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- Supporting enactment of federal and state financial, regulatory and policy incentives for renewable energy development including Energy-from-Waste, such as Solid Waste’s Resource Recovery Facility, as a result of a County Commission resolution approved on April 1, 2009.
- Expanding the County Resource Recovery Facility’s capacity from 1,200 tons to 1,800 tons per day by September 2009, which will divert approximately 200,000 tons of processable solid waste annually from the County’s Southeast County Landfill.
- This expansion will also increase the facility’s electricity production to 45 megawatts per day, enough to provide electricity to 35,000 homes.
- Provides a curbside recycling program to all 265,000 residential customers, which diverts approximately 30,000 tons of recyclable materials from the waste stream annually and saves valuable landfill space.
- Operates two recycling drop-off locations that are available to all County residents, which diverts approximately 75 tons of recyclable materials from the waste stream annually.
- Converts more than 200,000 tons of vegetative waste into mulch and other beneficial products annually, and provides mulch to residents at yard waste facilities.
- Removes approximately 650 tons per year of potentially harmful material from the waste stream through the County’s Household Chemical Waste Collection; the program is free to county residents.
- Hosted a free Green Certification Workshop in 2007 that was attended by over 60 professionals in the public and private sectors.
- The program educated and encouraged the commercial sector on various topics including how to create a “green” and profitable work environment; green building design; environmentally sound management of construction and demolition debris; and the purchase and use of products with recycled content. Attendees also received free manuals and samples funded through a grant that the department received for the program.
- Undertaking additional education efforts to encourage commercial recycling through offering free audits and assistance to businesses interested in starting a recycling program and starting a pilot program for recycling at multi-family complexes.
- Sells many materials that are diverted from the waste stream and can be recycled to various industries, such as metal, shredded tires for ground cover, and mulch. Also diverts the used paint that it receives and re-mixes it into high quality paint for donation to community groups.
- Funds anti-litter and anti-dumping education campaigns, inspections and clean-ups continuously throughout the County.
- Conducts waste reduction and recycling education programs for schools, community organizations and at area events.
- Provides annual grant to Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful to assist this non-profit organization in its clean-up and education programs.
- Also provides annual grant to “Teaching Tools for Hillsborough Schools,” a program that provides free supplies to Title I schools. The program helps collect unused office supplies, furniture and equipment that would have otherwise been thrown away and entered the waste stream.
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