FREEPORT
Ecomaine is looking for a few good schools — schools starting or expanding recycling and sustainability efforts.
The organization has doubled its grant funding this year for the second annual educational grant awards, to promote recycling efforts and reduce solid waste in schools.
A total of $20,000 in grant money is available, double last year’s $10,000 given in educational grants.
Individual schools can receive up to $5,000 to support projects in schools within ecomaine’s service area or that have students enrolled from their service area, which includes Freeport and Pownal.
Regional School Unit 5’s Freeport High School was among last year’s winners, and received a $700 award for recycling bins and signage, and a composter.
“This is a way for us to advance recycling efforts in our schools and help teach students about recycling and why it’s important,” said ecomaine recycling CEO Kevin Roche in a press release. “These grants represent a means of encouraging recycling and sustainability within our communities. All of the students who benefit from these grant dollars will carry what they have learned out into their communities.”
The ecomaine board of directors decided to double the funding allocated for the grant program because last year’s awards yielded positive results, said Roche.
Application rules and forms can be downloaded at www.ecomaine.org/newsand events/2014-ecomaineeducational grants.
Among the criteria of the application, schools must include an outline and information describing the pro- ject planned to reduce solid waste disposal or increase recycling at the school, explain if the project could easily be replicated, forecast the likelihood the project has of being successful and explain why the applicant’s project should receive an award.
Applications must be returned by Oct. 31. Participating schools must present a midterm and final report to ecomaine, detailing their project’s progress and results. Grant funding will be dispersed 80 percent at the beginning of the project, 10 percent at the midterm report and 10 percent at the final report.
Ecomaine is a nonprofit recycling and waste-to-energy operation owned by 21 member communities, including Freeport and Pownal. With seven additional associate member communities and nine recycling members, ecomaine serves a total population of 240,000 in Southern Maine.
Ecomaine operates three facilities, a waste-to-energy plant, a landfill/ashfill and a recycling center, all located in Portland. For more information, visit www.ecomaine.org.
rgargiulo@timesrecord.com