It can take a whole lot of green to go green.

In order to pursue greener waste disposal methods, and to promote recycling in the region, a whole lot of another kind of green – cash money – is required to get started.

With this goal in mind, Brookhaven aldermen have partnered with the city of Natchez’s city leaders to apply for funds to start a regional recycling initiative. Another area government, possibly Wilkinson County, also is likely to join the initiative, according to a report in the Natchez Democrat newspaper.

The communities are joining efforts to seek grant funds from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s Regional Recycling Cooperative Grants Program.

In August, James Johnston, community development director for the city of Natchez, and Green Alliance Chairman Jim Smith met with Brookhaven aldermen to discuss the combined program in more detail. Since then, the Brookhaven board has been working with Johnston and Smith to flesh out the details.

Ward Six Alderman Phillips has taken the lead on the project and attended a regional recycling conference in Bay St. Louis Tuesday night to provide the MDEQ a detailed presentation of what Brookhaven plans to do if they receive grant funds.

Phillips said Brookhaven is asking the MDEQ for a total of $161,000. If approved, the city will implement the recycling initiative with a multi-pronged approach.

According to the Natchez newspaper article, a total of $1 million is available in MEDQ grant funds with single awards of no more than $400,000 available from that total.

The city plans to place 57 recycling receptacles throughout town at parks, schools, municipal buildings, ballparks and elsewhere. Plans are to place these receptacles in heavily trafficked and visible areas.

The city also intends to purchase 1,000 35-gallon wheeled containers which proactive recycling residents can potentially pickup for free. This will operate on a per-interest basis.

Perhaps most importantly though, according to Phillips, is the need to educate the community about recycling. This is where much of the money will go, said Phillips.

City officials and recycling experts will visit schools and businesses and distribute educational information throughout the local media.

“Awareness is the key to all of this,” said Phillips. “The more the community knows the higher our participation rate will go up.”

Regarding recycling, the state of Mississippi mandates a 25 percent participation rate. When Brookhaven elected to take part in a recycling initiative in August of 2012, the participation rate hovered at or below the state mandate.

At the beginning of the recycling program, the city placed containers at various drop-off points throughout the city. Then, in November 2012, the city introduced a more convenient curbside recycling program. With increased education and awareness, this helped increase the participation rate up to 33 percent, where it now stands. While this number is clearly above the mandate, Phillips expects more.

“We would like to see a participation rate closer to 45-50 percent. It is certainly possible,” said Phillips.

Natchez is following Brookhaven’s lead in getting into curbside recycling, implementing a similar program nearly three months ago.

The area governments are being asked to contribute some matching funds to go along with the grants.

Brookhaven plans to contribute up to $10,000 for the next few years to go with the grant money, if approved. The Public Works Department will contribute 520 hours of “in-kind” work as well.

Also, there will be a spot available for part-time work, about eight hours a week, said Phillips.

Despite the uncertainty of grant approval at this time, Phillips already sees more options down the road.

The “waste zero program” is another program designed to refund recycling participants by volume of recyclable material. The program provides a monetary incentive for the community to participate. Communities involved in the waste zero program have increased their participation rate from 25-50 percent in less than 90 days, said Phillips.

Specific informational items that local city officials hope to share with the community will include awareness and efforts of non-hazardous and hazardous waste pollution prevention, buying products manufactured from recycled materials and educating the public on the importance of recycling and solid waste reduction.

While the board will not receive confirmation on the grant until January or February, Ward Four Alderman Shirley Estes believes “the board is in a very favorable position” regarding the grant money. Estes intended to accompany Phillips to Tuesday’s conference, but was unable do so due to the flu.