The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE) recently announced more than $7 million in grants from its Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive and Litter Reduction and Recycling programs to 126 waste and litter reduction projects.
The grants will help fund waste and litter reduction projects, recycling programs and costs to collect scrap tires, household hazardous waste, electronic waste and pharmaceuticals. Public education programs on litter reduction and recycling through a variety of school and community activities also will benefit.
Largely rural states like Nebraska face challenges with waste diversion, due to low population density and logistical issues and expenses. With fewer than 2 million residents, Nebraska is the 8th least densely populated state, according to the US Census Bureau. Only Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Idaho have lower population densities.
“DWEE is pleased to support local initiatives such as those that help residents properly dispose of various household materials,” said DWEE Planning and Aid Division Administrator Sarah Starostka. “Many of the funded projects provide the added benefit of educating Nebraskans about the importance of reducing the waste we generate, reducing litter, and improving recycling to keep our communities clean and vibrant.”
Recipients include:
- Keep Alliance Beautiful: $156,412 to operate the city’s recycling center
- Keep Columbus Beautiful: $25,342 to provide area recycling services
- Village of Dodge: $14,930 to continue educating and promoting recycling
- Superior Recycling Services, Falls City: $125,000 to restart and operate a community recycling program
- Little Blue Natural Resources District, Hebron: $34,098 for HHW collection events
- Keep Kimball Beautiful: $18,714 to provide collection service for rural residents and $86,178 to operate the city recycling center
- Keep Lexington Beautiful: $41,807 for recycling trailers available year-round
- Nebraska Recycling Council: $182,510 to focus on increasing organics recycling and reducing food waste in the state
- City of Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Solid Waste Management: $59,100 to expand access to recycling bins, encourage recycled content purchasing and increase participating households
- Lincoln Public Schools: $84,233 to advance education, recycling and composting efforts to achieve a 75% waste diversion goal
- Western Resources Group, Ogallala: $473,200 for recycling, processing and collecting materials in central and western Nebraska
The Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program is funded by solid waste landfill fees, annual retail business sales fees and fees assessed on new tire sales. The Litter Reduction and Recycling Program is funded by fees charged to certain manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of products that commonly contribute to litter, together with a fee assessed on the sale of new tires.
The state will start accepting grant applications for 2027 this June.
