PRESS RELEASE
from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

For more information,contact
Carla Felix (402) 471-4223,
Amanda Woita (402) 471-4243,
Nathanael Urie (402) 471-4245, or
For Immediate Release
January 6, 2015

More Than $2 Million Awarded to Recycling, Litter Programs


Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Acting Director Pat Rice has announced the awarding of $2,099,364 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.

“The agency received many outstanding applications from across Nebraska,” Rice said. “These grant awards will support many important local efforts to recycle and protect our natural resources.”


Below is a summary of the three grant categories, and grant awards in each category for 2015. 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 23 grants in the recycling category, totaling $1,176,580.

Cleanup Grant Awards
The cleanup programs utilize Nebraska residents of all ages to 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 utilized to benefit the respective programs. NDEQ awarded 15 grants in the cleanup category, totaling $97,938.

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 21 grants in the public education category, totaling $821,346.

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


2015 Litter Reduction and Recycling Grants, by City
City
Organization
Award Amount
Category
Project Description
Alliance
Keep Alliance Beautiful, Inc.
$56,450
Education
Education for recycling and litter in Box Butte County and beyond.
Alliance
Keep Alliance Beautiful, Inc.
$76,243
Recycling
Personnel and operating costs for recycling center.
Beatrice
Keep Beatrice Beautiful, Inc.
$8,636
Cleanup
Cleanup of 100 miles and 20 acres, plus supplies.
Beatrice
Keep Beatrice Beautiful, Inc.
$42,872
Education
Long-running program, including billboards, litter hotline newsletter, recycling and litter education.
Belvidere
Trailblazer Resource Conservation and Development
$23,925
Recycling
Household hazardous waste collection events.
Burwell
Keep Loup Basin Beautiful/Loup Basin RC&D
$800
Cleanup
Cleanup of 10 miles and 10 acres, plus supplies.
Burwell
Keep Loup Basin Beautiful/Loup Basin RC&D
$62,980
Education
Age-specific KAB curriculum to children in over 60 communities in the area.
Chadron
Keep Chadron Beautiful
$6,132
Cleanup
Cleanup of 100 miles.
Chadron
Keep Chadron Beautiful
$45,000
Education
School presentations, liter free events, recycling and litter education.
Chadron
Keep Chadron Beautiful
$6,950
Recycling
Electronic collection event.
Chadron
Solid Waste Agency of Northwest Nebraska
$85,500
Recycling
Funds to chip over 45,000 cubic yards of wood waste caused by severe snow storms.
Columbus
Keep Columbus Beautiful, INC
$1,400
Recycling
Supplies for Compact Fluorescent Light recycling
Fremont
Keep Fremont Beautiful, Inc.
$50,000
Education
Education on recycling and litter.
Grand Island
Grand Island Area Clean Community Systems
$50,000
Education
Education on recycling and litter in schools and other organizations and citizens. Bilingual materials are provided.
Holdrege
City of Holdrege
$12,952
Recycling
Purchase of plastic granulator and conveyor for the City of Holdrege.
Imperial
Dwight Coleman
$10,086
Recycling
Utilize used cooking oil to produce biodiesel fuel.
Kimball
Keep Kimball Beautiful
$23,439
Education
Education on recycling, waste management, and litter reduction for Kimball County
Kimball
Keep Kimball Beautiful
$68,945
Recycling
Operating expenses for Kimball County recycling center.
Lexington
Keep Lexington Beautiful
$4,350
Cleanup
Cleanup of 80 miles and 35 acres in the City of Lexington.
Lexington
Keep Lexington Beautiful
$30,000
Education
Education on recycling and litter. They plan to expand their program cover the whole county.
Lincoln
Lancaster County Engineering Department
$5,000
Cleanup
Lancaster County adopt-a-highway program.
Lincoln
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
$19,000
Cleanup
Cleanup of 320 miles and 300 acres.
Lincoln
Lincoln Children's Museum
$5,150
Education
Develop recycling program and use recycled materials in Halloween costumes.
Lincoln
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
$60,000
Education
School presentations, cigarette butt receptacle placement, education on litter and recycling.
