The Coca-Cola Foundation Awards $500,000 to SERDC to Build Recycling Infrastructure in the Southeast

On November 12, at the SERDC Summit in Charleston, South Carolina, the Coca-Cola Foundation announced an award of $500,000 to the Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC) to expand recycling in the Southeast through the launch of a Recycling Infrastructure Grant Program.

Bolstering Infrastructure
Investment in physical infrastructure, such as recycling carts, material recovery facility (MRF) upgrades, recycling trucks or transfer stations to support investments in curbside recycling infrastructure, are key to dramatically increasing material recovery - connecting material generation with hungry end markets in the southeast and helping to close the loop for packaging.

“With the Coca-Cola Foundation’s generous support, this grant will support efforts to expand comprehensive curbside recycling in the Southeastern United States,” said Will Sagar, Executive Director at SERDC.

Two-year rolling grant cycle
The grant program, implemented over the next two years, will make measurable improvements and catalyze investments in recycling infrastructure. Southeastern communities (defined as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) can apply for the grant funding.  Recycling carts, material recovery facility (MRF) upgrades, recycling trucks, or transfer station construction will be included as eligible under the RFP if it leads to unlocking investments in curbside recycling infrastructure overall.

This program will include collaboration with The Recycling Partnership, state recycling officials, local government partners, and other organizations as appropriate. The grant targets investment in infrastructure that unlocks new material supply that is currently being landfilled.  Awarded grants will include a mix of infrastructure deployment alongside technical assistance and educational materials.

Organizations are invited to read more and download the application criteria for the grant at www.serdc.org/Recycling-Infrastructure-Grant. The grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.

The grant’s objectives include fostering communication among these groups, promoting sustainable recycling programs, and coordinating educational and public awareness activities related to recycling.  By doing so, this would further SERDC’s primary purpose of increasing the collection and recovery of materials and in turn fostering economic development.

About

The Coca-Cola Company has contributed more than $13 million to support recycling programs and infrastructure and helped place more than 1 million recycling bins in communities throughout the U.S. These efforts support the company’s recently announced World Without Waste initiative, which aims to collect a bottle or can for every one the company sells by 2030.  The Coca-Cola Company is a long-standing sponsor of the Southeast Recycling Development Council.

The Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC) was formed in 2005 because of the need for a regional recycling organization in the Southeast with the goal of bringing additional materials to markets.  SERDC’s mission is to unite industry, government and organizations to promote sustainable recycling in the Southeast. SERDC’s website is www.serdc.org.

For more information:
Will Sagar, Executive Director
will.sagar@serdc.org.