State awards $3.2M to support recycling, waste reduction in municipalities

The Baker-Polito administration on Oct. 28 announced $3.2 million in grant funding to 269 municipalities and regional solid waste districts through the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program to help communities maximize their recycling, composting and waste reduction programs.

Under the SMRP, 227 communities qualified for the Recycling Dividends Program and will receive payments ranging from $2,450 to $97,500. The program recognizes municipalities that have implemented policies and programs proven to maximize materials reuse and recycling, as well as waste reduction.

Communities that earn Recycling Dividends Program payments must reinvest the funds in their recycling programs for things such as new recycling bins or carts, public education and outreach campaigns, collection of hard-to-recycle items, and the establishment of recycling programs in schools, municipal buildings and other public spaces.

As part of this grant round, 42 municipalities that did not apply for or qualify for a Recycling Dividends Program payment will be awarded a total of $45,250 for a Small-Scale Initiatives Grant. These population-based grants range from $500 to $2,000 each and help communities purchase modest but important recycling materials and outreach tools needed to sustain their existing recycling program or to facilitate new, low-cost initiatives.

Each of these SMRP programs are administered by the Department of Environmental Protection, which has posted a list of the 269 Recycling Dividends Program and Small-Scale grant awards.

“These new funds give communities the opportunity to make critical investments in their recycling programs, capturing more materials that can be reused, and helping them to reduce their waste disposal costs,” said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg.

The Recycling Dividends Program was launched in 2014 under the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program, which was created by the Green Communities Act of 2008. The Green Communities Act requires that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Waste Energy Certificates be directed to recycling programs approved by the MassDEP. The SMRP has provided more than $41.6 million for recycling programs since 2010.

The Waste Energy Certificate payments received by MassDEP are deposited into the SMRP Expendable Trust, which is used to fund grants, technical assistance and educational outreach to help communities, businesses and institutions increase recycling and reduce waste.