$2.5 million awarded to boost recycling efforts across Alabama
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The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) announced it is awarding nearly $2.5 million to boost recycling efforts across the state.
The funds were awarded during the Alabama Recycling Coalition’s Annual Conference and Expo. The coalition is a statewide nonprofit organization that promotes waste reduction, material reuse, recycling and composting activities.
“ADEM is proud to announce the recipients of recycling grants for next year… What they have in common is they are taking materials that would otherwise go in landfills, or littered along roads, city streets and even our waterways, and making those materials available for productive reuse. That is preserving our land and water and protecting our environment.”
Edward Poolos, ADEM Director
Alabama towns look to improve recycling efforts
The grant money, which comes from the Alabama Recycling Fund (ARF), has been awarded to 20 cities, counties, solid waste authorities and other groups across the state including:
- City of Alexander City: $30,844
- City of Auburn: $214,957
- City of Birmingham: $198,000
- City of Florence Recycle Center: $85,003
- City of Gadsden: $45,000
- City of Guntersville: $66,050
- City of Hartselle: $12,490
- City of Moundville: $113,387
- City of Northport: $243,911
- City of Rainbow City: $117,740
- City of Southside: $38,950
- City of Troy: $24,583
- Calhoun County Commission: $136,500
- Limestone County Commission: $71,590
- Jefferson County Commission: $169,080
- Shelby County Commission: $55,279
- Shoals Solid Waste Disposal Authority: $89,500
- Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County: $350,580
- West Alabama Recycling Partnership: $331,658
This is the 18th year of the recycling grant program. Since 2008, ADEM has awarded 339 grants totaling more than $39 million to bolster recycling efforts in Alabama.
“Working with and assisting the coalition, as well as working with individual cities, counties and waste management authorities, is how we build and sustain recycling programs throughout the state. These grants are absolutely essential, especially for smaller communities that don’t have large budgets. It would be easy for them to skip recycling and just dispose of all the garbage they collect in landfills, which wastes resources. This program incentivizes them to take that extra step toward the reuse.”
Edward Poolos, ADEM Director
