Ackerman, Winona Schools Get Recycling Grants

JACKSON, Miss. (Press Release) — The Mississippi Recycling Coalition (MRC) is pleased to announce the award of three Mississippi School Recycling Grants for 2014-2015 School Year to schools in Ackerman, Winona and Southaven.

These grants are offered to all public and private schools teaching grade K-12 students in the state. The awards include a $1,000 cash award and a complimentary 1-year membership to the Coalition for each school.

A panel of MRC members evaluated each school grant application received based on the reuse, recycling and composting components of the program; the amount of student leadership and student participation in the recycling program; the emphasis on educating students on the benefits of recycling; and the community involvement, participation, and outreach components of the program. Other components considered included the creativity of the program, technical design of the program, sustainability of the program, and maximization of resources within the program.

MRC is pleased to announce school recycling grant awards this year to three deserving schools in the State. The schools receiving grant awards from MRC are as follows:

Ackerman Elementary School in Ackerman is awarded a grant to start a new recycling program at the school. The school plans to use the grant to purchase recycling bins to collect recyclables generated on campus, bags for the recycling containers, and costs for transporting the recyclables to a recycling facility. The school plans to collect aluminum cans, plastic bottles and mixed paper.

Winona Elementary School in Winona is awarded a grant to start a new school recycling program. The grant funds will be used primarily to purchase recycling bins which will be placed throughout the campus. Additionally, the school plans to have students, faculty and the general public of Winona participate in the program. The school plans to collect aluminum cans, plastic bottles, metal cans, and mixed paper.

Southaven High School in Southaven, MS is awarded a grant to continue and expand the school’s current recycling program efforts. The school intends to purchase additional recycling bins and expand recycling collection efforts across the campus. Southaven High School currently collects paper, plastic and aluminum materials. The school will also use a portion of the grant funds to promote recycling efforts during the Earth Day School Clean-up event in April.

The Mississippi Recycling Coalition is a consortium of recycling companies, local governments, state and federal agencies, trade associations, manufacturers, and other organizations interested in promoting recycling, reuse, waste reduction, and composting in Mississippi. For more information on the MRC and its programs, please visit the Coalition’s web site listed above.