Tennessee Agency Awards Recycling Grant Winners

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced that 18 waste reduction grants totaling $2,273,955 and 26 recycling equipment grants totaling $518,458 have been awarded for a wide range of projects across the state.

The state awarded 18 waste reduction grants totaling $2,273,955 to promote waste reduction through education, volume source reduction, recycling, reuse, composting and diversion from Class 1 landfills. Each recipient is required to match the state grant on a sliding scale basis, and additional local matching funds going toward these projects total almost $1.5 million.

The state awarded 26 recycling equipment grants totaling $518,458 to facilitate waste reduction in Tennessee. Recycling equipment grants will be used to purchase equipment for new recycling programs, improve and expand the operation of an existing site or prepare recyclable materials for transport and marketing. Each recipient is required to match the state grant on a sliding scale basis, and additional local matching funds going toward these projects total $281,892.

Waste reduction and recycling grants are awarded to counties, cities, non-profit recycling organizations and solid waste authorities across the state to help the state reach or exceed the goals set forth in the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991.

Waste Reduction and Recycling Equipment grants were authorized by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991 and are supported from the Tennessee Solid Waste Management Fund that is administered by the Department of Environment and Conservation.

The Tennessee Solid Waste Management Fund receives its revenues from a state surcharge on each ton of solid waste disposed in landfills and from a fee on new tires sold in the state. More information about the recycling equipment and waste reduction grants may be found online at: www.tennessee.gov/environment/swm/grants.