The Hancock County Solid Waste Management District received a grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to fund its continued efforts to facilitate electronics recycling. Hancock County was one of 21 recipients of the grant, receiving $6,250. The state awarded a total of $444,435 to counties, municipalities, solid waste management districts, schools and nonprofit organizations.
“The Community Recycling Grants are a great way for IDEM to promote and encourage recycling at the local level,” IDEM Commissioner Bruno Pigott said. “IDEM is proud to work with communities to promote recycling throughout the state.”
Dede Allender, director of the Solid Waste Management District, said the grant will pay about 50% of the district’s expenses for the electronics recycling events it plans to hold this year. The first of four scheduled events was held on Saturday, April 24.
Allender said the district has held two events per year in the past, but canceled its spring event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, with months spent at home during social distancing, many people upgraded their electronics, like game consoles and televisions, which they were using to pass the time.
“We got a huge response to our fall event,” Allender said.