Foliage in Auburn is getting greener, and so are the city's plans for sustainability.
To receive money to maintain and enhance Auburn's recycling initiative, the city of Auburn recently submitted an application to the Alabama Recycling Grants Program.
Auburn is part of the East Alabama Recycling Partnership, which includes Auburn, Opelika, Lee County and the University.
This is the third year the East Alabama Recycling Partnership has applied for a grant from the state.
"Last year, we received around $160,000 for the partnership program," said Kevin Cowper, assistant city manager. "The recycling partnership gets together and applies for funds. We take a more regional approach to recycling."
Cowper also said all partners would have to present the fund application to their city councils for approval. The Auburn City Council voted to apply for the grant Feb. 16, and a verdict will be reached sometime this spring.
Andre Richardson, division manager for recycling, helped write the grant application.
This year, the partnership has applied for about $65,000 to develop the existing programs in Auburn and to implement two new programs that have not yet been announced, Richardson said.
Richardson said some of the money will go to more drop-off stations. These stations can be seen downtown on North College Street and West Magnolia Avenue and allow people to easily drop off aluminum, plastic and newspapers.
Since the University is part of this partnership, it will also benefit from the pending grant.
"The residence halls recycling is great, but there are not very many viable programs around campus," said Donald Addison, manager of the recycling and waste division on campus. "We are not where we want to be as far as recycling in buildings such as the Student Center or the library."
Addison also said if the partnership receives the grant, the University will be able to purchase a cardboard baler for the arena, where cardboard recycling is not possible at this time.
Also, the money will go toward desk-side recycling bins for faculty and more aesthetically-pleasing bins, which will become standard in several buildings on campus.
For all factions of the partnership, some of the money will go to educational materials about recycling that will inform the communities of ways to get involved and how recycling is becoming easier in Auburn.
Auburn's current recycling program includes curbside collection and a few drop-off centers around the area. Materials that can be collected curbside are newspaper, flattened cardboard, aluminum and clear or brown glass.
To recycle other materials such as green glass, ink-jet and laser-jet cartridges, alkaline batteries and mixed paper, individuals must go personally to a recycling drop-off center and leave the items.
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