$130K in Grants Powers Scrap Tire Recycling Across West Michigan Communities

Localities in Western Michigan are getting substantial support in their tire clean-up and recycling efforts that comes from over $130,000 in grant funding that the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) made available. The purpose? To safely store and recycle scrap tires that can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of correctly and left in backyards, fields, or ditches.

The $130,000 is part of a larger move that will affect the whole state. EGLE is going to give out an amount of money not less than $1.1 million to various parts of Michigan. The money will be used for the organization of local scrap tire collection events and to clean up accumulations of old tires already existing especially those on private lands.

Point Of Concern Regarding Scrap Tire Recycling

Whenever you stumble upon a heap of tires that are no longer in use, you don’t only see them as a visual nightmare, but they also affect the environment and your health that pile of abandoned tires is the history of our metropolitan waste. The fact that rainwater can collect and pool up within an old tire can easily provide a breeding site for mosquitoes who are carriers of harmful diseases to man. The other negative aspects associated with dropping and storing tires responsibly and legally are their tendency to be found in inaccessible locations and they may end up as part of illegal depositing sites or dumped in landfills.

Many useful objects can you derive from recycling old tires including their conversion to road construction materials, is the knowledge we obtain from Kirsten Clemens, EGLE’s scrap tire program coordinator. The majority of tires that will be gathered from grant activities come from the construction of new roads where all of the components are destined for that purpose. Friction piles can be used as a substitute for brick. This incident has led Green to start asking the providers of other materials to bring the material with less packaging and thus reduce the overall amount of waste as recipients began to understand this.

Directions of the Funds Disbursement and Usage within the Locality

West Michigan is using the money in several counties and townships. For example, Courtland Township in Kent County will have a special scrap tire drop-off event with a grant of $6,000. The event will be the fall community cleanup of the township and will be held on October 4, as explained by the clerk of the township, Sue Hartman.

The residents will take their old passenger and light truck tires to the township office, where volunteers will assist them in loading them into two semi-truck trailers for recycling. It is important to note that Courtland Township is also sharing the initiative with its neighbors – Oakfield and Spencer Townships, giving more people the opportunity to benefit from the event.

“We have never done a scrap tire drop-off event before,” stated Hartman, revealing the situation. “A local triggered the idea, and I checked the availability of grants. I believe we are the first ones in Kent County to get it, so it’s great to watch it unfold in front of our eyes.”

Other Efforts to Clean up the Region

It is not only Courtland Township but many other communities and organizations in West Michigan also have been able to get the money to deal with scrap tire problems.

• Barry County has decided to use $15,000 each of two properties for the clean-up of the old tire stacks, with each of the two properties being private.
• The program of Calhoun County will be carried out with the help of $15,000 they received.
• Eaton County is fortunate to be given the significant sum of $27,000 to arrange gatherings in Eaton, Barry and Clinton counties.
• Kent County Farm Bureau is being given the amount of $7,500 in order to carry out a local tire collection campaign.
• Richland, Pierson, and Reynolds Townships of Montcalm County, as well as the Village of Sheridan will receive $24,000 together.
• Newaygo County Board of Public Works is earning $21,000.
• Oceana County Conservation District is awarded $9,000.
• Ottawa County has been allocated $12,000 to help them implement their own collection schemes.

All of these allowances will benefit more than one locality since there will be more waste tire removal projects. The said grants are specifically allocated to the organizations that collected the tire but not only for a one-time event. EGLE encourages more year-round community collaborations to apply for the next funding that tire recycling will be part of the regularity, which is green and impacts the planet.

What’s Coming Up?

It is assured that there will soon be a tire drop-off event in every town/city, that local communities will take care of the collection schedule. The time and location for the tire collection will be provided on the official EGLE’s website, therefore, the residents are advised to regularly visit it for updates.

Clemens mentioned that although the focus here is mainly on the passenger and light truck, tires that are acceptable do not include the tires from commercial vehicles or from farm tractors. So, if you are going to dispose of the tire, be sure to check it first to make sure everything is going smoothly.

Endeavor for Greater Cleanliness and Safety by People of the Community

The concept of this whole process is really uplifting, how it unites not only the residents but also the local governments and volunteers from the community indeed the cleaner environment, that we all are yearning for. It’s a loud and clear signal that one man can make a difference, like that resident in Courtland Township did, and it’s a reminder that the results of such action can be beneficial to the broader community.

West Michigan is not only making sustainable moves by converting old rubber scrap into valuable products and not littering natural areas with tires but also using very solid steps at the same time. The longer sustainable funding, learning and involvement, that is available, the more likely the sustainability will continue to gain ground.

Therefore, if there are any old tires on your premises, it would be good to start the process of the tires at the moment. One such project is funded by a grant hence using it you can dispose of them in a manner that is not harmful to the environment and the society make one healthier and more beautiful at the same time.