(a) In consultation with the Department of Education and Early Development, the department shall establish a waste reduction and recycling awards program under which the department may annually, subject to available funding, award grants of up to $2,000 each to public schools in recognition of their efforts and the efforts of their students to reduce and recycle waste generated in the administrative offices, classrooms, laboratories, cafeterias, and maintenance operations of the schools.
(b) The department shall, on request, provide technical assistance to schools concerning their opportunities to reduce and recycle wastes.
(c) The department shall adopt regulations to implement the awards program. For purposes of evaluating school waste reduction and recycling programs, the department may group schools according to geographical location, student population, distance to recycling markets, or other criteria considered appropriate by the department.
(d) The department may accept and use restricted grants of money or other assistance from private persons or groups to fund the awards made under (a) of this section.
(e) The department may not use state money to fund awards made under (a) of this section unless an appropriation is made specifically for the purposes of (a) of this section.