Tennessee Agency Awards Recycling Equipment Grants

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has awarded five recycling equipment grants for projects to help reduce landfill waste in Tennessee. The grants total more than $86,000. 

 The program comes from the Tennessee Solid Waste Management Fund, which is administered by Environment and Conservation. The 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.

 Recycling equipment grants may 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. Grants may be awarded to counties, cities, non-profit recycling organizations and solid waste authorities to help reach or exceed the goals set forth in the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991. Each recipient is required to match the state grant on a sliding scale basis. Local matching funds toward these five projects total nearly $35,000.

The recycling equipment grants awarded are the following:

Bledsoe County, $10,800 to purchase a baler;

Claiborne County Solid Waste, $25,000 to purchase six 30-cubic-yard roll-offs;

Henry County, $24,483 for a box van, a 4x4 vehicle, a recycling trailer, recycling containers and storage building;

Obion County, $10,800 for a box van; and

The city of Tullahoma, $15,246 for a paint mixer, baler and hoppers.