By Ben Montgomery
The North Jefferson News
GARDENDALE —
The city of Gardendale recently received $30,110 grant from from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to enhance the city’s recycling programs.
“God has given us a beautiful place to live, and I think it is our duty to be good stewards of the
blessings that he has given us,” said Gardendale Mayor Othell Phillips. “One way of doing this is to actively participate in a recycling program.”
Phillips said the grant will help the city purchase education materials, including brochures on recycling, activity books, pencils and posters for schools.
It will also buy signs, fencing and recycling collection bins for parks and other areas.
Phillips said the city has partnered with Jefferson County to recycle cooking oil from Gardendale homes. Residents can deposit their used cooking oil in special bins beside the dumpster at the Gardendale Fire Station.
The city currently has paper and plastic recycling bins at Bill Noble Park, located on Moncrief Road and Kenneth Clemons Park, located on Fieldstown Road.
“We are wanting to bid household curbside recycling pick-up when the city garbage contract is up for bid,” said Phillips.
Phillips said the city applied for over $100,000 in grant money, part of which was going to be used to purchase a limb and brush removal truck. “We’re disappointed we didn’t get as much as we wanted,” said Phillips. “But, we’re still looking to buy a truck, and we’re looking at other grants.”
Gardendale was one of 15 communities in Alabama to receive an ADEM grant. ADEM awarded $1.7 million in grant money, which it raised with a $1-per-ton fee on waste dumped in landfills.
“The implementation of new recycling programs and the enhancement of existing recycling programs is an important step in the conservation of Alabama’s natural resources,” said ADEM Director Lance LeFleur.
The grant funds are made available through the Solid Wastes & Recyclable Materials Management Act, which was passed by the Alabama Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Bob Riley in 2008, according to an ADEM release.
