Georgia doubles fund to help with recycling

Action by state’s voters forces proper use of $1 tire fee.

For years, tire fees paid by Georgians that were supposed to go toward cleaning up illegal dump sites, among other things, were siphoned off for other state costs. It was a practice that was legal until voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2020.

Now, that reform is bearing fruit for the state’s solid waste trust fund, which funds abandoned landfill closure and gives grants to local governments for tire cleanup, waste reduction and recycling.

The trust fund’s budget more than doubled to $7.6 million in 2023, the first year the change went into full effect, according to an annual report. It gave out about $4 million in grants to local governments over the same period after receiving requests for projects totaling $16 million.

Athens-Clarke County was among the local governments that received money from the trust fund last year.

The county was awarded $269,500 to buy a new collection truck to expand the county’s composting program — one of the few such programs in the state.

Joe Dunlop, the county’s waste reduction administrator, said it was gratifying to see the money used for its intended purpose after so many years.

“At one time, Georgia was a leader in this sort of thing, in good sound material management ... and then we got away from that,” said Dunlop, who used to work on solid waste for the state Department of Community Affairs.

“It’s very heartening to see the money has been restored.”

Other grantees included the city of Powder Springs in Cobb County, which built a drop-off recycling facility, and Forsyth County, which installed special bins to collect hard-to-recycle plastics.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which administers the program now, announced $3.5 million in funding for the 2024 grant cycle.

At least $1 million of that is specifically for tire abatement, and the rest is to help local governments with solid waste and recycling.

EPD Director Jeffrey Cown said Friday that “dedicating the $1 new tire fee to the purposes for which it is collected has made a huge difference to the state.”

“We’re better prepared to eliminate scrap tires and to remediate abandoned landfills,” he said.

“Additionally, we’ve been able to invest in the state’s recycling industry which supports the economy while doing the right thing for the environment.

“Through grants to local governments, we’re improving Georgians’ access to recycling and helping to support and develop scrap tire recycling markets.”