Nebraska

Market Development Information
Significant Legislative Action
State Recycling Business Directory Information
Materials Exchange and Reuse Programs
JTR Grants Awarded
Other Important State Links

Market Development Information:

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
Contact Information:
Steve Danahy
1200 "N" Street, Suite 400
P.O. Box 98922
Lincoln, NE 68509-8922
Phone: 402 471-0273
Fax: 402 471-2909
E-mail: steve.danahy@NDEQ.state.ne.us
Web site: www.deq.state.ne.us

Available Publications:
Nebraska Recycling Resources Directory, Guidance Document: Measuring and Tracking Recyclables and Organics (1996), Grants and Planning Unit Annual Report, Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program, Annual Report to the Governor, 2001 Nebraska Litter Survey, Economic Impact of Recycling in Nebraska (1997), Markets for Recyclables: Nebraska's Blueprint for Action (1998).

Financial Assistance:

Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund
Eligible Applicants:
Funds from Disposal Fee.	Counties, municipalities, and agencies.
Funds from Business Fee.	Political subdivisions or other public, private, or nonprofit entity or organization.
Eligible Uses of Funds:	Source reduction, recycling, reuse, composting, and other programs which promote market development of recycled commodities and integrated waste management systems.

Scrap Tire Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund
Eligible Applicants:	Political subdivisions or other public, private, or nonprofit entity or organization.
Eligible Uses of Funds:	Studies, capital and startup costs for processing, manufacturing, collecting, and transporting scrap tires. Partial reimbursement for purchase of tire-derived products, cost-sharing for manufacturing, processing, or using in civil engineering applications.

Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program
Eligible Applicants:	Political subdivisions or other public, private, or nonprofit entity or organization.
Eligible Uses of Funds:	Public education, litter cleanup of public areas, recycling, and source reduction activities.

Landfill Disposal Fee Rebate Program
Eligible Applicants:	Any municipality or county with an approved "buy recycled" policy may receive ten cents off the $1.25 fee for each ton of solid waste disposed. Only applies to permitted landfills and waste originating in the same municipality or county.

Illegal Dump Site Cleanup Program
Eligible Applicants:	Political subdivisions
Eligible Use of Funds:	Clean up illegal dump sites on or adjacent to public right-of-way.

Nebraska Environmental Trust
Contact Information:
Mary Harding
2200 N. 33rd Street
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503-0370
Phone: 402 471-5409
Fax: 402 471-5528
E-mail: trust@ngpc.state.ne.us
Web site: www.environmentaltrust.org

Financial Assistance:

Nebraska Envrionmental Trust Fund
Eligible Applicants:	Government agencies, individuals, nonprofit and for-profit organizations.
Eligible Uses of Funds:	Grants are awarded under four priorities including the development of recycling markets and reduction of solid waste volume and toxicity, preservation and restoration of critical habitat areas, surface water quality, and ground water quality.
Restrictions:	Projects must benefit the overall public. Projects which result primarily in private gain are not funded. Spending on approved projects is not a replacement for other tax dollars or for unfunded mandates of government.

Nebraska State Recycling Association
Contact Information:
Steve Andrews
P.O. Box 4098
Omaha, NE 68104
Phone: 402 933-3059
Fax: 402 933-3239
E-mail: sandrews@nsra.omhcoxmail.com

Assistance is provided for new or expanding recycling businesses; supply and market analysis; facilitation of projects; procurement of professional services; technology identification evaluation and transfer; grant writing and fund raising.
Nebraska Department of Administrative Services
Contact Information:
Christy Thomas
State Recycling Coordinator
301 Centennial Mall South
P.O. Box 94847
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: 402 471-2431
Fax: 402 471-2089
E-mail: cthomas@notes.state.ne.us
Web site: www.das.state.ne.us

The State Recycling Coordinator, located in the Department of Administrative Services, Material Division, works with the buyers in state purchasing to ensure that recycled-content products are purchased whenever practical and appropriate. Research is conducted on recycled-content products and assistance is provided to agencies in writing performance based specifications which do not discriminate against recycled-content material. Political subdivisions are encouraged to utilize state contracts to purchase recycled-content products.

Significant Legislative Action:

Legislative Bill 120 (1979) . Litter Reduction and Recycling Act: Created the Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program which provides grant funding for public education, cleanup, and recycling projects and programs. Funds are collected through a litter fee assessed on manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of products commonly found in the litter stream.

Legislative Bill 163 (1990) . Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Act: Created the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program which provides grant funding for source reduction, recycling, reuse, and composting projects and programs.

Legislative Bill 1257 (1992): Created the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act which required municipalities and counties to take responsibility for the waste generated in their area and to develop plans on how they will address their waste issues. The Act established waste reduction goals and banned landfill disposal of yardwaste, lead-acid batteries, waste oil, waste tires, household appliances, and unregulated hazardous waste. LB1257 also required the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to develop rules and regulations for the disposal of solid waste.

Legislative Bill 1207 (1994): Created the Landfill Disposal Fee Rebate Program. The program allows any municipality or county with an approved "buy recycled" policy to receive ten cents off the $1.25 fee for each ton of solid waste disposed. Only applies to permitted landfills and waste originating in the same municipality or county. Rebates are issued quarterly.

Legislative Bill 592 (1999): Removed the $800,000 cap on the Litter Reduction and Recycling Fund. Allows for multi-year grants. Moved the Scrap Tire Reduction and Recycling Fund back into the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Fund.

State Recycling Business Directory Information:

Nebraska Recycling Resources Directory
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
Waste Planning & Aid Unit
P.O. Box 98922
Lincoln, NE 68509-8922
Phone: 402 471-0273
Fax: 402 471-2909
Web site: www.deq.state.ne.us

Materials Exchange and Reuse Programs

JTR Grants Awarded:

Nebraska ('94 - Recycling Economic Development Advocate [REDA])
This has been a collaborative project to create a REDA program. The REDA Support Team, composed of representatives from the departments of Economic Development, Administrative Services, and Environmental Quality, the Nebraska Energy Office, Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, and the Nebraska State Recycling Association, worked together to pursue recycling business growth and provide technical and financial assistance. The state developed a comprehensive strategy to foster market development for products made with recycled content. The initiative, Markets for Recyclables: Nebraska's Blueprint for Action, includes specific strategies and action steps designed to enhance recycling market development in five areas including: new product development, procurement, market information and assistance, sustainability, and regionalization.
Nebraska ('96 - Economic Measurement Project and Investment Forum)
This two-part project involved the development of a study entitled Economic Impact of Recycling in Nebraska which looked at the effects of recycling on the state's economy, assessed the needs for growth in recycling, and measured the excess capacity of Nebraska's companies to absorb additional recyclable materials. Access to capital was listed by businesses as one of the top barriers to growth in the survey. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development presented the first Midwest Recycling Investment Forum on March 23, 1998, in Omaha, Nebraska to introduce investors to some of the region's most promising recycling companies.