A Halifax County company is among 17 in the state to receive a grant from North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Recycling Program.
DEQ recently provided $511,000 in recycling business development grants to the companies. The recycling companies are expected to create 38 jobs and generate more than $1.3 million in new, private business investments while reducing the state’s dependence on landfill disposal.
Pelican Packaging, located off Highway 903 outside Halifax, received a $40,000 grant to purchase a shredder to process heavy industrial plastic scrap, DEQ said in a statement.
The company match is $149,650 and is expected to create two new jobs, the state said.
“Recycling businesses provide high quality jobs for North Carolinians, spur economic growth and keep valuable materials out of the waste stream,” said DEQ Secretary Michael Regan. “These businesses convert recyclables into raw materials for American manufacturing companies, resulting in stronger local economies that use less energy, rely less on imported materials, and are more resilient to global market changes. The projects funded by these grants will help build more sustainable and resilient North Carolina communities.”
For the second year in a row, DEQ gave priority to projects that improve North Carolina’s capacity to domestically process and use mixed paper and non-bottle plastics.
Beginning in 2018, China stopped importing these materials which has led to adjustments in the global marketplace.
Grants are offered each year, depending on funding availability, to reduce the flow of solid waste into landfills and strengthen the state’s recycling economy. Recipients are required to provide a minimum cash match of 50 percent of the grant award; however, the level of private investment in 2019 is expected to more than double the total grant funding. The combination of grant and private dollars will result in a more than $1.8 million investment in the state’s recycling infrastructure while supporting the local economy.
A complete list of grant recipients may be found at this link.
