Department of
Community Affairs

News Release

 

FOR RELEASE: 10/25/2007

CONTACT: Kimberly King, DCA Communications  (404) 679-0615

 

State Announces Regional Recycling Hub Grant Awards

 

Atlanta, GA -

For Immediate Release                                        

Thursday, October 25, 2007

 

CONTACT:     Kimberly King, DCA Communications - (404)  679-0615

 

State Announces Regional Recycling Hub Grant Awards

Bulloch County, Griffin, Savannah, Valdosta/Lowndes County Selected As Regional Locations

 

Atlanta, GA -- Nearly 500 Georgians attending the 29th Annual Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards Luncheon in Atlanta today were the first to hear that Bulloch County, Griffin, Savannah and Valdosta-Lowndes County will receive a total of $2.2 million in state grants from the state’s Solid Waste Trust Fund (SWTF) to implement four new, innovative regional recycling collection programs.

            “The care and efficient use of our natural resources is a top priority for Georgia’s citizens and families.  Like water conservation, the implementation of innovative waste reduction initiatives is important for Georgia’s present and future,” said Mike Beatty, Commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA).  “We are pleased that our state’s Solid Waste Trust Fund dollars will leverage private sector support and support initiatives that are well-positioned to dramatically increase the state’s recycling rates.”

            DCA’s Office of Environmental Management will work with the selected communities to establish and implement these newly announced recycling programs.

Innovative Approaches Establish Georgia As A Recycling Leader

Georgia’s plan to establish regional recycling hubs to “jump start” single stream recycling and increase in statewide recycling rates did not go unnoticed.  National recycling organizations have expressed significant interest in our new programs.

 “The innovation and partnerships proposed in the state’s recycling strategy have established Georgia as one of the nation’s newly recognized recycling leaders.  We are especially pleased that these projects will serve our urban and rural areas, make it easier for Georgians to recycle, conserve our resources and leverage public and private funds,” said Randy Hartmann, DCA’s Environmental Programs Director.

Added Hartmann: “The projects proposed by Bulloch County, Griffin, Savannah and Valdosta-Lowndes County are expected to serve nearly 24% of the state’s population.  When combined with existing programs, these new efforts are well-positioned to have a real and measurable, statewide impact.”

The state’s recycling strategy, with its focus on public-private recycling partnerships and business model approach, drew the attention of Curbside Value Partnership (CVP).  CVP is a nationally-recognized organization with a primary focus on increasing participation in residential curbside recycling programs and measuring the growth of these recycling programs as a way to increase the sustainability of local recycling efforts.

Late in 2006, CVP approached DCA with an interest in partnering with the state to launch and test education and marketing programs in the recycling hub communities and to measure the volumes of recyclable materials collected in these communities.  CVP plans to take this information and promote Georgia’s results as a national case study model.  Plans are already underway to roll out parts of this program in the other Southeastern states.

New Recycling Hubs To Save Money, Reduce Landfill Usage

The planned recycling hubs are also slated to have a significant statewide impact in other ways, including the expansion of single stream recycling collection beyond metro-Atlanta and a continued focus on the re-use of recycled items by Georgia industries.

One of the most recent trends in recycling collection is the co-collect of recyclables in one vehicle – “single stream collection.”  Single stream recycling collection drastically reduces the collection cost for recyclable materials and dramatically increases recycling participation rates.  This collection process however, does require the materials be separated at a material processing facility (MRF). 

Over the past few years, single stream processing capacity, both public and private, has been built in the metro Atlanta area.  With today’s announcement, the new, regional recycling hubs planned for Bulloch County, Griffin, Savannah and Valdosta-Lowndes County will support community efforts to invest in the required single stream recycling collection and transportation infrastructure to create cost-effective recycling collection opportunities statewide. 

Georgia Industry To Benefit From New Recycling Hubs

Separately, recycling study data has estimated that Georgians annually throw away 2.6 million tons of recyclable materials which can be used by the state’s terminal markets. 

“As an added benefit, the new regional recycling hubs will support Georgia-based industry.  By capturing these materials here in our state, Georgia industries using these recycled materials will not have to import these materials from around the country.  We are pleased that the new hubs will not only protect Georgia’s environment, but also support Georgia jobs and businesses,” said Carol Couch, Director of DNR’s Environmental Protection Division. 

