In celebration of America Recycles Week, ecomaine announced $20,750 in grant funding to 13 recipients of its 2018-19 School Recycling Grants, which are designed to raise recycling awareness in schools and communities, and to help schools implement more efficient recycling programs or add composting to their waste collection.
The recipients are located across the state, and proposed a variety of programs designed to divert waste from landfills:
- Chelsea Elementary School, for a recycling field trip and reusable coffee pods for teachers
- Hollis Elementary School, for a variety of materials for recycling and composting
- Waldo County Technical Center (Liberty), for recycling bins and a recycling field trip
- Deering High School (Portland), for recycling bins and ecomaine stickers
- Portland High School, for replacing paper towel dispensers with efficient hand dryers
- Carl J. Lamb Elementary School (Sanford), for recycling bins, recycling education and field trip, and materials for the school’s Recycling Team
- Scarborough High School, for replacing paper towel dispensers with efficient hand dryers
- Shapleigh Memorial School, for recycling field trip, zero waste table construction, recycling bins & transportation, materials
- Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine (South Portland), for a composting program
- Roots & Fruits Pre-School (South Portland), for vermiculture composting materials and information
- Vinalhaven School, for various recycling supplies – bins, custodial trucks, transportation.
- Waterboro Elementary, for sustainability-themed field trips, food waste reduction, and materials, including a new zero waste table
- Thomas College (Waterville), for various sizes of recycling bins for dormitories and other buildings, support for student attendance at Green Campus Coalition meetings
“We could not be more pleased at the ambitious projects and thoughtful way Maine’s students and educators are looking at new ways of reducing, reusing, and recycling,” said Kevin Roche, CEO of ecomaine. “It is truly encouraging for those of us in this industry to see that the future of sustainable waste management solutions is in such good hands.”
Recipients were chosen by ecomaine’s Outreach and Recycling Committee based on the following criteria:
(1) Project outline and school commitment
(2) Ease of project replication
(3) Likelihood of success and program sustainability
(4) How compelling and worthy the funding is, overall
In addition to the School Recycling Grants, other programs that ecomaine offers throughout the year to further its education and outreach mission are:
- Recycling is a Work of Art contest (6 winners selected in Spring to paint murals on the “silver bullet” recycling containers in towns)
- Eco-Excellence Awards (held annually in March, nominations accepted throughout the year)
- Annual Recycling Open House each September
- On-site tours and community outreach (ongoing)
In fiscal year 2018, ecomaine reached more than 25,000 school children and members of the public through grants, tours, presentations and events.