Innovative environmental projects including one to convert pig manure into electricity have benefited from $43,000 in Government grants.

The awards, announced yesterday, saw Omari Dill and Sean Fubler of Unity Maintenance handed $3,000 for their project to set up an "anaerobic biodigester" for pig excrement.

Mr. Dill explained that this machine converts animal waste collected by their company into methane. This, in turn, is transformed into electricity that will be used to run their business.

"Hopefully we'll be able to do this by the end of the year," he said, after accepting the award at a ceremony hosted by Minister of the Environment Glenn Blakeney. A separate $3,000 grant will be used for the company's efforts to eradicate the Lablab and Kudzu plants, which are invasive species.

Sandys Secondary Middle School was awarded $5,000 to transform the local community into a trash-free environment by investing in a dishwasher and real dishes to replace disposable styrofoam cups.

Bermuda Clayworks was given $3,000 to produce and promote the use of a reusable shopping bag for visitors to Dockyard, to eliminate the use of environmentally-unfriendly plastic shopping bags.

Wadson's Farm was awarded $2,000 to develop solar and wind power for agriculture and hydroponics a method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions. A separate award, also for $2,000, was given for the establishment of a sustainable agriculture venue.

Andrew Stevenson was awarded $5,000 towards his Humpback Whale film project, while JP Skinner of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences was awarded $5,000 to support the Waterstart Summer Programme which involves a mixture of aquatic skill lessons, environmental investigations and team building.

Elliott Primary School was handed $3,000 for the "Hands United to Save our Community" scheme which will focus on school and habitat restoration, community revitalisation and environmental education. Keep Bermuda Beautiful was awarded $2,000 for a cigarette litter prevention programme at cruise ship terminals.

Meanwhile eco-friendly 11-year-old Jahmali Bridgewater was awarded $10,000 for his Green Kids Club, which he founded at Dellwood School to focus on empowerment through the environment. Jahmali was overseas and unable to collect the award, but his father, Kyle Bridgewater, said he hopes to expand the project to other schools.

Handing out the awards, Mr. Blakeney said: "Your efforts in enhancing our natural environment benefit everyone in Bermuda. Congratulations to each and every one of you."

Director of Environmental Protection Fred Ming said: "The Government can't do it all as far as the environment is concerned, and it's these efforts that really make a difference. It's through the efforts of people like yourselves that we will have an environment for many generations forward that we're pleased with and that we can sustain."

The Ministry has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of similar grants over the last seven years. The cash for the latest batch came from Government's 2008/09 budget. Although no specific funding for the awards was allocated in the budget for 2009/10, a Ministry spokesman said it is hoped cash can be found, nonetheless, to continue them next year.