The award winning applicants have projected an average of 185% increase in recovered materials in their communities, which calculates to a projected $514,500 savings in avoided landfill tip fees at the current statewide average tip fee of $35 per ton. 

The increase in recovered materials will also benefit the hub communities and many of Georgia’s strong recycling markets, with projected annual revenues of $370,000.  The estimated return on investment of SWTF expenditures is less than three (3) years for this project.

Leveraging Public and Private Partnerships Key To Success, Sustainability

The award winning applicants, the City of Griffin, the City of Savannah, Bulloch County, and the City of Valdosta/Lowndes County were selected based upon their efforts to significantly reduce the amount of recyclables being disposed and leverage support for their efforts. 

Under this program, the applicants have estimated that almost $5 million will be matched by local partners, mainly the private sector, and an additional $3 million will be supported by local government match.  Each of the applicants were also selected based upon their strong mix of urban and rural areas and curbside and drop-off recycling programs. 

The communities were also selected because of their geographic location, either served by or with access to the State’s major transportation corridors.  The private-public partnerships between these communities and private sector recycling markets provides a balanced approach to the recycling hub concept and may also eventually serve as collection points statewide to support carpet recycling (Nylon 6) through a partnership program offered to DCA by Shaw Industries.

Actions By Governor Perdue, Georgia General Assembly Strengthen Recycling Efforts

The Solid Waste Trust Fund was established in 1990 as part of the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act.  This Act, along with its amendments, provides a framework for guiding how Georgia’s solid waste is to be managed.  A 1992 amendment to the Act established its primary source of funding as a $1 fee from every new tire sold in the state.  Each year, fees collected the previous year are available for appropriation by the Georgia General Assembly to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), whose director is authorized by the Act to serve as the trustee of the fund. 

SWTF monies may be used for waste reduction & recycling; litter prevention & abatement; emergency, preventive & corrective action at solid waste facilities; scrap tire management & cleanup; and closure of abandoned landfills.

In 2004 and 2005, Georgia’s budget challenges did not permit the SWTF to fund the state’s solid waste management programs.  In 2006, Governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia General Assembly responded favorably to a new proposal developed by a team comprised by DCA and other strategic partners.  Other team members included local governments, the Georgia Recycling Coalition and the state’s terminal recycling markets.   Terminal recycling markets are the “consumers” of recycled materials.

“We appreciate the vision exemplified by Governor Perdue and our legislators to re-establish the use of SWTF to support our state’s solid waste programs and the new, collaborative recycling programs the team proposed,” said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty.  “Once again, our state’s leaders have demonstrated how much they value collaboration between the state with the private sector and local governments.  Working as team, much more gets accomplished.”

The team’s strategy will focus on developing a statewide media campaign, supporting special event collection projects, investing in regional recycling transfer hubs and developing recycling and disposal rate measurement and reporting tools.  The strategy also has the support of other state partners, including the Georgia Department of Natural Resources – Environmental Protection and Pollution Prevention Assistance Divisions and the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority. 

Added Commissioner Beatty: “We would also like to extend a special thank you to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, one of our frequent state project partners.  We applaud and appreciate the DNR Board’s unanimous approval of our plan to support these new recycling efforts.  Approval of the proposed SWTF spending plan will provide needed dollars in the 2008 Fiscal Year for this important statewide effort.”

 

For additional information about the state’s recycling efforts, please visit www.dca.state.ga.us or call (404) 679-4940.

 

 

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) was created in 1977 to serve as an advocate for local governments.  As outlined in its mission statement, DCA seeks opportunities that support "partnering with communities to help create a climate of success for Georgia's families and businesses "  DCA operates a host of state and federal grant programs; serves as the state's lead agency in housing finance and development; promulgates building codes to be adopted by local governments; provides comprehensive planning, technical and research assistance to local governments; and serves as the lead agency for the state's solid waste reduction efforts.  For more information about DCA, please visit www.dca.state.ga.us.

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Media inquiries may be directed to DCA Communications Director Kimberly King at (404) 679-0615 or kking@dca.state.ga.us (Blackberry/ EMAIL).