def #113

def #113 06/09/10

COUNTY AWARDS SCHOOL RECYCLING GRANTS; FOCUS ON IMPROVING SCHOOL RECYCLING EFFORTS

TOMS RIVER – Ocean County is providing some financial support to school districts in the county that have expressed an interest in improving recycling efforts.

“Today we are authorizing grants totaling $27,819 for 18 schools in Ocean County to support improvements to current school recycling programs or to help establish new recycling programs,” said Freeholder Director James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to the county’s recycling program. “Schools are large producers of recyclable materials. From papers to plastic bottles, district employees and students alike can make a substantial contribution to the environmental and economic benefits derived from recycling.”

Ocean County announced the new grant program earlier this year focusing in on the more than 125 public and private schools that use plenty of paper, cans and bottles every day. In an effort to capture more of that recycling market, the county offered grants of up to $5,000 to help with school recycling programs.

“We are hopeful this program will encourage schools throughout Ocean County to increase recycling efforts,” Lacey said. “The more that is recycled in the county the greater the environmental and economical benefits.” For instance, Lacey said that since Ocean County began operating its recyclable materials processing facility in Lakewood in 1991, the county has processed 1,324,140 tons of materials resulting in a total savings of $95,549,942 by avoiding the tipping fee at the landfill.

“The school recycling grant program offers financial assistance to interested schools, that want to improve their recycling efforts,” Lacey said. “This is an opportunity on the county’s behalf to further support our schools and their recycling programs.”

All schools in the county – public and private – received an application from the county outlining the grant program. The Grant Review Subcommittee of the Ocean County Solid Waste Advisory Council evaluated the applications.

Schools receiving the grants and the amounts are: Monsignor Donovan High School, Toms River, $608; Plumsted Township Public Schools, $1,897; Holy Family School, Lakewood, $2,500; Saint Joseph Grade School, Toms River, $344; H&M Potter School, Berkeley Township, $1,018; Southern Regional Board of Education, Stafford Township, $2,500; Berkeley Township Elementary School, $619; Clara B. Worth School, Berkeley Township, $1,521; Stafford Intermediate School, $2,530; Island Heights Elementary School, $1,267; Pinelands Regional School District, $3,065; Toms River Regional School District, $1,918; Bayville School, Berkeley Township, $1,973; St. Aloysius, Jackson Township, $250; Regional Day School at Jackson, $345; Ocean Gate School District, $1,366; Central Regional School District, Berkeley Township, $2,040 and Bnos Yaakov Elementary School, Lakewood, $2,056.

In order to be considered for the grant, applicants had to outline a new project or improvement to an existing project focusing on the collection of recyclables.

The grant funds can be applied toward the purchase of new recycling collection containers used to pickup recyclables from classrooms, new in-class containers, and roll-off containers to consolidate recyclables from individual facilities.

Each school district that receives funding must provide matching funds.

Lacey noted that the successful applicants also will be required to provide the county with an annual report on recycling totals for three years following the award of the grant.

“It’s important for us to record how recycling programs are faring in school districts,” Lacey said. “Schools are large producers of recyclables. We want to stay on top of those efforts and provide assistance when necessary.”

The money for the grants comes from the Recycling Enhancement Entitlement Program, which is collected from a $3 per ton tax levied against trash disposed of at the Ocean County Landfill in Manchester Township.

“We are pleased with the initial response to this grant program,” Lacey said. “Each of the schools will be buying more containers for recyclables. That effort will help increase the recycling rate which is what the county has been encouraging.”