Coke's Recycling Grants are Open

Here's the press release, unedited:

Coca-Cola and Keep America Beautiful Announce 2011 Recycling Bin Grant Program
Grants Provide Recycling Bins and Consultation for Parks, Schools, Offices, and Special Events

STAMFORD, Conn. (Feb. 14, 2011) — The Coca-Cola Company and Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) today announced the Coca-Cola/KAB Recycling Bin Grant Program, an effort designed to promote and support community recycling.

Grant recipients receive both donated recycling bins and expertise on how to set up recycling programs from Keep America Beautiful. This Bin Grant program is part of KAB’s larger Public Space initiative, an effort among KAB and its sponsors, such as Coca-Cola, to enhance the access to and convenience of recycling away from home. The grant program is also part of a $60 million investment by The Coca-Cola Company in recycling initiatives in the U.S.

“The great demand for recycling bins in public spaces reflects a growing interest in, and need for, expanded recycling access away from home,” said Matthew M. McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. “We’re thankful to The Coca-Cola Company for its support of this bin grant program, and the company's commitment to community recycling nationwide.”

The spring 2011 grant cycle opens today, Monday, Feb. 14. Interested parties may visit http://bingrant.org and submit an online grant application through March 18, 2011. Eligible grant recipients include government agencies, civic organizations, schools and nonprofit groups. Successful applicants will be notified on or before April 15.

Since its inception in the fall of 2007, the Bin Grant program has placed more than 16,000 recycling bins in 320 communities in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Recipients have included municipalities, colleges, Native American tribes, and community- based NGOs.

“The entire recycling process begins when a consumer chooses to put their empty beverage container in a recycle bin instead of the trash,” said John Burgess, president of Coca-Cola Recycling LLC. “Through our work with KAB to provide bins to community-based organizations, we can help raise recycling rates by making recycling more accessible to more consumers.”

Ulster County Recycles 40% (Yay!) Esopus Recycles Less than 20% (Boo!)

The Freeman had an article this week with good news: Ulster County has met a goal of recycling 40% of municipal waste. Though one factor for the county's success was the bad economy (less stuff bought by individuals and fewer buildings built, resulted in less waste and less construction debris), it's still a positive sign.

Unfortunately, Esopus recycled just 18.6 percent of its waste in 2009, according to Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency data -- among the worst in Ulster County:

2009 Ulster County Recycling Rates

1. New Paltz - 62.0 %
   
2. Hurley - 58.7 %
3. Shawangunk - 45.9 %
4. Gardiner - 44.3 %
5. Marbletown - 39.9 %
6. Rosendale - 36.9 %
7. Lloyd - 30.9 %
8. Saugerties - 30.0 %
9. Ulster - 28.9 %
   
10. Marlborough - 28.1 %
11. Plattekill - 24.7 %
12. Olive - 23.9 %
    
13. Esopus - 18.7 %
14. Wawarsing - 18.6 %
15. Hardenburgh - 18.5%
16. Kingston - 17.3 %
17. Denning - 16.7 %
18. Rochester - 16.7 %

Esopus is unique among those low-performing towns (under 20% recycled) in that its recycling rate has dropped consistently over the past three years: from 23.6 percent in 2007 and 22.3 percent in 2008.

The Shawangunk, Gardiner and Plattekill transfer stations used to be run by the same contractor that runs Esopus transfer station, but each is now run by town employees. Esopus is the only town in Ulster County to pay a contractor to run its transfer station.

In 2008 and 2009 combined, Esopus spent, on average, $15.98 per ton of recyclables and $102.89 on municipal solid waste (ie, landfill). In other words, it cost $0.16 cents to recycle for every dollar it cost to landfill waste.

In calendar year 2008 and 2009, the Esopus transfer station ran a $91,000 combined deficit, a loss which is borne by local taxpayers. The cost to landfill waste amounted to 46% of that cost, and the cost of contracting for its operation was 52%.The cost of recycling was just 1.5%.

More to come.

Recycling Grant Opportunity Postponed

I just received this from Coca Cola and the National Recycling Coalition. This is in reference to the grant program that supplies recycling bins for public places, like Main Street or parks.


Dear Recycling Leaders,

This message is being distributed to those requesting notification of the next Coca Cola / National Recycling Coalition Bin Grant cycle. The grant cycle originally scheduled for February, 2009 has been postponed until later in the year. New dates have not been set at this time. We will send further updates by email once a new grant schedule has been determined.

Thank you for your interest in the Bin Grant program and for supporting recycling in your community.

Alec Cooley
National Recycling Coalition