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DNR Waste Management grants to fund area recycling, environmental efforts | Local News

Several businesses, nonprofits and other entities in Southwest Missouri are using grants to implement environmentally friendly projects focusing on waste reduction, material recovery and recycling.

A total of 17 awardees in Jasper, Newton, McDonald, Vernon and Barton counties (Region M) have received $559,520 in grants through Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Waste Management Program.

The awardees are: Joplin Area Habitat for Humanity/ReStore, $9,900; city of Joplin, $63,606; Service Recycling, $42,660; city of Neosho, $57,004; city of Carthage, $31,458; Quality Products, $7,918; McDonald County, $77,105; city of Sheldon, $2,081; Vernon County, $60,000; city of Seneca, $6,879; Newton County, $25,846; city of Granby, $59,000; Economic Security Corp., $1,500; Lamar Enterprises, $52,000; Ritter Industries, $19,200; Jasper County, $17,176; and Noble Earth Recovery, $26,187.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources says it aims to protect both public health and the environment through its Waste Management Program to help ensure solid waste is managed properly.

The department’s Region M Executive Board — consisting of 11 members from five counties — recently awarded the grants for local community recycling and waste reduction programs in an effort to help divert solid waste from landfills. Recipients completed applications at the beginning of the year.

Patty Overman, administrative contractor with Region M Waste Management District, is working closely with grant recipients and reporting back to the Region M Executive Board and the DNR. She said DNR’s Waste Management Program is funded through a tipping fee of $2.11 per every ton placed in Missouri landfills.

The revenue generated by that fee is distributed based on population and if the district has a landfill. “We usually have between $500,000 to $600,000 in grants that we’re able to disperse (annually),” she said.

DNR allocated the funding to be used in each of the 20 districts based on a formula that includes the consideration of population per capita in each district. Region M serves Vernon, Barton, Jasper, Newton and McDonald counties.

Overman said this grant funding is imperative because Missouri is running out of space in its landfills. She noted how there’s only one landfill in Southwest Missouri (Lamar) and several transfer stations.

Grant projects

Several grants will fund operation costs and staff at recycling centers in Joplin, Carthage, Seneca, Neosho, Sheldon, Vernon County and McDonald County, as well as litter control activities in Jasper and Newton counties.

The Joplin Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore will use its grant to cover maintenance on its forklifts, because it collects countless appliances and objects that are being diverted from a landfill.

Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area is another local nonprofit to receive funds to reduce plastic bottle waste. Americans are said to use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour, most of which are thrown away.

“Economic Security got a water bottle refill station to encourage reusing bottles instead of throwing it away,” said Overman. “This will go towards the purchase of that and installation.”

New grant recipients this year include Ritter Industries in Carthage and Noble Earth Recovery in Joplin. Ritter Industries, a welding company, plans to build a glass pulverizer that will turn bottles and other glass materials into a fine dust to be used for sandblasting.

“They can just recapture that and keep reusing it until it finally becomes so fine that it’s just a dust,” said Overman.

Noble Earth Recovery, an electronic waste recycling business, plans to use its grant to fund a shaker table and hammer mill for the recovery of precious metals from computer hard drives.

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