Ohio EPA and The Recycling Partnership Announce Community Grants to Support Residential Recycling Programs

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and The Recycling Partnership announced a $300,000 grant for Ohio communities to dramatically improve residential recycling in Ohio. The grant will fund community projects aimed at working to prevent recycling contamination and improving the quality of materials residents recycle at drop-off locations. This program will provide up to $180,000 in community awarded grants and $120,000 to fund statewide webinars, workshops, and training programs. The grants will support selected drop-off recycling programs and will provide grantees with direct mail educational materials, new drop-off site signage, and digital and social media advertising to increase participation, capture rate, and material quality. An additional $135,000 in matching funds from other stakeholders will be available to amplify this program.

This grant builds upon a previous collaborative project between Ohio EPA and The Recycling Partnership which concluded in 2021. That project focused on curbside recycling outreach efforts in Akron, Centerville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Gahanna, and Fairfield.  Results showed improved quality of recyclables collected through curbside recycling programs for approximately 155,000 Ohio households by reducing contamination ranging from 10 to 46 percent during the project period.

“Ohio EPA is excited to work alongside The Recycling Partnership again as the state continues to work towards meeting its solid waste reduction and recycling goals,” says Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson. “With Ohio communities hosting more than 1,400 recycling drop-off locations throughout the state, this contamination reduction grant initiative focuses on all communities regardless of size or demographics.”

These recycling quality improvement projects will provide clean, valuable, and much needed recyclable materials to Ohio manufacturers and support job creation and the state’s economy. “This collaboration combines efforts of many stakeholders including recycling processors, communities, and solid waste management districts across the recycling industry to improve material quality and resident engagement to promote long-lasting system change,” said Jill Martin, The Recycling Partnership’s Director of State Programs. “We remain committed to improving Ohio’s recycling capabilities with these community grants.”

All solid waste management districts and local jurisdictions currently operating residential drop-off sites are eligible to apply for grants of up to $3 per household for the program.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com