Antrim and Greenfield used New Hampshire the Beautiful grants to purchase new equipment for their transfer stations.
New Hampshire the Beautiful is a nonprofit organization that provides funds to improve municipal recycling programs and facilities. Antrim received the maximum available grant of $5,000 to fund the cost of an electric forklift at the transfer station. The total cost of the electric forklift the city received in May was $43,975.
According to Michael Ott, chairman of the Antrim Select Board, the board approved funds to purchase the forklift in January and the remaining costs were covered by the recycling center’s regular operating funds.
“We also received salvage value when we sold the old forklift that was replaced by the electric one. The New Hampshire the Beautiful Grant helped offset the residual cost of the equipment,” Ott said.
The electric forklift was delivered to Antrim Transfer Station in May and has been in regular use since then.
“It’s great. Really easy to maneuver, much easier than the old one,” said William “Mo” Ouillette of the transfer station.
Glen Titcomb, a transfer station staff member, said he liked the electric vehicle because it was quiet and easy to drive.
“Electric is better for the planet. We think about that a lot in our work and it’s important,” Titcomb said.
Greenfield used $1,500 in grant funds to purchase two storage containers to move the scrap metal and demolition bins to a separate area behind the main transfer station.
Caleb “CJ” Hall, director of the Greenfield Recycling Center, said he and his employee Bill Gaudette have long wanted to convert the scrap metal and demolition material drop-off area into a drive-through zone. Currently, drivers must back out of the drop-off area.
“The way it’s set up now, it causes traffic congestion. We’ve been dumping scrap metal, demo material and electronics there and it’s right next to the swap shop, so the traffic pattern is a problem,” Hall said. “If we move it down, you can use it as a drive-through without people having to back up or get in each other’s way. It’s just too busy up there.”
Gaudette said pedestrian traffic in the area is also problematic.
“People are walking back and forth between cars, and that’s not ideal,” Gaudette said.
Reagan Bissonnette of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association encourages cities to apply for grants for projects at their recycling centers and transfer stations.
“New Hampshire the Beautiful is one of the easiest grants available to New Hampshire towns. We provide grants for any type of equipment that improves towns’ recycling centers. We have funded electric forklifts, skid steers, signage and other equipment that improves towns’ recycling programs,” Bissonnette said.
New Hampshire the Beautiful is funded by members of the New Hampshire Beverage Association, the Beverage Distributors of New Hampshire Association and the New Hampshire Grocers Association to support and develop programs to address waste, recycling issues and promote environmental awareness and education.
New Hampshire the Beautiful works in partnership with the Northeast Resource Recovery Program, the nation’s largest nonprofit, cooperative recycling organization, serving 90% of New Hampshire communities.
For information about the New Hampshire the Beautiful grant program, visit nhthebeautiful.org/who-we-are. For information about the Northeast Resource Recovery Program, visit nrrarecycles.org/about-nrra.
