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Recycling and Waste Reduction

Photo of Tech For Troops staff setting up a tent to collect donations of electronic waste.

Tech For Troops Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Photo of Tech For Troops staff setting up a tent to collect donations of electronic waste.Tech For Troops is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Recycling and Waste Reduction category as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 15th Annual Green Grants program.    

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community.  Grants must focus on one of the following priorities:   Litter Prevention, Recycling & Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling, or Community Beautification. 

“Green Grants support many different sustainable projects and programs that are designed at the local level to meet the needs and priorities of the organizations that applied.  Project partners are diverse, but a common theme is that they bring people together to improve the natural and scenic environment for all to enjoy,” says Cristi Lawton, Keep Virginia Beautiful’s Executive Director.     

Tech 4 Troops logo that includes the name of the nonprofit, along with white T4T letters, red stripes, on a blue backgroundTech For Troops was founded in 2014 in Richmond. Since then, the nonprofit organization has helped over 4,700 Veterans bridge the technology divide through their various impact programs. The organization connects with over 200 volunteers yearly and has recycled over 800 tons of equipment to keep it out of local landfills. In 2024, Tech For Troops reused or responsibly recycled over 800,000 pounds of e-waste, using an R2-certified recycler who minimizes the materials discarded. 

Tech For Troops serves the community while making a positive impact on the environment by upcycling hardware.  They extend the life of electronics by refurbishing and gifting them to America’s Active Duty Transitioning Military, as well as Homeless and Impoverished Veterans and their families. Many Veterans face two significant barriers when competing in the modern workforce: the lack of a computer and the lack of the skills needed to effectively use that computer. In addition to giving a refurbished laptop to returning Veterans, they provide training and Veteran support services, including suicide prevention. 

With funds provided by Green Grants, Tech For Troops will continue their efforts to stop electronics from going into the landfill and reach their goal to recycle 1 million laptop computers.   This includes traveling in their dedicated truck to pick up e-waste across the Commonwealth to keep e-waste out of the landfill and into the hands of Veterans. 

Photo of natural rock bridge with blue skies and trees, located in Natural Bridge State Park, Virginia

Natural Bridge State Park Awarded Green Grant

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Photo of natural rock bridge with blue skies and trees, located in Natural Bridge State Park, VirginiaNatural Bridge State Park in Rockbridge is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Recycling and Waste Reduction category as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 15th Annual Green Grants program.    

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address environmental concerns in their community.  Grants must focus on one of the following priorities:   Litter Prevention, Recycling & Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling, or Community Beautification. 

Natural Bridge State Park protects and preserves the natural, cultural, and historical features of the 1600-acre park. The park offers 10 miles of hiking trails, Lace Falls with its 50-foot cascade, and group camping.  Blue Hollow is a primitive tent group campground that is popular with Scout groups and large families who come from across the states.  Currently there is no running water at the campground. 

Words in black font that say Virginia Sate ParksThe Friends of Natural Bridge State Park are eager to install rain barrel collection systems in the Blue Hollow Group Campground by reusing wood from old picnic tables for the base and recycled barrels from the wastewater treatment plant.  This will enable guests to wash their hands, rinse dishes, and clean off picnic tables.

Park staff will be able to clean the tent pads without having to supply water from a portable reservoir. Each barrel will be labeled as “Non-Potable Water.” Beside each barrel, a sign will be installed explaining the importance of rain collection and the reuse of natural resources. 

Natural Bridge State Park will measure the rain collection in gallons and will speak to guest about their experience with the collection system and its use. The park is a leader in sustainability efforts amongst the Virginia State Parks. Natural Bridge will share their data and success of the rain water reuse and encourage others to do barrel installs at their parks.

Green Grants Logo

Congratulations to the 2024 Green Grants Awardees!

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Green Grants LogoWe’ve had a wonderful time announcing the 30 Green Grants awards for 2024 throughout the month of June!  The awardees were from organizations across much of the Commonwealth, with plans for Community Beautification, Cigarette Litter Prevention Programs, Litter Prevention, and Recycling and Waste Reduction efforts that will surely improve our natural and scenic environment!

