School Recycling Grant Application

Three counties make up the Southwest Central Regional Solid Waste Management District (SWCRSWMD): Clark, Garland, and Hot Spring.

The District is pleased to offer (3) three $3,000 grants to the three schools that propose the best recycling program submittals.  This will be the sixth year the Solid Waste District has offered this grant to area schools. The proposals must be submitted by September 11, 2024, and will be judged by the District’s Recycling Advisory Committee (DRAC, consisting of appointees of the three county judges and the mayors/city managers of the principal cities within the three counties).

The (3) three schools with the best proposals will be notified of their awards after the September 18th, 2024, Solid Waste District board meeting.  A check for $1,500 will be presented to the schools during the first week of October with the news media invited.  Their recycling programs would then commence at the start of October 2024.  If after the first nine weeks they report back to the Solid Waste District that their new recycling program has been successfully implemented and is actively fulfilling the program’s goals, a final $1,500 check will be presented to the school. The Solid Waste District will allow previous grant recipients to apply for a new grant, however preference will be given to new applicants to encourage more schools to establish new recycling programs with the goal to have one award per county in the Solid Waste District. With this year’s award Garland County Landfill will provide 5 Containers to assist with starting or continuing your schools recycling program.

The submittals for the grant will be judged based on five major emphases with their corresponding values: 

1. Educational value – 35%

2. Teacher, student and parent involvement – 25%

3. Sustainability – 20%

4. Goal orientation – 10%

5. Originality – 10%

It is the District’s desire that this grant program will help our schools educate their students, faculty, and community about the importance of recycling the solid waste through our stewardship of our beautiful state’s natural resources and to the reduction of solid waste by each resident.