Grants Funds Helping City Divert Recyclables from Landfill

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A pair of grants from the Solid Waste Management District have helped the City of Memphis implement a recycling program, pictured (L to R) with some of the equipment funded by the grants are Lucinda Chubb of the Northeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission, city administrator Allen Creek and city clerk Angela Newman.

The city of Memphis received two grants from the State of Missouri Solid Waste District to enhance the recycling program. The first project contributed to the purchase of a refurbished auto-feed baler capable of producing a 600-800 lb plastic bale, making the process of baling plastic and aluminum more feasible and efficient.  This maximizes the opportunity to recycle plastic bottles from Pepsi-Cola Memphis Bottling Company and boosts recycling revenue with a less labor-intensive process. The grant covered 83% or $24,500 of the $29,500 project. The city was responsible for 17% or $5,000.

The second grant contributes to a more efficient recycling process through the acquisition of a forklift and materials to modify the building to better streamline the process of loading and unloading recyclables. The modifications, along with the auto-feed baler and the forklift provide the best set-up for utilizing the new equipment efficiently. The forklift grant covered 75% or $12,000 of the $16,000 project, with 25% or $4,000 covered by the city of Memphis.

The Northeast Missouri District, Region C, was formed in 1993 when the State of Missouri Solid Waste Districts were established as part of the state’s Solid Waste Act of 1992.  A Solid Waste Council was appointed from the County Commissions of Adair, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Schuyler, and Scotland Counties. The NEMO Solid Waste Management District, Region C, contracts with the NEMO Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) to perform administrative duties required by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. NRPC develops and implements a solid waste management plan for the six-county area and oversees the regulatory and administrative documentation necessary to stay in compliance with state statutes.

A District Grant Program through Region C provides financial assistance to cities, counties, non-profits and other organizations to achieve the following goals:

Develop programs to reduce the solid waste generated, improve or create markets for recovered materials and improve the management of items banned from landfills by Missouri law. Funds are awarded for projects that are sustainable, lead to long term diversion, and have maximum impact on waste minimization while creating or sustaining jobs.

The collaborative effort was spearheaded by Allen Creek and Allen Garrett of the Memphis Public Works Department with grant requests prepared by Lucinda Clubb at the NEMO RPC, which gained a stamp of approval from the Memphis City Council, and ultimate approval from the State of Missouri Solid Waste District.  The new equipment has contributed to a very impressive recycling facility and the success and profitability of the program is now in the hands of Memphis residents to collect their recyclables and deposit them at the drive-through recycling center at the bottom of Monroe Street.