Governor Perdue Announces "Away From Home" Recycling Grants

Grants To Promote Special Event Recycling In 13 Communities

ATLANTA— Today as our nation celebrates America Recycles Day 2007, Governor Sonny Perdue demonstrated his commitment to recycling by announcing the selection of 13 Georgia communities chosen to receive grants awarded by the state's "Away From Home" recycling program.

"We congratulate the communities selected as the inaugural recipients for these important recycling awards," said Governor Sonny Perdue.  "Based on the communities and special events selected, we are projecting more than 4.5 million Georgia citizens and visitors who will be reminded to recycle when they are away from home.  We expect this initiative to have a measurable impact on our statewide environmental and recycling efforts."           

The communities and/or solid waste authorities selected for the inaugural grants were Athens-Clarke County, City of Atlanta, Bulloch County, Dalton/Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Decatur County, City of Douglasville, City of Gainesville, Liberty County, North Georgia Resource Management Authority (Banks, Lumpkin, Town and Union counties), City of Roswell, City of Savannah Sanitation Bureau, City of Tybee Island and City of Valdosta. 

The "Away From Home" Recycling Program was established to help local communities promote recycling at special events like sporting events, concerts and festivals.  Approximately $350,000 from Georgia's Solid Waste Trust Fund (SWTF) will be used to implement this initiative.  The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will work with the selected communities to establish and implement these newly announced recycling programs.  Additional communities selected to receive the grants will be announced in 2008.

"Away From Home" To Spur Recycling Efforts At Local Special Events

The "Away From Home" grant recipients will not be awarded cash.  Instead, the "turn key" grant package will consists of the actual equipment communities need to implement a special event collection program. 

Based on the event's expected attendance, the community will receive a trailer with up to 100 recycling containers stored on five, easy-to-assemble carts.  The easy-to-assemble, self-contained carts can be pushed manually from location to location or hitched to the back of a motorized cart.  Each cart will also contain a promotional recycling message.  In addition to the carts, each recycling trailer will have local government "check-out" forms, a special event recycling instruction manual, volunteer training and safety information and a recycling collection reporting sheet.  Community specific recycling and promotional information will also be included with each trailer.

To track the program's success, grant recipients must submit twice yearly, online electronic progress reports to DCA for two years after the grants award.  DCA expects to issue a detailed report in December 2008 of key event data, including the overall amount of material recycled.

Private Sector To Partner With State On Innovative Recycling Program

Georgia's unique, turn-key approach to special events recycling attracted the involvement of several private sector partners. 

"The innovation and partnerships proposed in the state's recycling strategy have established Georgia as one of the nation's newly recognized recycling leaders.  We are pleased that these grants will serve our citizens and visitors, make it easier for Georgians to recycle, conserve our resources and leverage public and private funds," said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty.

Curbside Value Partnership (CVP) joined the statewide efforts by providing advertising, graphic design and local government recycling promotional material support.  CVP is a nationally-recognized organization with a primary focus on increasing participation in residential curbside recycling programs and measuring the growth of these recycling programs as a way to increase the sustainability of local recycling efforts.

The Coca-Cola Company donated $25,000 towards the purchase of trailers and collection containers. 

"Georgia's non-alcoholic beverage industry has a proven track record of environmental stewardship," said Kevin Perry, Executive Director of the Georgia Beverage Association.  "Georgia's new recycling initiative is the most important program the state has launched to help increase overall plastic and aluminum beverage container recycling.  We are happy to lend our support to the state on this important effort," Perry added.

"Away From Home" Key Part Of Statewide Recycling Strategy

In addition to the "Away From Home" effort, the state's comprehensive and collaborative strategy will focus on developing a statewide media campaign, supporting, investing in regional recycling transfer hubs and developing recycling and disposal rate measurement and reporting tools.  The strategy also has the support of other state partners, including the Georgia Department of Natural Resources – Environmental Protection and Pollution Prevention Assistance Divisions and the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority. 

In October 2007, Georgia announced a plan to establish regional recycling hubs in Bulloch County, Griffin, Savannah and Valdosta-Lowndes County.  These communities will receive a total of $2.2 million in state grants from the state's Solid Waste Trust Fund (SWTF) to implement these programs.

 For additional information about the state's recycling efforts, please visit DCA's website at www.dca.state.ga.us or call (404) 679-4940.