For more information, contact:
Carla Felix (402) 471-4223
Amanda Woita (402) 471-4243
Nathanael Urie (402) 471-4245
carla.felix@nebraska.gov
amanda.woita@nebraska.gov
nathanael.urie@nebraska.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2017


$2.5 Million Awarded to Recycling, Litter Programs

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy has announced the awarding of $2,491,087 in 57 grants for litter cleanup, recycling, and public education programs and activities. Funds for the Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program are generated from a fee charged to certain manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of products that commonly contribute to litter. The program has been providing grants annually since 1979.

“There were many outstanding applications submitted to NDEQ this year,” Macy said. “The grant awards will support many important local efforts to recycle and reduce litter across the state.”

Below is a summary of the three grant categories, and grant awards in each category. Following that summary is a table that lists all projects by city, and provides more details regarding the purpose of each grant.


Recycling Grant Awards
The recycling programs provide an alternative to the disposal of solid waste in Nebraska’s landfills. The programs recycle more than just aluminum, paper, glass, and plastic. Materials such as electronic computer components, paint, aerosol cans, fertilizer, pesticides, pharmaceutical items and household hazardous waste are collected and either reprocessed to be used again or are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. Recycling efforts that promote the purchase of recycled content products continue to receive priority for funding. NDEQ awarded 26 grants in the recycling category, totaling $1,326,206.

Cleanup Grant Awards
Cleanup grants provide assistance for programs involving Nebraska residents of all ages who pick up litter and debris along Nebraska's highways, waterways, recreation lands, urban areas, and other public use areas within the state. Not only are the public areas improved through the removal of litter and debris, but also much of the material collected during the cleanups is recycled. The recycling proceeds are often used to benefit the respective programs. NDEQ awarded 11 grants in the cleanup category, totaling $126,986.

Public Education Awards
The Public Education programs educate citizens in the areas of litter reduction, cleanup, and recycling through a variety of individual and community activities. Priority is given to programs that promote markets for recycled materials or purchasing products made from recycled materials. NDEQ awarded 20 grants in the public education category, totaling $1,037,895.

Attached is a table that lists grantees by city, and provides descriptions of the projects.


