The research information gathered suggests that to be able to finance recycling in a school system, overcome the financial burden, and to create a sustainable recycling program, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration:

1. Create a Recycling Support Group of people in the school system who are passionate about recycling including parents, the PTA, the environmental clubs in New Hanover County, teachers and school officials. a) To develop a sustainable recycling plan that can sustain membership turnover, b) create a recycling network of information that can be shared within the schools and within the New Hanover County information Network as    a source of gathering quantitative information (The Sustainable School Initiative Newsletter can be a source of sharing information within the school system),             c) Develop a countywide recycling recognition program for recycling achievements in the county schools in order to  reward students and schools as environmental leaders or Stwards of the environment, and d) Use recycling handbooks such as  Implementing Successful School Recycling Programs: A Handbook for Teachers and Schools.  This handbook has details on information that ranges from where to buy bins to how to organize a school recycling program.

2. Reduce disposal costs by waste reduction. Each ton of recyclables that is removed from the waste stream reduces tip fees by $51 a ton.

3. Reduce fees by negotiating directly with a paper recycler. In other counties, paper stock dealers place the roll carts, collect mixed paper on a weekly basis, and distributes monthly recycling data.(see Wake County School Recycling Program Case Study for an example of this)

4. Bid out Recycling as a required component of waste services. This can make the haulers more competitive.  Also as part of the process a request to promote and supply containers for classrooms can be part of the deal. Alternatively, recycling can be separated from traditional waste to reduce cost. Recycling can be bid out separately. The recycled material weight can be deducted from the garbage haulers fees, and the savings can be used to pay for recycling pickup.

5. Funds can be raised, by recycling ink cartridges or other easily marketable products such as cans.

6. Apply for grants. Go to Grants and Awards

 Grants that promote recycling in schools

Office of Environmental Education                                           http://web.eenorthcarolina.org/core/item/topic.aspx?s=0.0.108.37430&tid=85010

Presidents Environmental Youth Awards Presidential plaque.    This is for kids of any age, from kindergarten through high school. They can enter as individuals, or as a group. All students who complete an environmental project and submit an application will receive a signed certificate from the President of the United States in recognition of their accomplishments. And if they have an outstanding project within the 10 EPA regions they will be presented with a plaque at an EPA award ceremony. Information can be found at:

 http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/pdf/PresidentsEnvironmental YouthAwards.pdf

The Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant Cycle (CWRARs), $25,000 requires a 10% cash match. Money is distributed on a reimbursement basis. Application is available on the web site and is due in February.  Contact  Jim Hickman http://www.ppays.org/localgov/assistance/2009CWRARrfp.doc

The International Paper Foundation, the Love-A-Tree                environmental education program with caps of $5,000.

http://www.internationalpaper.com/search/mainSearch.aspx?Ntk=All&N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntt=school+grants

http://www.internationalpaper.com/Our%20Company/IP%20Giving/GrantApplication.html

America the Beautiful, $1,000 Grants for NC K-12 Teachers

http://www.ncbeautiful.org/programs/opportunity.html

Rockefeller family fund, emphasizes public education on

the risk of global warming and implementation of sound          solutions, conservation of natural resources, protection

 of health as affected by the environment, meaningful            implementation and enforcement of the  nation's                     environmental laws, and public participation in national           environmental policy debates.

 http://www.rffund.org/environment/

For EPA Environmental Grants