Governor Phil Bredesen and Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke announced today that 20 recycling equipment grants have been awarded for projects to help reduce landfill
waste across Tennessee. These grants total more than $424,000.
“I’m pleased we can provide funding to support the waste reduction efforts these 20 grants represent,” Bredesen said. “This program plays an important role in our state’s strategy to encourage recycling and to reduce the amount of solid waste that goes into landfills in
Tennessee.”
DeKalb County has been approved to receive $22,645 to assist with the purchase of divided and open-top containers. DeKalb County is represented in the General Assembly by Representative Frank Buck and Senator Mae Beavers. The local match is $9,705.
“By providing assistance to local communities to help them recycle, we can keep more materials from ending up in landfills,” Buck said. “I’m pleased the state is able to provide this assistance for the benefit of Tennesseans.”
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 across Tennessee 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 20 projects total nearly $199,000.
The grant program was authorized by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991 and is supported from the Tennessee Solid Waste Management Fund that is administered by the Department of 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.
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