The state of Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention announced the awarding of $1,438,000 in grants to public/private partnerships that will boost the market for recycled products in Ohio. The grants will create 32 new jobs in six counties.
The grants range from $188,000 to $250,000. The partnerships will use the grant money for a variety of purposes, including the purchase of equipment; product manufacturing; material processing and recovery; or facility expansion.
Recycling Market Development Grant recipients for 2007 (by region) are:
In Central Ohio, the Delaware-Knox-Marion-Morrow Solid Waste District and Sims Brothers, Inc. received $250,000 for the purchase of a baler to prepare and process 3,600 tons of fiber-based materials annually, including corrugated cardboard and newspaper. The project will create two new jobs in Marion County.
The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio and Kurtz Brothers, Inc. received $250,000 for a composting system to process 40,000 to 43,000 tons annually of food and cooking waste, and convert the material into soil additives and other marketable compost material. The project will create two new jobs in Franklin County.
In Northeastern Ohio, the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District and Kurtz Brothers, Inc. received $250,000 for equipment to process 37,128 additional tons annually of construction and demolition debris. The new production line will create seven new jobs in Cuyahoga County.
The Jefferson/Belmont Regional Waste Authority and Valley Converting Co. was awarded $188,000 for the purchase of equipment to process 11,000 additional tons annually of fiber materials. The company plans to hire 20 new employees to staff this new manufacturing line in Jefferson County.
In Southeastern Ohio, the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District and Ohio University received $250,000 for a composting unit to process between 875 and 1,050 tons of food waste annually and convert it to marketable compost material. It will be the first full-scale composting project at an Ohio college or university and will create an additional job in Athens County.
In Southwestern Ohio, the Darke County Solid Waste District and Spartech Plastics, LLC received $250,000 for the purchase of equipment to process and recycle 17,000 tons annually of polyethylene plastic from the company’s manufacturing process. Additional jobs will be created due to this project.