BLAND—The Bland Community Park received two new picnic tables made of recycled tires through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Scrap Tire Program. The purpose of the grant program is to support markets for materials made from recovered tires and raise awareness of the importance of recycling scrap tires. Grant funds are used to buy products like picnic tables or running track surfaces and pour in place playground material.

The funding comes through a .50 cent per tire scrap tire fee, collected by retailers wherever tires are sold. Revenues collected from the scrap tire fee are made available as follows: up to 50 percent for enforcement, permitting and inspection; up to 45 percent for grants; and up to five percent for education.

“I’m excited to see our community continue to have improvements like this,” Zion Evangelical Church Pastor Mark Farran said. “The Bland Park Board is doing a wonderful job!”

The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) submitted a letter of support for this project.

The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities with populations of 500 or more. The district’s strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by Missouri Department of Natural Resources involves education and increased recycling and waste reduction efforts in member counties and cities. MRPC provides administration of the district and assists with a variety of implementation projects.