Waste Reduction Grants

11/18/2004

Wake County Solid Waste Management is seeking grant applications for projects that increase businesses' involvement in waste prevention efforts, decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills, and/or encourage the development, marketing and use of recycled products.

During this year's Solid Waste Reduction Grant cycle, the Solid Waste Management Division is offering up to $40,000 for innovative business recycling programs that promise significant environmental benefits and could be easily incorporated by other companies. Grant applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 30, 2004.

The Solid Waste Reduction Grants are designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of businesses that seek funding for a one-year period, for the specific purpose of reducing waste and/or promoting reuse or recycling. This grant program is open to businesses, tax-supported agencies or nonprofit organizations.

The grant funding allows businesses to develop programs that can reduce the amount of recyclable material entering the waste stream that they may not be able to implement otherwise. "Approximately 70 percent of all solid waste landfilled in Wake County is generated by commercial sources," said Kelley Dennings, a waste reduction specialist at Wake County. "Even small modifications in the purchasing, manufacturing or disposal practices of a local business can drastically reduce the solid waste tonnages going to the landfill."

The Solid Waste Management Division has awarded 32 solid waste reduction grants since 1995. Previous recipients have implemented several waste reduction and reuse ideas including a stadium-wide recycling program, food waste composting program, and construction-and-demolition debris recovery program.

To obtain an application and more information on the solid waste reduction grants, please visit www.wakegov.com/county/recycling/businesses/grants or call (919) 856-5277.

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