By Blake Haas

NORMAL – For low-income Normal residents putting a can or a bottle in the recycling will soon be as easy as twisting off the top.

The Normal Ecology Action Center announced a new single-stream curbside recycling program that is aimed to help Normal residents through a needs-based program. The Normal Ecology Action Center was awarded a grant through the Illinois Prairie Foundation that will increase curbside recycling to low-income families.

Normal Ecology Action Center Executive Director, Michael Brown, said through the grant the town of Normal will have low-income households apply for a free recycling cart.

“Essentially the cost of recycling for Normal residents is really wrapped up in other fees,” said Brown. “But, what is not in that is the upfront cost of a recycling cart. For a low-income household that can prove to be a barrier to participating in the current, very convent, single-stream curbside automated recycling program that is very successful. We’re looking to encourage people too apply for this one-time program by which we are essentially granting households a free 65-gallon recycling cart.”

With residents in low-income households, the Illinois Prairie Foundation Grant through the Normal Ecology Action Center will allow residents to actively participate in recycling in a new Needs-Based Pilot Program. Brown said the goal of the program is too bring recycling help to low-income families.

“We (Normal Ecology Action Center) just want to make recycling more accessible especially for low-income households, that otherwise might not be able to participate.”

Brown added that the Ecology Action Center will be accepting application through the end of July.

“This is a first-come first-serve opportunity that we will grant these to all of the eligible applicants,” added Brown. “They (recycling bins) could all be gone by the end of July, but if not we will likely make an extension of that deadline.”

“Through this (the grant) we are able to grant about 82 (curbside 65-gallon recycling) carts.”

The City of Bloomington will soon be launching a curbside recycling program of their own with half of the $4,600 grant that the Ecology Action Center received.

“The total grant I believe is $4,600, but only half of that is for this program (Normal Needs-Based Pilot Program). (With) the other half of that we are doing another recycling program with it. The City of Bloomington will (join) with it, (and) that will be announced here in a few weeks. So it’s kind of a two-part project to eliminate some barriers to recycling. It’s a great opportunity to provide more recycling for the community.”

For more information to see if you are eligible for this program go to www.ecologyactioncenter.org/ipcs or stop by the Ecology Action Center offices at 202 W. College Ave. in Normal.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].