Fast Facts

Overview

Recyclers are required to submit reports to IDEM on the amount and type of recyclables they process from Indiana’s waste stream. Fast Facts provides an overview of who should report, when to report, and the particular materials to report.

Who Reports?

Required Reporters

You are required to report if you are an Indiana recycler who recycles in-state sources of materials generated by more than one person. In general, this includes:

• a recyclable materials broker;
• an owner or operator of a solid waste disposal facility at which recycling occurs;
• the owner or operator of a material recovery facility;
• a solid waste management district.

Voluntary Reporters

You may report voluntarily if you are:

1. a scrap metal processing facility—ferrous and nonferrous, such as an automotive salvage recycler or rebuilder;
2. a person who took action to recover, from the solid waste stream, materials that were not municipal waste; for purposes of:
   1. use or reuse;
   2. conversion into raw materials; or
   3. use in the production of new products.
3. Commercial, institutional, or industrial facilities who recover recyclables from internal operations for pick-up or sends directly to end use markets.

How Do You Report?

You are required to use the uniform recycling activity report provided through ReTrac Connect. Fill in the General Information page and then select the reporting information, including the timeframe of when you would like to report (quarterly or yearly). Then go to the Reports page. Reports record the name and location of the recycler’s establishment, and the principal business activities, as well as the quantity, in tons, of each type of recyclable material listed, and to where it was shipped.

When Do You Report?

You may choose to report on either an annual or quarterly basis. A recycler shall submit a separate recycling activity report for each reporting period, whether annual or quarterly, for each facility owned or operated by the recycler; and at which the recycler conducted recycling activities during the reporting period.

Annual Reporters

An annual/yearly reporting period is January 1 through December 31. Yearly reporters may submit their information after the end of the calendar year. All information must be complete and submitted by March 1 of the next year to meet statutory deadlines and to be included in IDEM’s Annual Recycling Activity Summary.

Quarterly Reporters

A quarterly reporting period is:

1. January 1 through March 31;
2. April 1 through June 30;
3. July 1 through September 30; and
4. October 1 through December 31.

All quarterly reports must be received not more than 30 days after the end of the quarter.

What Do You Report?

Materials to be reported are:

1. Glass.
2. Metal, including white goods (ferrous).
3. Metal (nonferrous).
4. Paper and paper products (all grades).
5. Plastic and plastic products.
6. Single stream recyclable materials.
7. Any other distinct type of recyclable material not specified in items (1) through (6).

For Additional Information

Further guidance on whether a specific material fits under one of the categories can be found in the U.S. EPA State Measurement Program guidance documents. If you have any questions, please contact the IDEM Office of Land Quality, Science Services Branch.