The Coca-Cola Foundation/Keep America Beautiful Bin Grant Program is awarding communities, schools, universities and organizations with grants of recycling bins, allowing these entities to either expand existing recycling programs or to make recycling available for the first time.
The Bin Grant Program is awarding as many as 5,200 total bins across a variety of recipients, including Muskegon Community College in western Michigan, the City of Dayton, Ohio, and Timpanogos High School in Orem, Utah.
The program, in its eighth year, saw a 22 percent increase in applications from 2012. Over 1,200 applications were received, with 479 from local governments, 143 from colleges, 312 from K-12 schools and 193 from nonprofits.
Recipients were chosen by Keep America Beautiful based on criteria including level of need, recycling experience and the ability of applicants to sustain their program in the future.
As public space recycling becomes more common, communities are asking for recycling bins to be made available at athletic fields and local libraries, on streets, and at events such as art or music festivals, says Keep America Beautiful. All venues such as those are eligible to receive bins through the Coca-Cola/KAB Recycling Bin Grant Program.
"One of the main barriers to recycling is convenience. Providing a recycling bin helps communities overcome that barrier," says Matthew M. McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful.
In another recently-announced Coke partnership, 50,000 Chicago homes will receive recycling bins from the soft drink giant, writes the Chicago Tribune. Coke products will be featured on the sides of the bins.