The city of Ottawa has been awarded a $5,892 Waste Tire Grant from the Kansas Health and Environment. Along with matching funds and in-kind labor and equipment, seven picnic tables and four benches will be replaced, benefitting Forest Park, Walton Park, City Park and Freedom Park. These grants are awarded to partially fund the purchase of products made from waste tires. Almost 3 million tires are generated as waste annually in Kansas.
Ottawa works with Champlin Tire Recycling out of Concordia when doing city wide cleanup. They recycle the tires collected during that time and it is possible those tires could come back to the city as a table or bench. Parks Superintendent, D. J. Welsh says it is his goal of the city to have all shelter amenities made of waste tire products, as they are more resistant to vandalism. The city will work with volunteers from our community to assemble these tables and benches later this summer.
