In an effort to be completely transparent with how we are working to improve recycling, here is a quick summary as well as the full text of the grant.

Summary
Full Text
FAQ

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TLDR; This NDEE funded grant will create a new, part-time position within the Solid Waste Management Department solely for handling recyclable materials. This position is being created because current staffing limitations prohibit an efficient recycling system. Once this position is hired, trained, and working on the backlog of recyclables, the City will be able to start accepting #1-#7 plastics. (We’re hoping by the end of the first quarter). This will free up other employees and drivers, allowing us to look towards additional collection locations. While this happens, the Solid Waste Department will work with state-wide MRFS and recycling plants to increase revenue and total amount of material moved. In addition we will begin the Hefty Energy Bag Program with approximately 200 households to assess the feasibility of that program.

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Full Grant Text: This project will build on the City of Sidney’s current recycling program by utilizing local resources and grants to increase the amount of recycled material collected and moved out of the city, offer more options to city and county residents, and dramatically decrease the amount of these materials going into the landfill. This will be accomplished by better utilizing local Keep America Beautiful affiliates and working with Firstar Fibers and Western Resources Group.   Currently, the city is collecting 1&2 plastics, mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, aluminum and tin. These items are all being sent to a single stream system, primarily due to lack of personnel. The single stream system, while less cost effective, is the city’s only reasonable option at this point in time, despite better available options. With the addition of a dedicated materials handler, the City of Sidney will be able to more shrewdly move materials, increase the plastics collection to include all plastics 1 – 7, recover greater costs, and utilize the Hefty Energy Bag program for unrecyclable plastics that end up in our landfill. As the city has dedicated collection bins for each type of material, the Materials Handler would be primarily responsible for separating improperly mixed items, baling materials, and stacking/sorting bales for shipping.  The City of Sidney will work with Keep Sidney Beautiful to distribute and provide education on the Hefty Energy Bag Program.  The initial pilot program will break up rolls and give smaller packets of bags to participants to increase participation in the communities. The program will operate as a self-service drop off, much like our recycling, until participation and funds from bag sales allows the city to add an additional route. During the first quarter, a new employee will be hired, trained and begin operating at the Recycling Center sorting and baling recyclables.  The recycling will be expanded to include all types of plastics, and the city will have already started agreements with the necessary parties to move all plastics to Firstar Fibers in Omaha via Western Resources Group in Ogallala, and aluminum and tin to local KAB affiliate Spud Rowley in Kimball. The City of Sidney will work with Keep Sidney Beautiful during this quarter to boost the new recycling options and hefty energy bag program, as well as educational materials to re-learn the recycling process in our town. This quarter will largely focus on increasing the amount of recyclables being collected, and the Hefty Energy Bag Pilot Program to get as many households signed up as possible. The city will track and compare recycling collections to the previous year in order to get a baseline on the overall % increase in materials collected, as well as revenue. In the second quarter the Hefty Energy Bag Pilot Program should move into the city purchased supply of bags.  Both the city manager and director of Keep Sidney Beautiful agree this will be a tough sell to our community, so the two entities will work together to educate citizens on the value of the program. The city has agreed to continue funding the inventory as long as community engagement is high. During this quarter the recycling program should have ironed out any issues from the increase in materials collected.  The city will continue to monitor costs and revenue from the improved recycling options and by the end of the second quarter should have a solid baseline for the overall success of the program. In the third quarter the programs will continue to operate as they should with any necessary adjustments made to ensure optimal efficiency. The project managers, Keep Sidney Beautiful and Landfill Supervisor, will compile data and conduct community interviews to present to the city during the yearly budget meeting in order to increase city funding and support that will allow the program to grow. The project managers will also be assessing grant needs for potential expansion of the project, or whether to continue as is.  The whole of Cheyenne County has been desperate for more recycling options for years.  By simply adding an employee to the ranks, the city will be able to expand options that benefit the county as a whole.  While some outlying villages (Lodgepole, Potter) are able to utilize some recycling opportunities outside the county, they as well as the villages of Gurley and Dalton largely rely on services in Sidney. Boosting the recycling center in Sidney has been core to expanding options around the county. If this project is as successful as it should be, the increased efficiency, and ability to handle greater quantities, will allow the City to place collection bins in other areas in the future.

