October 17, 2022
Contact: Ben Jarvis, Pollution Prevention and Continuous Improvement Lead, Ben.Jarvis@deq.idaho.gov
BOISE — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today awarded $43,000 to the Nez Perce Tribe to support aluminum, plastic, and cardboard recycling recovery.
The grant will go towards the purchase of a new baler for compressing and compacting recycled items.
The Nez Perce Tribe has used a single baler for cardboard, aluminum, and plastic waste for several years. A new baler will allow the Tribe to increase the total recovery of these materials and provide for more compact shipments and material-specific loads.
The Nez Perce Tribe estimates that with a new baler, total recycling loads will nearly double, from 4 to 5 loads per month to as many as eight loads per month. This will divert an estimated 530 tons of waste from the landfill over the next ten years. The new baler will also reduce fuel costs associated with transporting recycled items to processing facilities.
Funding for this grant was provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Sustainable Materials Management Program, which seeks to increase diversion and reuse of food waste, packaging materials, and building materials. Past award recipients include Idaho County, Teton Valley Community Recycling, the city of Pocatello, and others.
For more information, visit DEQ’s Pollution Prevention Program.