Illinois announces recycling grant recipients.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has announced more than $143,000 in funding from the Illinois Recycling Grant Program to three programs in the state, which is expected to boost recycling opportunities in southeast Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which is part of Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns program that is designed to boost growth in the state, administers the grants.

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The recipients are the Clay County Rehabilitation Center in Flora, Ill., the Lincoln Heritage Resource Conservation and Developmental Council in Tuscola, Ill., and Sutter Sanitation Services Inc. in Shumway, Ill.

The Clay County Rehabilitation Center was awarded a $60,000 grant to expand its existing commercial recycling collection efforts to area businesses. The expansion is expected to increase the volume of recyclable commodities the center collects and processes from 760 tons to more than 1,000 tons. The center is a nonprofit corporation providing vocational rehabilitation and day training for disabled residents of Clay, Wayne and Richland counties.

The Lincoln Heritage Resource Conservation and Developmental Council, a nonprofit organization, has been awarded a $27,500 electronics recycling grant to establish and operate a permanent electronics collection site at the Coles County fairgrounds. Grant funds will be used to purchase a forklift, pallet scale, hand truck, camera system, gaylord boxes and shrink wrap machine as well as to fund project-related promotion and education efforts.

Sutter Sanitation Services Inc. has been awarded a $56,000 recycling grant for the implementation of an expanded drop-off service for residents of Effingham County as well as those of neighboring Cumberland, Shelby, Fayette and Marion counties. Sutter Sanitation Service operates a full-time recycling drop-off and processing facility, which provides commercial businesses with hook-lift containers and a limited number of local recycling days. The expansion of community recycling efforts has been hampered in the past because of a lack of equipment. The addition of new containers at new sites will facilitate the proposed expansion and generate additional volumes of recyclable commodities in a rural setting.

The goal of the grant program is to divert recyclable commodities from Illinois landfills and to expand and enhance the recycling collection and processing infrastructure in Illinois. Funded projects also can demonstrate public economic benefits, which includes job creation and retention and assistance to economically distressed areas.