three prominent Michigan cities, Lansing, Detroit and Ann Arbor. Each city has its own recycling history and we are delving into the legislation and statics surrounding the emergence, or absence of a recycling program in each city. We hope to discover trends which point to why some cities have become more involved in the recycling phenomenon. We seek to determine what types of economic, social and political conditions are necessary in order for a city to introduce and fund a comprehensive recycling program.