TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Bureau of Waste Management has selected the recipients of the Green Schools grants and the waste tire recycling grants for 2014. These annual solid waste grants are awarded to municipalities and school districts across the state. This year, the grants totaled more than $575,000.

Green Schools Grants
Twenty-two Kansas schools were awarded Green Schools grants from the BWM, with awards ranging from $873.75 to $4,500. The Green Schools grants totaled $72,799.02 this year. These grants will fund projects to take place during the 2014-2015 school year and will result in the purchasing of recycling bins, compost programs for cafeteria waste and field trips to community recycling centers. This marks the seventh round of BWM Green Schools grants, which are funded by a $1 per ton state landfill fee.

Recipients include USD 291 Grinnell, Gove County, which received $2,696.

Waste Tire Recycling Grants
More than $484,000 was awarded in waste tire recycling grants, which goes toward partially funding safe surfacing at playgrounds, tracks and picnic tables and benches made from waste tires. This year’s 29 waste tire recycling grants, ranging from $148.50 to $147,000, are distributed to recipients across the state. The grants are funded through a 25-cent tax paid on the purchase of new tires.

Recipients include the city of Phillipsburg which was awarded $17,529 to help fund the purchase of 10,000 square feet of loose fill rubber mulch made from 5,000 tires for a playground in the city park. A second $1,656 grant will be used to buy four picnic tables and four benches for the Phillipsburg Aquatic Center, using 92 tires.

Osborne County will use its $2,197 grant  at the fairgrounds for six picnic tables and two benches made from 120 recycled tires.