Minnesota started its recycling market development program about ten years ago, says Chris Clutier, coordinator of the state's Recycling Business Assistance Center (RBAC). About $5.5 million has been allocated to companies since the program began, over $3 million of which has been loaned. "We've tried to keep our rather limited resources focused," he says, explaining the emphasis on developing an infrastructure for recycled plastics in the early to mid-1990s.
The Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (OEA) applied for an EPA Jobs Through Recycling (JTR) grant to build on existing programs and start a RBAC for components of the waste stream that had not been recovered - wood fiber, plastics and composites (e.g., fiberglass reinforced plastic and wood fiber reinforced thermoplastics). The RBAC started with four professionals and one team leader in April, 1995. In its first year, the center assisted more than 250 businesses, leading to the creation of more than 800 jobs in Minnesota.
In 1996, OEA was awarded another JTR grant of $250,000 to create a market development program for glass, paint and PET. Recent beneficiaries of RBAC assistance include a manufacturer of composite deck timbers, a company that makes plastic sheets for agricultural and marine applications, a producer of landscape materials and a maker of recycled plastic paint trays and brush handles."One of the biggest things is that the support of the state for businesses has carried a lot of weight, especially in the early 1990s when the financial community was wary of recycling companies," Clutier explains.
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