Since its inception in 2007, the grant program has made strides toward expanding recycling in public spaces. Over the 10-year history, nearly 50,000 recycling bins have been awarded, including 36,000 specifically for public space locations, providing opportunities for recycling on-the-go to 2.1 million people on a daily basis. The more than 930 grant programs that have been awarded in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have collected an estimated 21 million pounds of containers and other recyclables during this time, according to the foundation. The 2017 program is expected to award up to 3,000 recycling bins for locations such as streetscapes and playgrounds, athletic fields, fairs and festivals, and colleges and universities. The program is funded through a $300,000 grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to Keep America Beautiful, which in turn awards recycling bins through a competitive, merit-based application process. “Our partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation is helping us overcome a primary barrier to recycling outside of the home—lack of conveniently available recycling bins,” says Brenda Pulley, senior vice president, recycling, Keep America Beautiful. “With these grants we’ve made great strides over the last decade to expand access to recycling in public spaces.” Eligible recipients for the 2017 Coca-Cola Public Space Recycling Bin Grant Program include government agencies, colleges and universities, civic organizations, public and local nonprofit groups throughout the United States. Keep America Beautiful will award the grants in November 2017 and will make arrangements with suppliers to deliver recycling bins to the recipients in the first quarter of 2018. Helen Smith Price, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation, says, “At Coca-Cola, sustainability is factored into everything that we do. Through our partnership with Keep America Beautiful and the Public Space Recycling Bin Grant program, we are working to reduce waste and increase recycling rates by making recycling bins more accessible and convenient for communities.” The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Co. Since its inception in 1984, the foundation has awarded more than $900 million in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world. Keep America Beautiful educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, the organization says it “strives to end littering, improve recycling and beautify America’s communities.” 
» Publication Date: 27/10/2017
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