2017 Litter Reduction and Recycling Grants, by City
City
Organization
Program Category
Amount Awarded
Project Description
Alliance
Keep Alliance Beautiful
Public Education
$56,817
Fund several community and school educational programs to increase recycling.
Alliance
Keep Alliance Beautiful
Recycling
$76,918
Fund public education programs and operate the recycling center in Box Butte County.
Alma
City of Alma
Recycling
$2,180
Install fence to keep litter from blowing onto the hiking/biking trail and into Harlan County Lake.
Beatrice
Keep Beatrice Beautiful, Inc.
Cleanup
$8,295
Clean up 100 miles and 60 acres.
Beatrice
Keep Beatrice Beautiful, Inc.
Public Education
$44,949
Litter and recycling education via advertising and presentations to civic and community organizations and schools.
Belvidere
Trailblazer Resource Conservation and Development
Recycling
$25,035
Hold seven household hazardous waste collection events in seven communities/counties over two weekends.
Burwell
Loup Basin RC&D Council/Keep Loup Basin Beautiful
Public Education
$79,146
Continuation of litter prevention and recycling education for schools and communities in a nine -county area.
Chadron
Keep Chadron Beautiful
Cleanup
$6,197
Clean up 100 miles.
Chadron
Keep Chadron Beautiful
Public Education
$60,632
Continuation of litter and recycling education programs for schools and participate in community events.
Chadron
Keep Chadron Beautiful
Recycling
$7,100
Conduct a one-day electronic waste collection event.
Columbus
Keep Columbus Beautiful, Inc.
Public Education
$29,082
Public education and services to increase recycling and prevent litter through local schools and community events.
Crete
Public Health Solutions
Public Education
$17,480
Develop and publish 2,500 resource guides (recycling, waste disposal, material exchange, used donations) for five southeast Nebraska counties.
Fremont
Keep Fremont Beautiful
Public Education
$73,100
Funds to provide comprehensive education programs for the community and from pre-K to college levels to reduce litter and increase recycling.
Grand Island
Grand Island Area Clean Community System
Cleanup
$39,051
Clean up 125 miles and 100 acres.
Grand Island
Grand Island Area Clean Community System
Public Education
$65,682
Fund a variety of programs to reduce litter and increase recycling in the community.
Gretna
City of Gretna
Recycling
$43,455
Purchase a brush chipper to produce chips for city landscaping.
Hastings
Woodwards Disposal Service, Inc
Recycling
$86,148
Truck chassis with rear load and hopper to collect cardboard, newspaper, and office paper through curbside recycling and commercial pickups.
Kearney
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Recycling
$22,973
Purchase a two-cubic-yard compactor and 40-cubic-yard receiver box with hook to hold recyclables collected on the UNK campus.
Kimball
Keep Kimball Beautiful
Public Education
$25,300
Support of programs in Kimball schools and continue community-wide recycling education.
Kimball
Keep Kimball Beautiful
Recycling
$73,710
Operating expenses for the Kimball Recycling Center for Kimball County residents.
Lexington
Keep Lexington Beautiful
Public Education
$32,934
Continue weekly recycling education program in four elementary schools and one middle school; tailored for diverse (40-country) student body.
Lexington
Keep Lexington Beautiful
Recycling
$9,791
New signs for four recycling trailers, and new paint for two of them.
Lincoln
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
Cleanup
$19,000
Clean up 240 miles and 700 acres.
Lincoln
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
Public Education
$121,366
Education programs to encourage appropriate waste management practices throughout the community. Purchase 10 ashtray receptacles and four recycling containers.
Lincoln
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Public Education
$15,356
Establish "Improving Recycling and Composting Education through Participation" project. Purchase 5,000 aluminum water bottles and reusable bags for students attending two UNL programs.
Lincoln
Lincoln Children's Museum
Public Education
$5,450
Funding for "Green Halloween." Purchase recycled trick or treat bags and recycle bins for the Museum.
Lincoln
Solid Waste Management
Recycling
$170,710
150' x 50' x 10" concrete pad and used excavator to better handle and divert 15-20,000 tons of asphalt roof shingles from the Bluff Road Landfill.
Lincoln
Nebraska Farmers Union
Recycling
$40,000
Used tractor and mixer trailer to chop up larger pieces of organic material (corn cobs) to make larger amounts of compost.
Lincoln
WasteCap Nebraska
Recycling
$125,790
Work with businesses and the community to provide educational outreach technical assistance for zero-waste activities. Purchase two computers.
Louisville
Keep Cass County Beautiful
Cleanup
$1,500
Clean up 14 miles and 80 acres.
Louisville
Keep Cass County Beautiful
Public Education
$59,215
Educate Cass County citizens and students about litter prevention, recycling, waste management, and composting. Continue "loan a bin" recycling program.
Morrill
Village of Morrill
Recycling
$33,900
Purchase a wood chipper to trim trees near power lines in Morrill. Mulch will be used for landscaping, golf courses and parks.
Norfolk
Keep Norfolk Beautiful
Public Education
$21,670
Recycling education programs in the schools and community of Norfolk.
North Platte
Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful
Cleanup
$17,443
Clean up 320 miles.
North Platte
Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful
Public Education
$85,909
Continue community recycling programs and increase participation through education.
North Platte
Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful
Recycling
$34,428
Administer programs to increase the collection of recyclables, e-waste, and potential household hazardous waste from Lincoln County for proper disposal and reuse.
Ogallala
Keep Keith County Beautiful, Inc.
Cleanup
$3,000
Clean up 60 miles.
Ogallala
Keep Keith County Beautiful
Public Education
$84,210
Educate residents and visitors on litter reduction and to increase recycling in Keith County. Expand to Arthur, Deuel, Grant and Perkins Counties.
Ogallala
Keep Keith County Beautiful, Inc.
Recycling
$43,964
Purchase four recycling containers to add to the collection system at Lake McConaughy.
Omaha
Keep Omaha Beautiful
Cleanup
$18,000
Online follow-up survey of volunteers. Clean up 20 miles.
Omaha
Keep Omaha Beautiful
Public Education
$71,000
Conduct community outreach and classroom activities on recycling and litter reduction.
Omaha
Habitat for Humanity of Omaha Inc.
Recycling
$53,934
Purchase a box truck to increase ability to pick up donations for two ReStores in Omaha.
Omaha
Angels on Wheels
Recycling
$82,200
Hold 22-23 strategically located electronic collection events in the Metro Omaha area.
Schuyler
Keep Schuyler Beautiful
Recycling
$40,033
Fund expenses to operate the Colfax Co. Recycling facility for residents of Schuyler and Colfax County.
Scottsbluff
Keep Scottsbluff Gering Beautiful
Cleanup
$10,000
Clean up 100 miles.
Scottsbluff
Keep Scottsbluff Gering Beautiful
Public Education
$25,333
Funding for community recycling/anti-littering programs for Scottsbluff and Gering.
Scottsbluff
Keep Scottsbluff Gering Beautiful
Recycling
$47,530
Fund two pharmaceutical take-back events and other recycling projects.
Sidney
Keep Sidney Beautiful
Recycling
$43,554
Public education to reduce litter in the community and decrease recyclable items going to the landfill.
South Sioux City
Keep Northeast Nebraska Beautiful
Public Education
$63,264
Public education in the community and schools to reduce litter, including waterway litter, and promote recycling.
Springfield
Soil Dynamics Composting Farm Inc.
Recycling
$47,500
Food waste garbage truck, to be modified to pull a garbage can washing system trailer to collect food waste from Louisville schools.
Steinauer
Steinauer Community Club
Cleanup
$500
Clean up 10 miles.
Tekamah
Papio Missouri River NRD
Recycling
$24,500
Conduct four electronic waste collection events to be held in: Washington, Burt, Thurston, and Dakota counties.
Valentine
Middle Niobrara NRD
Recycling
$100,215
Trailer with spreader to increase amount of woody biomass chips applied on fields and tree rows. Tree removal will increase grazing and grassland, and reduce fire risk.
Verdigre
Village of Verdigre
Recycling
$7,350
Funds to manage the recycling program for Verdigre, and parts of Knox, Holt, and Boyd counties.
Wakefield
ESU#1
Cleanup
$4,000
Cleanup 20 miles and 300 acres.
Wisner
City of Wisner
Recycling
$51,188
Fund 48' x 60' concrete slab, perimeter blocks and fabric hoop building cover to store wood chips for gasifier equipment and recycled cardboard.
York
Four Corners Health Department
Recycling
$32,100
Hold a one-day household hazardous waste collection event in Seward and in York counties.