RecycleForce

The U.S. Department of Energy is testing out a new way to recycle rare earth minerals. RecycleForce is the first test site in the country for a recycling method experts hope will be able to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign materials.

A program through RecycleForce will provide training and placement in environmental jobs for previously incarcerated young adults throughout the state thanks to federal funding.

Indianapolis is dotted with properties that echo its industrial past – where factories closed, jobs disappeared, and pollution threatened health and kept property values low. Efforts in the Rivoli neighborhood, on the city’s Near Eastside, focus on one area that used to be a neighborhood hub.

RecycleForce is one of 19 places around the country that will receive a federal grant to train people to work with hazardous waste.

The social enterprise employer broke ground on the new 100,000-square-foot building to allow the nonprofit to train, employ and connect services for more individuals.

RecycleForce is awarded $4.5 million to reach more young people at risk of being involved in crime.