Tire Stewardship BC (TSBC) has announced that The City of Surrey will receive funding for two city playgrounds: Holland Park and Kensington Prairie Community Centre.
Now in its third year, TSBC’s 2011 Community Grant Program provides financial support to communities that use BC recycled rubber products in projects such as playgrounds, spray parks or running tracks.
“We’re thrilled to be able to help communities with the funding they need to make their projects a reality,” said Mike Hennessy, TSBC’s executive director. “These projects are meant to enhance the community experience for all residents. What’s more, by securing the use of B.C. recycled rubber in these projects we’re providing employment and economic benefits right here at home.”
“Every year for the last three that I’ve been around TSBC has made a difference in Surrey Parks and it has been a real joy to be involved,” said City of Surrey Parks designer Jay Meenley.
Previous TSBC-funded projects in Surrey included the playgrounds in Robson Park, Guildford Heights Park and Redwood Park. A total of 12 projects chosen from 11 communities across B.C. will share in a portion of the grants, worth a total of $127,000.
Together, these projects will use more than 127,000 pounds of recycled crumb rubber, thereby bringing the equivalent of 9,500 tires back in to B.C.’s communities in a beneficial second life as recycled rubber products.
Funding for The Community Grant Program comes directly from the Advance Disposal Fee or “eco-fee” that each retailer remits to TSBC for every new tire sold.
These fees also go directly towards the operation of the scrap-tire recycling program, including the transportation and recycling of B.C.’s scrap tires to ensure they are disposed of in environmentally responsible ways, such as recycling into rubber products.
TSBC is the not-for-profit society formed to accept responsibility for the provincial scrap-tire recycling program.
On January 1, 2007, TSBC launched the new scrap-tire recycling program replacing the government-run program that had been in place since 1991.
TSBC encourages communities to use B.C. recycled rubber products in their upcoming projects.
For information about grant applications, visit www.tirestewardshipbc.ca