Bins for recycling will be installed at 18 City of Vicksburg buildings.

Employees in the city’s streets and planning departments, grant office, police department and Central Fire Station on Walnut Street will have access to the 40 bins for paper and plastic recycling, said Marcia Weaver of the city’s planning department.

Vicksburg is one of 30 entities awarded the bins with grant money from a mix of private industry, nonprofit groups and public agencies.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality was a co-sponsor and reviewer of the grant. Additional sponsors included Alcoa Recycling Company, the Mississippi Recycling Coalition, and the Southeast Recycling Development Council.

Schools, colleges, universities, and public and nonprofit office buildings were able to apply for the grant. MDEQ said distribution begins this week to winning applicants.

Vicksburg officials are mulling bids from nine companies vying to handle residential and commercial garbage pickup, with a recycling component added with a stated desire of the city. Warren County supervisors have said they want to see access to a transfer station on U.S. 61 South continued for its list of permitted haulers, which includes current citywide garbage collection handler Waste Management and four family-run haulers.

Recipients of the bins include the cities of Vicksburg, Indianola, Madison, Ocean Springs, Okolona, Olive Branch, Starkville, the New Albany Recycling Committee, the Rankin County Board of Supervisors, Hancock North Central Elementary School, Jackson Public School District, Jefferson Middle School, in Columbia, Gautier Middle School, the PTO of Saltillo Primary School, Keep Clinton Beautiful, Keep Copiah County Beautiful, Keep Corinth-Alcorn Beautiful, Union County Development Association, Boys/Girls of the Club Gulf Coast, Natchez-Adams County Community Alliance Foundation, Community Counseling Services (West Point), Mississippi Action for Community Education (Greenville), USDA Southern Horticultural Laboratory, Camp Shelby Recycling Center, Mississippi State Hospital, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Delta State University, Mississippi College School of Law, Mississippi Valley State University and the University of Mississippi.