Northeast Ohio is in line for more than a million dollars in Ohio EPA grants for recycling and litter-prevention programs. And a greater Akron organization is getting funding to do work statewide.
Thirteen programs in nine northeast Ohio counties are getting from $2,500 to $250,000. That includes a $100,000 new type of grant for a local Keep Ohio Beautiful chapter.
Lindey Amer is a spokeswoman for Ohio EPA.
“Keep Ohio Beautiful of Summit County is to receive$100,000 to coordinate recycling and litter-prevention needs for event recycling, not just for Summit County, but for the entire state of Ohio. It’s a new program, where they’re going to help with the coordination. And that’s going to be a fun project for them.”
All told, Ohio EPA is making about $5 million in litter-prevention and recycling grants across the state. And there is an economic development component. In northeast Ohio, in particular, two projects that stimulate the recycling business are getting $250,000 each.
Lindey Amer explains.
“The Summit Akron Waste Management Authority, also known as ReWorks, is receiving $250,000. And they are going to sponsor a company to purchase shredding and drying equipment to convert junk plastics into pellets, and then they’re going to use that as fuel.”
Amer says the other grant is for the Stark Tuscarawas Wayne Solid Waste Management Authority to help J.M Smucker Com. set up a glass separation system.
Funding for the grants is in part from a 75-cents-per-ton charge on construction and demolition debris waste.