Statement issued Friday, announcing that Fort Wayne, New Haven and several other communities, schools and groups in the region will be getting recycling bins:
The Indiana Recycling Coalition (IRC) is pleased to announce the recipients of its public space recycling bin grant program. Thirty public venues across the state will receive recycling bins with the goal of increasing beverage container recycling at those locations.
"The IRC is pleased to provide new opportunities to capture beverage containers consumed away from home by increasing public space recycling options in Indiana," said Carey Hamilton, the executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition. "The IRC would like to thank the Alcoa Foundation for its generous support of this important program," continued Ms. Hamilton.
The IRC will work with all bin grant recipients to facilitate public education of these new or expanded recycling programs as well as to help track increased recycling rates at each venue.
The Indiana Recycling Coalition's Public Space Recycling Bin Grant Program recipients are:
Allen County Solid Waste Management District, Fort Wayne
Anderson University, Anderson
Burdette Park, Evansville
City of Danville Parks and Recreation Department
SustainIndy, City of Indianapolis Parks
City of Tipton Parks and Recreation Department
Chain O' Lakes State Park, Albion
Columbus Parks and Recreation Department
DNR - Hoosier Outdoor Experience, Indianapolis
New Evansville Arena
Fremont High School Key Club, Fremont
Garrett Environmental Club, Garrett
Harrison High School, West Lafayette
Howard County Recycling District, Kokomo
Indiana State University, Terre Haute
Indiana University Northwest School of Public & Environmental Affairs, Gary
Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion
Jackson County Solid Waste Management District, Brownstown
Mounds State Park, Anderson
New Haven-Adams Township, New Haven
Pokagon State Park, Angola
Portage Township Trustee's Office, Portage
Rush County Solid Waste Management District, Rushville
Tipton Golf Course, Tipton
Town of Syracuse
Town of Worthington Park
Trine University, Angola
Vincennes University, Vincennes
Warrick County Solid Waste Management District
Wood Memorial High School, Oakland City
"We know that the more convenient it is to recycle, the more likely it is that consumers will make it a habit," said Beth Schmitt, director of Recycling for Alcoa. "This collaborative initiative with the Indiana Recycling Coalition is another way to encourage aluminum can recycling in away-from-home environments."
"Right now, about 43 percent of all the aluminum cans used in the U.S. are still going to landfills, and that's a lot of energy we can't afford to bury," Schmitt continued. "Aluminum cans aren't trash - they're a manufactured natural resource and the industry wants them back."
The Alcoa Foundation has strategic focus areas, and this grant connects with one of its goals to increase the number of people who take action to increase environmental sustainability in their daily lives. The used aluminum beverage can is the most recycled consumer material on earth, but recycling rates in the United States lag behind other countries. The program will help Alcoa toward a goal of raising the North American beverage can recycling rate to 75 percent by 2015.
In addition to this statewide bin grant program, a portion of the Alcoa Foundation's grant to the IRC will go to support public space recycling at the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
About the Indiana Recycling Coalition
The Indiana Recycling Coalition (IRC) is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that was formed in 1989 to support source reduction, reuse, composting and recycling activities in Indiana.
The IRC's members include state and local government officials, business, industry, not-for-profits and individuals. Visit the IRC website at www.indianarecycling.org
