The Coca-Cola Co. and Keep America Beautiful Inc. (KAB) announced the Coca-Cola/KAB Recycling Bin Grant Program, an effort designed to promote and support community recycling.

Grant recipients receive both donated recycling bins and expertise on how to set up recycling programs from KAB. This Bin Grant program is part of KAB’s larger Public Space initiative, an effort among KAB and its sponsors, such as Coca-Cola, to enhance the access and convenience of recycling away from home. The grant program also is part of a $60 million investment by Coca-Cola in recycling initiatives in the United States.

The spring 2011 grant cycle opened yesterday. Eligible grant recipients include government agencies, civic organizations, schools and nonprofit groups. Interested parties may visit bingrant.org and submit an online grant application through March 18.

Since its inception in the fall of 2007, the Bin Grant program has placed more than 16,000 recycling bins. Recipients have included municipalities, colleges, Native American tribes and community- based non-government organizations.

“The entire recycling process begins when a consumer chooses to put their empty beverage container in a recycle bin instead of the trash,” said John Burgess, president of Coca-Cola Recycling LLC, in a statement. “Through our work with KAB to provide bins to community-based organizations, we can help raise recycling rates by making recycling more accessible to more consumers.”