CHICAGO – Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced that $89,332 in Opportunity Returns funding has been awarded to a Decatur organization to support a recycling project that will help create two new full-time jobs. Decatur Recycle Paper Company will receive $89,332 to expand its recycling capabilities. Grant funds will be used to purchase forklifts and storage trailers that will be used to help stage and process the additional 4,500 tons of fiber, metal and plastic recyclable commodities that this project is expected to generate annually.
“Building our economy in a way that helps our environment can be accomplished by investing in companies and organizations that are expanding the recycling industry in Central Illinois. By supporting these kinds of innovative programs that are recycling everything from cans to computers, we are lessening the demand on our landfills and creating more jobs for our working families,” Gov. Blagojevich said.
This recycling grant is administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and is part of Opportunity Returns, Gov. Blagojevich’s pro-active, regional economic development strategy designed to create jobs and spur growth in Central Illinois.
“I've seen firsthand the hard work and commitment of the staff at the Decatur Recycle Paper Company, so I am extremely pleased to see the state support such a vital and growing business in Central Illinois,” said State Representative Bob Flider (D-Mount Zion). “The work done at this facility not only provides good jobs to area residents, but also helps keep our environment clean by producing recyclable materials that can be used and reused for years to come.”
DCEO finances the program through funds received from the tipping fee surcharge levied at Illinois landfills. Grant awards are determined on a competitive basis, and the grantee is required to provide an applicant investment of at least 50 percent of the funding required for the project.
“Gov. Blagojevich understands that strategically investing in recycling is both an environmentally and economically sound decision. This is helping to turn what could have become our trash into a reusable commodity that is spurring private investment and putting more and more people to work. This type of progressive partnership is what Opportunity Returns is all about,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges. Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses. It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.