April 24, 2023 – Water bottle filling stations are replacing water fountains at more than 100 schools across the state. Ohio EPA just awarded Recycle Ohio grants to 68 schools, school districts, and dioceses in 41 counties. The money helps cover the cost of equipment to install or retrofit water fountains with water bottle filling stations in more than 100 school buildings.
Ohio EPA’s Recycling and Litter Prevention grant program made approximately $450,000 available to public and private K-12 schools statewide to promote the “Three Rs” – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The bottle filling stations in schools encourage staff and students to use refillable water bottles to help reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles and keep more plastic waste out of landfills.
The communities are receiving grants up to $5,000 per school and $10,000 per school district or diocese. The list of grant recipients is available online.
Today, Ohio EPA Director Anne M. Vogel visited one of the schools receiving a grant. Students and staff at Beacon Elementary School in Hilliard welcomed the director to celebrate the installation of the water bottle filling stations. B-roll and soundbites from today’s visit can be found here.
Ohio EPA will offer the grants again in 2024. The next grant cycle begins on Nov. 6, 2023, with the application deadline on Feb. 2, 2024. A grant kickoff webinar will be held Nov. 8 at 10 a.m.
For more information, visit recycleohio.gov or contact program staff at recycle@epa.ohio.gov.