NDSWRA Awarded EPA Grant for 2008 - 2010

The NDSWRA applied for and received an environmental education grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in late 2008. Through the grant, the NDSWRA is providing education, workshops and materials throughout the state on the topics of volume based garbage, recycling, waste reduction, composting, electronics recycling and more throughout 2009 and 2010. As a part of this grant, the NDSWRA created educational recycling kits that were sent to the largest elementary school in each county. See the list of schools on our school page. Each kit contains examples of what can be recycled (like a newspaper, plastic bottle, etc.) and what they get made into (egg carton, carpeting, etc.) along with a booklet of tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle and a DVD titled "The Rotten Truth". The DVD is an excellent video that talks about landfills, recycling, waste reduction and composting. See the letter (PDF) for a list of what is in each kit. The kits were sent to the third grade teachers at the schools listed above on in May 2010. Each kit also has a checkout list so that others (from schools, extension offices, public works offices, etc.) can borrow the kit to educate the public, students and others about recycling and waste reduction.

The following educational brochures were created through this funding and sent to about 800 North Dakota communities, counties, health and extension offices, environmental consultants and more in April 2010.

These are PDFs:

Erase Your E-waste (Recycling Used Electronics)
Handling Paint Waste and Leftover Household Chemicals (this one is on legal size paper)
Waste Prevention, Waste Reduction and Buying Recycled Content
Pay-As-You-Throw (from the EPA)
Recycling in North Dakota
Recycling Odds and Ends in North Dakota

Also included were these brochures from the ND Department of Health; these can be found on their Web site (click on Publications):

Compact Fluorescent Lights, Recycling and Disposal Options
Recycling Fluorescent Bulbs, A Guide for Businesses
Household Automotive Wastes
Using Compost and Wood Chips
Recycling Works!
Grasscycling!
Composting in Your Backyard

Workshops were held in each of the following communities. The links below are PDFs of local/area recycling options:

Jamestown
Williston
Dickinson
Grafton
LaMoure (see Jamestown link)

For more information on the grant, contact us (below).

NDSWRA Awarded EPA Grant; Workshops Took Place in 2007

The NDSWRA applied for and received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in the fall of 2006. The Association provided workshops and materials throughout the state on the topics of reuse and recycling opportunities for construction and demolition material as well as the health and environmental effects of the backyard burning of household garbage. See our June newsletter or this page for a brief summary.

Scrap Metal Grant

The NDSWRA applied for an EPA grant in early 2003 to "provide environmental education for communities, businesses, and individuals in North Dakota that recycle metal appliances." Unfortunately, the NDSWRA was not awarded the grant funding in this round. However, MinnKota Recycling did receive a grant along a similar line. See our May 2004 e-newsletter for more details (PDF version). The Association has since taken over their former Web site (www.recyclemetal.org) and placed the information/content on our site.

Electronics Recovery & Recycling Project Grant: 2000-2001

The NDSWRA, partnering with Green Lights Recycling, received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in August 2000 for the collection & recycling of electronics (e-waste), including outdated computers. The collections took place in Minot, Bismarck, Grand Forks and Fargo in 2001. Three of the four cities decided to hold a collection on their own in 2002, and since then, we are proud to announce that three of the cities (excluding Minot) have continued to hold an annual event for the recycling of electronics material. In 2007, the City of Williston began holding an annual collection event and in 2009, the City of Minot began holding an annual collection event. In 2002, MinnKota Recycling received a grant to educate residents about e-waste and household hazardous waste. The NDSWRA has since taken over their former Web site (www.recyclingelectronics.org) and placed the information/content on our site.

Will the Association be hosting additional collections in the future?
The 2001 project was primarily funded through an EPA grant. For future collections, it is up to individual cities or counties whether or not they are willing to pay for the disposal of these items. If your city is interested in bringing material to one of the above cities' events, please contact that city to see when their annual event is held before bringing items. Finally, if your community is interested in hosting an event (along with other surrounding communities), please notify the NDSWRA so we can make an effort to pool materials and resources together to make it economically feasible.

Wal-Mart State Giving Program

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the Wal-Mart Foundation have a history of supporting the communities they serve. Last year alone, Wal-Mart stores, Sam’s Clubs and the Wal-Mart Foundation contributed and raised over $400 million, giving back to more than 100,000 charitable and community-based organizations. To increase the impact of giving, the Wal-Mart Foundation has launched the State Giving Program (SGP). Through this program, the Wal-Mart Foundation will award grants at the state and regional level to support unmet needs... For more information go to: http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/8168.aspx

MDU Grants

Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU) offers grant funding annually to 501(c)3 organizations for the following categories: health and human services, education, civic and community activities, culture and art and the environment. Primary consideration is given to institutions, organizations and programs within the geographic areas where member companies conduct business. Organizations can obtain a grant request form by written request to MDU Resources Foundation, P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, ND 58506-5650. Visit their Web site at http://www.mduresources.com/business_profile/mdur16.htm for more details.