Lincoln
Nebraska Farmers Union
$26,850
Recycling
Vermicomposting project utilizing food scraps from Lincoln Public Schools.
Lincoln
Solid Waste Management
$41,883
Recycling
Recycling containers for parks and sports fields.
Lincoln
WasteCap Nebraska
$121,000
Recycling
Facilitate business recycling, zero waste activities, webinars, waste audits and other administrative costs.
Louisville
Keep Cass County Beautiful
$45,000
Education
School presentations in Cass County, recycling and litter education. Partners with youth organizations.
Lyons
City of Lyons
$75,670
Recycling
Plastic baler for the City of Lyons recycling program.
Nebraska City
Nebraska City Utilities
$130,000
Recycling
Equipment to clear right-of-way beneath utility lines. The trees and brush that are cut will be left in place.
Norfolk
Keep Norfolk Beautiful
$20,358
Education
Recycling and litter education, litter-free events, and water education.
North Platte
Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful
$16,000
Cleanup
Cleanup of 320 miles, plus labor
North Platte
Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful
$53,051
Education
Recycling and litter education.
North Platte
All Business & Commercial Recycling, LLC
$14,500
Recycling
Recycling containers for plastics to be used by North Platte businesses.
North Platte
Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful
$46,716
Recycling
Funds for personnel and operating expenses for the North Platte/Lincoln County recycling program.
Ogallala
Keep Keith County Beautiful
$6,500
Recycling
Household hazardous waste collection and paper shredding events.
Ogallala
Keep Keith County Beautiful
$2,250
Cleanup
Cleanup of 45 miles in Keith County.
Ogallala
Keep Keith County Beautiful
$40,000
Education
Recycling, recycling and litter education in schools and with visitors to the area.
Omaha
Keep Omaha Beautiful Inc
$17,150
Cleanup
Manage volunteers for all city park and trail cleanups.
Omaha
Keep Omaha Beautiful
$61,400
Education
Adopt-a-Block, bilingual educational brochures, school presentations, and other educational programs.
Omaha
Angels on Wheels
$50,000
Recycling
Electronic collection events with refurbishing of some appliances and computers.
Omaha
Green Recycling Enterprises, LLC
$71,045
Recycling
Away-from-home recycling program.
Schuyler
Keep Schuyler Beautiful
$400
Cleanup
Cleanup of 8 miles.
Schuyler
Keep Schuyler Beautiful
$18,950
Education
Education on recycling, litter and household hazardous waste.
Schuyler
Keep Schuyler Beautiful
$35,675
Recycling
Personnel and operating expenses of the Colfax County Recycling Facility.
Scottsbluff
Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful
$10,000
Cleanup
Cleanup of 160 miles and related personnel expenses.
Scottsbluff
Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful
$40,000
Education
Education on litter, recycling and household hazardous waste. Christmas tree recycling program.
Scottsbluff
North Platte Natural Resources District
$10,000
Education
Recycling education. Recycling containers furnished to citizens of rural areas of the NRD area.
Sidney
Keep Sidney Beautiful
$39,774
Education
Recycling and litter education, partnerships with business, social media use.
South Sioux City
City of South Sioux City
$3,170
Cleanup
Cleanup of 317 acres.
South Sioux City
Keep Northeast Nebraska Beautiful
$36,980
Education
Large 11-county area. Recycling and litter education programs.
Statewide
Product Stewardship Institute
$29,942
Education
The institute programs are open to all municipalities in Nebraska. Promotes Product Stewardship principles for all material, concentrating on paint, thermostats, pharmaceuticals and e-waste.
Steinauer
Steinauer Community Club
$1,050
Cleanup
Cleanup of 21 miles.
Tekamah
Papio Missouri River NRD
$8,000
Recycling
Electronic collection event.
Valentine
Middle Niobrara NRD
$200,212
Recycling
Equipment and expenses to remove and process Cedar trees to reduce the fuel source and fire danger in forests.
Wakefield
ESU#1
$4,000
Cleanup
Cleanup of 20 miles and 300 acres.
Wisner
City of Wisner
$40,570
Recycling
Shredder for tree trimming.
York
Four Corners Health Department
$21,958
Recycling
Household hazardous waste collection in Seward and York Counties.

SizeFile Name
111 KB 2015 LLRP Table - by city.pdf