DELAWARE ANNOUNCES GRANT AVAILABILITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), in cooperation with the Governor’s Recycling Public Advisory Council (RPAC), is accepting applications for the fiscal year 2006 Recycling Assistance Grant Program.
The program has $50,000 available to local governments, community organizations and educational institutions to help boost recycling in the state. Grant recipients are required to provide 25 percent of total project funding either in cash or in in-kind services.
The grant money may be used to help finance programs that will keep material out of the state’s landfills and bring Delaware closer to its 30 percent diversion goal.
DNREC staff is available to provide technical and administrative assistance to grant applicants. The DNREC encourages interested parties to work closely with the department to ensure that application proposals are complete and fully address grant criteria. Grant awards will be determined by the DNREC and the RPAC.
The selection process is designed to be competitive and assigns greater weight to projects that are most responsive in addressing grant program criteria and that are judged to have the greatest potential to increase diversion, according to a press release from the DNREC.
Completed applications are due Jan. 31 and grant awards will be announced during March.
Application packets or general information regarding the grant program are available through Janet Manchester, DNREC, at (302) 739-9403 or at Janet.Manchester@state.de.us. More information and downloadable grant applications are available online at www.dnrec.state.de.us/dnrec2000/Recycling.asp.
RECYCLING FACILITY OPENS IN NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte County, N.C., has opened its second transfer and recycling facility. The first county-owned and operated facility opened approximately three years ago.
The plant, which cost around $1.8 million, will give county residents an outlet for a wide range of material, including traditional materials as well as electronic scrap material, compostable material and wood. However, the facility will not take in food waste or demolition material from businesses.
The facility also accepts a range of hazardous waste materials, including paints and pesticides, bulky items such as furniture and de-rimmed tires.
County residents will not be charged to drop off materials at the location.
The facility also includes a reuse center, the proceeds from which go to the Charlotte County Center for Abuse & Rape Emergencies.
Barbara Kuhla, a spokeswoman for the county, says that while much of the county already has a curbside collection program, she expects the facility will still attract a fair amount of recyclables.
ORGANIZATIONS SEEK TO BOOST RECYCLING IN GA.
Four organizations have combined their efforts in a pilot recycling collection program at Zoo Atlanta intended to increase recycling in the city.
SP Recycling Corp. (a subsidiary of SP Newsprint), aluminum producer Novelis Inc., the American Plastics Council and the Coca-Cola Co. are working together to place collection bins throughout the zoo to collect paper as well as plastic and metal beverage containers.
A spokesperson from SP Recycling Corp., headquartered in Atlanta, says that manufacturers within the state can provide a home for collected recyclables. SP’s Lisa White says, "We want to get the word out that recycling plays a vital role in our state and is good for Georgia business. Our Dublin, Ga., mill needs 850,000 tons of old newspapers each year to keep our paper machines rolling."
Likewise, Novelis melts aluminum cans at its Greensboro, Ga., plant and the state’s carpeting, textiles and plastic lumber industries consume plastic scrap. The Coca-Cola Co., based in Atlanta, also consumes metals, plastic and paper products.
Gary Wygant, director of recycling for Atlanta-based Novelis, says he hopes the collection model and the partnership taking place in Atlanta can be replicated in other parts of the country.
HAWAII PROGRAM POSTS INCREASE
According to Hawaii’s Health Department, the state’s bottle bill redemption has hit an all-time high since beginning Jan. 1, 2005.
The program reached an 85 percent redemption rate in September. Officials estimate that more than 50 million beverage containers were recycled during the month.
The container recycling rate for fiscal year 2004 (before the bottle bill) was 40 percent. It has more than doubled to 82 percent as of November 2005.
Explore the January 2006 Issue
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