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The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) will accept applications beginning Monday, Jan. 15, for grants from the state’s Tire Environmental Act Program (TEAP).
The grants are to fund projects that create or expand beneficial uses for waste tires. Such projects include tire recycling and processing, using materials such as aggregate that are derived from tires, initiating research and development in tire management, using tires for alternative fuels, or promoting innovation in infrastructure.
“One of the most effective environmental practices we have is repurposing waste tires,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “The process not only diverts tires from landfills and illegal tire dumps but finds new uses for them. We encourage Tennesseans to be involved in this process, and these grants provide important financial assistance to those who want to join the effort.”
Tennessee produces approximately 6 million waste tires every year. TEAP has helped divert more than 6.5 million tires since the program’s inception. The Tennessee General Assembly established the Tire Environmental Fund in 2015. Since then, grantees have been awarded almost $9.2 million to address waste tire disposal in the state.
The deadline for submission of grant applications is April 15. There are no restrictions on eligible entity types. All organizations are eligible to apply for the funding.
TDEC will host a webinar Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. (CST) for learning more about the program, including eligibility requirements, available funding amounts, and matching requirements. The webinar will also discuss the different types of projects that are eligible to receive funding.