Keep NC Beautiful's Unusual Litter Contest is ready to accept its next round of rare and strange finds.

Keep NC Beautiful, in partnership with the N.C. Coca-Cola Bottlers Council, is now accepting grant applications for projects to be completed in 2012 that address litter prevention, cleanup, waste reduction, recycling and beautification.

Schools, youth and civic groups, nonprofits and KNCB affiliates are eligible to apply. Three $500 awards will be issued for each category, along with an individual category that is open for one winner at $500, or two for $250 each.

Priority will be given to applications that highlight programs or projects that coincide with the annual Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup, which runs from March 1 to May 31, and America Recycles Day, which is celebrated in November. Public educational initiatives focusing on enhancing cleanup and beautification efforts and increasing waste reduction and recycling behaviors are also of importance.

Applications can be downloaded at keepncbeautiful.org and are due by Feb. 15. Winners will be announced March 1.

For more information, contact KNCB Program and State Leader Brenda Ewadinger at (704) 442-0791 or bewadinger@keepncbeautiful.org.

More than 25,000 pounds of paper, electronics, rigid plastics, plastic bags and film were collected during Raleigh's second America Recycles Day collection drive, Keep NC Beautiful reports.
 

America Recycles Day is coming up on Nov. 15, and the Triangle has a variety of events to help celebrate. Here's a roundup of some of the events being held in conjunction with the nationally recognized day to encourage Americans to recycle and buy recycled products.

It's that time of the year again to find unusual litter and be rewarded for it.

Keep NC Beautiful's Unusual Litter Contest is open to all North Carolina residents who are sweeping the state clean during the NCDOT's fall litter sweep or a similar litter cleanup event.

Three Triangle nonprofit organizations are winners in Keep NC Beautiful's Litter Prevention Awards program.

Are you part of a group that did something pretty great for the environment in the past year, such as creating a litter prevention, recycling or community greening program? Then you have a chance to win $500.

Winners have been named for the Most Unusual Litter Contest, and the winner picked up something worth way more than the $250 top prize - a diamond ring!