The number of grant applications we receive each year continues to grow, with over three times the number of applications than the 30 awards.  It’s difficult for the panel of expert judges to narrow it down to the top contenders, and we appreciate their time and expertise.

We’ll share photos and triumphs as their goals are accomplished between now and October 1st.  Below is the list of awards, along with a link to the Latest News blog posts for each announcement.  We hope that you’ll be read them and be inspired or even motivated to plan a similar event in your community!

We’re especially grateful to our sponsors who make this program possible!

Altria Logo                       WestRock Logo                                  Logo for Village Bank

 

Announced                      Category Amount              Organization
6/1/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Art Hive Creative Reuse & Art Center
6/2/2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program $750 Keep Middlesex Beautiful
6/3/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Town of Hillsville
6/4/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Saint Patrick Catholic School
6/5/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Friends of Fonticello Park
6/6/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library
6/7/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Fort Story Community Garden
6/8/2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program $1,000 Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office
6/9/2024 Litter Prevention $500 James Monroe Memorial Foundation
6/10/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Friends of Occoneechee State Park
6/11/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 Nauticus
6/12/2024 Community Beautification $500 Franklin County Master Gardeners Association
6/13/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 Rivanna Conservation Alliance
6/14/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Virginia Living Museum
6/15/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 The Chincoteague Center
6/16/2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program $1,000 Winchester Area Temporary Thermal Shelter
6/17/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Jon Henry General Store
6/18/2024 Community Beautification $750 Gloucester County Clean Community
6/19/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $500 Ferrum College
6/20/2024 Litter Prevention $1,000 Richmond Community ToolBank
6/21/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 The Highland Center
6/22/2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program $1,000 Town of St. Paul
6/23/2024 Community Beautification $750 Bragg Hill Community Garden
6/24/2024 Litter Prevention $750 Cville Tool Library
6/25/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Keep Hopewell Beautiful
6/26/2024 Litter Prevention $500 Troop 50126 (Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital)
6/27/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Blue Ridge Mountains Council, Boy Scouts of America
6/28/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Birdhouse Farmers Market Inc
6/29/2024 Community Beautification $1,000 Culpepper Garden
6/30/2024 Recycling & Waste Reduction $1,000 Friends of Natural Bridge State Park

 

Photo of brick school, Saint Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk, VA

2024 Green Grants Award #4: Saint Patrick Catholic School

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Photo of brick school, Saint Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk, VACongratulations to Saint Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk, for being awarded a $1,000 Green Grant for their Recycling and Waste Reduction application!

Saint Patrick Catholic School takes steps throughout the school year to be good stewards of the Earth, such as holding a large Earth Day event on campus each year, collecting plastics for Trex to recycle into benches, and host oyster bags off a local pier. They care for a Little Sprouts Garden, compost, and use a rain barrel as a water source, and they use the vegetables grown by our youngest students in the dining hall.

They also have a committee of teachers, parents, and students that meets monthly to plan activities and design programs that teach the students better habits and empower them to speak out about environmental concerns.

The students were concerned about the school’s use of Styrofoam in the dining hall, as they’ve become more aware of Students and an adult eating lunch at a school dining hall.the negative impact that Styrofoam has on wildlife, our health, and the environment. On most lunch days, meals are served on washable, reusable plates. But when there is a special event or a student needs to take their lunch “to-go,” it’s placed in a Styrofoam container. Students also take their lunch “to-go” when they meet with the Learning Resource Teachers during lunch.  Knowing that it would be a better environmental practice to purchase and use biodegradable plates or boxes, the students wanted to provide sustainable alternatives.

Green Grants funds will be used to purchase Green Plates that will serve the student body, teachers, and staff at five special events during the school year, and compostable clamshell containers that will serve all the students who take their meals “to go” during the school year.  This Recycling and Waste Reduction effort will be an example to everyone on campus of the sustainable changes that can be made.  It will also teach the students that using their voices and speaking up when they see a need for change works.  It will teach them a powerful lesson — that their voices can make a difference.

Congratulations students!  Thank you for caring about the natural and scenic environment of Virginia, and making a positive impact at your school!