Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Mike Linder has announced the awarding of $1,499,901 in 59 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.

“Each year we receive applications from all across Nebraska to help us carry out our goal of reducing litter and recycling,” Linder said. “It is important that we have effective community programs, and these grants will continue to move us in that direction.”

Examples of this year’s projects include:

Dempster Industries LLC in Beatrice is a company that has supplied the recycling industry in Nebraska with high quality compartmentalized recycling trailers for a number of years. Grant funds of $16,609 will be used for research and development for a new type of recycling trailer which will include recycled plastic in the materials used in its construction.

Milestone Local Surfaces LLC in Lincoln is a company that manufactures countertops and other surfaces from post-consumer recycled glass collected from local individuals and businesses. Grant funds of $21,000 will be used to purchase a hammer mill, in addition to other support for the business.

Trailblazer Resource Conservation and Development District in Red Cloud will use $19,250 in grant funds to conduct a collection event for electronic waste in the counties of Clay, Fillmore, Franklin, Harlan, Nuckolls, Thayer and Webster. Trailblazer will be partnering with the various county extension offices, the USDA, various Natural Resource Districts, and others. The goal is to collect 105,000 pounds of electronic equipment.

Below is a listing of all grantees for 2011.

Recycling Grant Awards: City of Columbus, Public Works, $124,968.00, Columbus; City of Hastings, Solid Waste Landfill Facility, $11,170.00, Hastings; City of Lyons, $9,363.00, Lyons; Dempster Industries, LLC, $16,609.00, Beatrice; Electronic Recyclers, $89,900.00, Omaha; Goodwill Industries of Greater Nebraska, Inc, $27,000.00, Grand Island; Green Future, Inc., $35,000.00, Lincoln; Gretna Sanitation, Inc., $36,875.00 , Gretna Habitat for Humanity/ Omaha ReStore, $21,640.00, Omaha; Heartland Disposal Recycling, $58,257.00, Grand Island; KBR Solid Waste, $30,943.00, Ainsworth; Keep Alliance Beautiful, $29,236.00, Alliance; Keep Beatrice Beautiful, $2,999.00, Beatrice; Keep Chadron Beautiful, $3,248.00, Chadron; Keep Chadron Beautiful, $30,842.00, Chadron; Keep Fremont Beautiful, $21,358.00, Fremont; Keep Kimball Beautiful, $20,708.00, Kimball; Keep Nebraska Beautiful, $35,842.00, Lincoln; Keep North Platte-Lincoln County Beautiful, $52,961.00, North Platte; Keep Schuyler Beautiful, $28,605.00, Schuyler; Keep Schuyler Beautiful, $3,500.00, Schuyler; Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful, $35,332.00, Scottsbluff; Lexington Area Solid Waste Agency, $49,370.00, Lexington; Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA), $50,000.00, Omaha; MileStone Local Surfaces, LLC, $21,000.00, Lincoln; Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, $31,367.00, Lincoln; People's City Mission, $45,802.00, Lincoln; Product Stewardship Institute, Inc., $44,540.00, Boston; RecyclePal, Inc., $24,328.00, Omaha; Salvation Army, $17,639.00, Grand Island; Trailblazer R. C. & D., $19,250.00, Red Cloud; U.S. Recycling Company, $10,100.00, Ogallala; University of NE-Lincoln (Landscape Services), $2,748.00, Lincoln; WasteCap Nebraska, $82,500.00, Lincoln.

Cleanup Grant Awards: Grand Island Area Clean Community System, $4,292.00, Grand Island; Keep Alliance Beautiful, $3,443.00, Alliance; Keep Beatrice Beautiful, $6,747.00, Beatrice; Keep Lincoln-Lancaster County Beautiful, $11,208.00, Lincoln; Keep North Platte-Lincoln County Beautiful, $18,513, North Platte; Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful, $15,797.00, Scottsbluff.

Public Education Grant Awards: Grand Island Area Clean Community System, $26,875.00, Grand Island; Keep Alliance Beautiful, $16,929.00, Alliance; Keep Beatrice Beautiful, $1,201.00, Beatrice; Keep Beatrice Beautiful, $16,616.00, Beatrice; Keep Chadron Beautiful, $17,744.00, Chadron; Keep Columbus Beautiful, $10,826.00, Columbus; Keep Fremont Beautiful, $24,104.00, Fremont; Keep Keith County Beautiful, $18,176.00, Ogallala; Keep Kimball Beautiful, $5,699.00, Kimball; Keep Lincoln-Lancaster County Beautiful, $34,379.00, Lincoln; Keep Norfolk Beautiful - NCIC, $8,325.00, Norfolk; Keep North Platte-Lincoln County Beautiful, $21,712.00, North Platte; Keep Northeast Nebraska Beautiful, $20,610.00, South Sioux City; Keep Omaha Beautiful, $27,806.00, Omaha; Keep Schuyler Beautiful, $10,412.00, Schuyler; Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful, $24,427.00, Scottsbluff; Keep Sidney Beautiful, $12,490.00, Sidney; Loup Basin RC & D Council, $16,570.00, Ord.

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