From Waste to Wealth: Circular Strategies Driving Indiana’s Growth

Indiana is entering a pivotal moment to capitalize on circular strategies. As global markets shift towards resource efficiency, resilient supply chains, and low‑waste manufacturing, our state’s long‑standing strengths—advanced manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, and bioscience—position Hoosiers  to lead the next era of economic growth. The circular economy is no longer a niche environmental concept, but a strategic economic framework that transforms waste into value, strengthens local industries, and builds long‑term competitiveness.

Across Indiana, companies and universities are already showing what this transformation looks like in practice. Their leadership demonstrates how circular strategies can drive innovation, reduce risk, and create new revenue

streams statewide.

Indiana’s circular economy isn’t just an idea—it’s something built by people who have spent decades turning challenges into opportunities. I’ve seen this firsthand. After 39 years at The Heritage Group, I watched teams of chemists, engineers, and problem‑solvers take materials that others saw as waste and transform them into new markets, new jobs, and new possibilities. That experience shaped how I see Indiana’s future: not as a state burdened by waste, but as one uniquely equipped to turn waste into wealth.

The Heritage Group: Turning Materials into Markets

For nearly four decades, I watched The Heritage Group prove that circularity isn’t a theory—it’s a business model. Whether it was recovering industrial byproducts, rethinking asphalt materials, or building new recycling technologies, the company consistently showed that environmental stewardship and economic growth can strengthen each other. 

These are examples of what happens when Indiana companies commit to innovation over disposal:

• Envita Solutions helps organizations nationwide eliminate waste and design regenerative systems that reduce environmental and financial risk.

• CIRBA tackles the growing national concern of battery waste by safely reclaiming critical minerals, positioning Indiana as a leader in the emerging circular battery economy.

  
  

Eli Lilly: Green Chemistry and Efficient Manufacturing

Lilly’s approach to circularity mirrors the same mindset I saw at Heritage: do the right thing and do it in a way that strengthens the business. Eli Lilly’s global leadership in pharmaceutical innovation includes a strong commitment to green chemistry. By designing cleaner production methods and reducing hazardous waste, Lilly demonstrates how circular principles can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen environmental performance across the entire product lifecycle.

Corteva Agriscience: Circularity in Agriculture

Corteva Agriscience’s decision to anchor its global research headquarters in Indiana reflects the state’s agricultural strength. Their work in seed science, soil health, and regenerative agriculture supports circularity around the land itself. And with Indiana’s designation as a national tech hub—Heartland Bioworks—Corteva’s innovations are helping build a future where farming systems waste less, produce more, and regenerate the resources they depend on.

A Broader Corporate Movement Taking Shape

After nearly four decades in the waste industry, I’ve come to appreciate how many Indiana companies are quietly reshaping what circularity looks like in the real world.

Cummins has long been a pioneer in designing engines and components that can be remanufactured again and again, proving that durability and reuse can be engineered from the start. Subaru of Indiana Automotive shows what’s possible when a manufacturer commits to eliminating waste altogether, operating the first U.S. auto plant to achieve zero‑landfill status and inspiring suppliers to rethink their own material flows. And 101 Food Lifecycle Solutions is tackling one of the most overlooked challenges—food waste—by transforming discarded organics into valuable soil amendments that strengthen Indiana’s regenerative agriculture sector.

Together, these companies demonstrate that circularity isn’t a niche experiment, but a practical, profitable way of doing business that’s already taking root across the state.

Indiana’s Universities as a Statewide Circular Innovation Engine

Across Indiana, universities are powering the research backbone of the state’s circular economy. Together, these institutions form a powerful, interconnected research engine that equips Indiana with the science, talent, and practical solutions needed to turn waste into wealth.

• Purdue University: systems engineering and materials upcycling, developing catalytic and thermochemical processes that turn hard‑to‑recycle plastics and biomass into valuable chemical feedstocks

• Indiana University: environmental resilience, systems‑modeling expertise, and helping communities understand how circular strategies strengthen local economies and reduce climate risk 

• Notre Dame: analytical chemistry and process innovation are advancing solutions for industrial decarbonization, including breakthroughs in CO₂ capture and materials characterization

• IU Indianapolis: urban circular transformation through applied sustainability research, manufacturer support, and city‑scale partnerships that demonstrate how circularity can reduce waste while improving economic performance. 

  
  

Indiana’s universities are just one part of a much larger statewide effort to advance circular strategies. Across the state, community colleges, regional campuses, and technical programs are preparing the workforce that keeps these ideas moving—from technicians who support remanufacturing and materials recovery to students learning sustainable design, logistics, and advanced manufacturing. Their contributions are in direct partnership with local employers and communities. Together, this higher‑education network strengthens Indiana’s transition from waste management to wealth creation, ensuring that circular solutions are not only discovered in research labs but also implemented, maintained, and scaled across the state.

The Strategic Advantage: Why Indiana?

Indiana’s economic strengths make circularity not just beneficial, but essential. Our manufacturing scale creates ideal conditions for high-impact materials recovery. Our agricultural leadership supports regenerative food systems. Our logistics infrastructure enables the efficient movement of recovered materials. Combined with a workforce ready to support emerging circular industries, Indiana is uniquely positioned to turn waste into economic value.

Accelerating Circular Strategies

Indiana’s future depends on scaling the circular strategies already emerging across our industries. Key priorities include designing for reuse, expanding recycling markets, fostering industrial symbiosis, and investing in circular infrastructure:

Circular Indiana’s role is to connect these efforts, amplify success stories, and guide the state toward a more resilient, prosperous, and resource-smart future. By embracing these strategies, Indiana can transform waste into wealth and build a future where materials, people, and communities thrive together.

Join the Movement: Get Involved with Circular indiana

Ready to be part of Indiana’s circular transformation? Connect with industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers, and learn how your organization can leverage these strategies:

• Check out our “Why Circularity” blog

• Watch our Earth Day Webinar

• Attend our upcoming Circular Indiana Conference (October 5, 2026): Mark your calendars for our premier event of the year! We will be gathering statewide innovators to share insights, build partnerships, and shape the future of Indiana's circular economy.

• Become a member of Circular Indiana and support our important work today!