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FAQ:

• When can I start dropping off all my plastics?
  • We do not have an exact date. This will all depend on the hiring process. Hopefully by the end of the first quarter.
• How do I apply for the Materials Handler position?
  • This job will be hired and managed through the City of Sidney. Job posting is expected to go up any day as we fine tune the job description, so keep an watch on their Facebook and website.
• What does ‘grant funded position’ mean?
  • This position is being funded through grant reimbursements from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. This means, that the majority of payroll costs acquired by the city for this specific position will be paid back through this grant fund as long as the program is operating according to plan.
• So does that mean this job is gone if we don’t get a grant next year?
  • Not necessarily! The purpose of this grant is to elevate our recycling program so that it can afford it’s own employee. Keep Sidney Beautiful will keep applying for grants to support this program as long as it is needed. It is important to note, that while a wonderful benefit, grants cannot always be 100% relied upon.
• How can I be a part of the Hefty Energy Bag program
  • This program will roll out soon. The priority now is getting an employee hired, as both the recycling changes and HEB rely on having that employee in place! If you are interested now, send and email to info@keepsidneybeautiful.org and we will put you on a ‘pre-waiting’ list.
• My question isn’t on this FAQ.
  • That’s because I made all these up. Send your questions to info@keepsidneybeautiful.org and they will be added!

Vote now for this month’s Yard of the Month! We have 3 fantastic entries from across the county. Winners will be announced tomorrow (7/2/21) on 98.7fm The Big Boy at 9:15, and will be featured in an upcoming Sun-Telegraph edition!

Vote here for this month’s Yard of the Month! Winners will be announced June 4th, at 9:15am on 98.7fm The Big Boy and featured in an upcoming Sun-Telegraph edition.

Hey Folks! The snow really hampered our last attempt at a clean up. Though it melted quickly, it left the ground soggy and the litter wet and unmanageable. So we’re going to try it again, on May Day (Saturday May 1st) starting at 8am.

We have a large roll-off donated by Sparky England and some extra gloves, rakes, and cleaning supplies donated by our friends at Bomgaar’s. Please sign up using the form below so we can get an accurate head count for waters, vests, grabbers, etc! During sign up, you can also fill out the Volunteer Waiver, which is required of all participants. (We’ll have paper waivers available on location.)

Sign Up Here

Cheyenne County, NE— February 6, 2020 —  Keep Sidney Beautiful was invited to the St. Patrick’s Church Book club to discuss environment and recycling after the group read ‘Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home,’ an encyclical written by Pope Francis. In his writing, Pope Francis calls for “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet,” and urges the whole human family to work together, knowing that change is possible. As stated in the subtitle, the theme of our planet being a common home is reiterated to stress the importance of looking at how one’s actions effect those around them. “Our climate is a common good belonging to and meant for all.”

During this meeting, KSB and the Book Club brainstormed ways to reduce impact and talked about being more aware of our actions.  Everyone was asked to take a hard look at the price of convenience: is a grab and go single use water bottle, that will last in landfills for 500 years, worth the convenience of not having to fill up a bottle yourself? Is buying a multiple water bottles a day more cost effective than buying a water filter and reusable bottle? Is taking an extra moment to remember your reusable grocery bags, worth more or less than single use bags in the landfill? These two items are the most common forms of litter found in our streets, fields, and waterways, so by eliminating them from your routine, you are making a huge impact with little effort.

Different options for recycling in our area were discussed, from improving the services offered in Sidney and Cheyenne County, to utilizing services provided by our neighbors and Keep America Beautiful Affiliates in Kimball and Ogallala. In sticking with the “Common Home” theme of the encyclical, the group talked about how we can work with our neighbors to simplify our recycling, be more efficient, and help to keep our communities clean and beautiful. While Keep Sidney Beautiful works to address some of the limitations in Cheyenne County, community members can work together to make sure recycling gets to it proper place, by sharing transport and fuel costs, and educating each other about the benefits of recycling, reducing our dependence on plastics, and being more conscientious about our actions.

March 28th, 2020 10am – 2pm

Join the Keep Sidney Beautiful Board in cleaning up our towns and villages!

This is going to be the first of our scheduled community clean up for 2020, and the start of the Great American Clean Up line of events.
Keep Sidney Beautiful will be hosting a series of events from March – May as part of Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Clean Up.

We are looking for teams of volunteers to help us get litter off the streets and sidewalks of our towns and villages. This event will allow us to index our communities in preparation for the Great Trash Race.

Depending on how many volunteers we have sign up, we will send teams out to each village in Cheyenne County.

Follow Keep Sidney Beautiful on Facebook to join the event and get the latest updates!

Welcome to the new Keep Sidney Beautiful website! Here you will find all the resources you need to be part of the Keep Sidney Beautiful Community. Along the top of the page, you will find links to our News & Events, our blog, and volunteer information.

This page is still very much under construction, and it will be going through changes as we find the best way to use this site to serve the community.

Please feel free to drop us a line, and let KSB know what you want to see!

-Jason