South Bend Smart Businesses Recycle – FAQS

We are hoping to serve up to 30 businesses.

We will accept up to 30 businesses with at least 10 businesses residing in the City’s defined neighborhood corridors territory:

• Lincoln Way West: between LaSalle Avenue and west city limits (near Maplewood Ave.)
• Indiana Avenue: between Pulaski Street and Main Street
• Linden Avenue: between Walnut Street and Olive Street
• Miami Street: between Lincoln Way East and Altgeld Street
• Michigan Street: between Bronson Street and Donmoyer Avenue
• Mishawaka Avenue: between Eddy Street and Logan Street
• Portage Avenue: between Diamond Avenue/Angela Boulevard and Kinyon Street
• Elwood Avenue: from Portage Avenue to Wilber Street
• Western Avenue: between William Street and west city limits (near Mayflower Road

A participation agreement states your business’s intent and commitment to to participation and cooperation in the program.

Businesses that own or lease can participate. If you lease your building, please make sure you have permission from the property owner/management company to participate.

You are officially part of the program! You can work towards qualifying for any of the incentives offered by the City.

For this program, we define single-stream recycling service as a service in which all recyclable materials are placed in a single bin and are not picked up or mixed with trash by the hauler before processing at a material recovery facility.

Please visit this link to find single-stream recycling haulers for our area. You make the decision on recycling hauler selection.

We will provide reimbursement up to December 2023 or until funds are depleted, whichever is soonest. For example, if you start a single-stream recycling service in January 2023, you can be reimbursed monthly by the City from January 2023 to December 2023.

The cost of single-stream recycling will vary according to your business. Cost largely depends on dumpster size and how often it is picked up.

Yes, you can still participate in benefitting from any of the incentives that are intended for waste reduction.

Yes, you can still benefit from this program as Michiana customer! Earn a $500 incentive by taking steps to decreasing your dumpster size and reducing the frequency of pickup for at least four consecutive months! Participate in the monthly challenges to improve your recycling rate, minimize your waste stream, and bring more education and awareness to your employees and customers. Get more tips to reduce waste here!

Yes, we offer a virtual training for business employees. We have also developed a list of tips and resources for reducing waste. Please visit this link.

Each month the City will announce a waste reduction challenge. Businesses can participate in the challenge by submitting a picture of their actions along with an accompanying caption. Any business that participates will be entered in a random giveway. Participating businesses may be highlighted on the City’s Office of Sustainability Facebook and Twitter page.

We will typically need a copy of your monthly recycling and trash bill. In the event we need additional information, we will need your cooperation and permission so that your hauler can share necessary information to verify incentive eligibility.

You can potentially receive $2,000-$3,000.

This program is made possible through limited funds from the City of South Bend’s American Rescue Plan. There is no guarantee this or an iteration of this program will be continued in future years.