Recycling Grants To Help Local Businesses Increase Efficiency and Competitiveness

CHICAGO – In his continuing efforts to promote environmentally-friendly ways of growing the Southeast Illinois economy, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced today $129,000 in Opportunity Returns grants that will fund a number of businesses and organizations who are expanding recycling throughout the region.  These recycling grants are administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and come as a part of Opportunity Returns, Gov. Blagojevich's pro-active, regional economic development strategy designed to create jobs and spur growth in Southeast Illinois.

“Growing our economy in a way that helps our environment can be accomplished by investing in companies and communities that are expanding the recycling industry in Southeast Illinois.  By supporting these kinds of innovative programs that are recycling everything from cans to computers, we are lessening the demand on our landfills and creating more jobs for our working families,” Gov. Blagojevich said.      

Howard's Trash Service, located in Trilla in Coles County, has been awarded a $50,000 grant for the acquisition of a baler.  This equipment is necessary for the facility to maintain an effective and cost efficient process for handling and marketing recyclable commodities.  Howard’s has collected and processed more than 100 tons in the past 12 months from the City of Mattoon's single drop-off container.  Mattoon will expand its drop-off sites to include four additional locations serving city residents and others in the surrounding areas.  Howard’s Trash Service has been awarded the contract to service the City's new drop-off sites.  It is expected that an additional 90 tons of recyclable commodities will be collected, processed, marketed and diverted from Illinois landfills.  For additional information please contact: Kevin Howard - 217-234-8628

The City of Mattoon was awarded a $29,000 grant to purchase nine large drop-off recycling collection containers to be placed at various sites throughout the city.  This grant will allow the city’s recycling program, which will be serviced by a small, but growing, local recycling business, to accept cardboard and office paper.  For additional information please contact: Richard Underkofler - 217-235-5511

Sutter Sanitation Service, Inc. of Mason has been selected to receive a $50,000 grant to expand its recycling collection efforts in Effingham County and Southeastern Illinois.  In addition to establishing a regular drop-off recycling site in Effingham, Sutter Sanitation will also work to develop regular recycling opportunities in more rural communities that currently have no regular recycling program.  This project is anticipated to divert an additional 68 tons of recyclable commodities from being landfilled annually.  For additional information please contact: Trace Sutter - 217-868-2734

“Gov. Blagojevich understands that strategically investing in recycling is both an environmentally and economically sound decision.  This is helping to turn what could have become our trash into a reusable commodity that is spurring private investment and putting more and more people to work.  These types of progressive partnerships are what Opportunity Returns is all about,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.

Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history.  Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges.  Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses.  It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs.  Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.