Monroe Township has been awarded a $216,331 tonnage grant from the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) – the highest in the Township’s participation in the program – for its exemplary efforts to promote recycling. Intended to further enhance local litter-removal and recycling, the grant is based on the municipality’s 2019 recycling reports.
“This is the largest award we have ever received for this program. We are excited to see our efforts recognized with a grant award that is among the highest in the state,” said Mayor Stephen Dalina. “Each year we try to take our recycling efforts to the next level while also keeping our township litter-free. This award is vital to that process.”
“Our community clean-up campaigns by both DPW teams and community volunteers during the early spring have gone a long way toward maintaining the beauty of Monroe,” Mayor Dalina added. “The Department of Public Works also does great work maintaining an efficient process for recycling materials both at the yard and through curb-side pick-up.”
Recycling tonnage grants are awarded through the State’s Recycling Enhancement Act and are funded through a $3 per-ton surcharge on trash disposed at solid waste facilities statewide. The NJDEP then allocates funds back to municipalities based on how much recycling each community reports accomplishing during a particular calendar year.
Each year, Monroe Township is required by law to file an annual report documenting recycling tonnage with the NJDEP. To file this report, the Township Recycling Coordinator collects information on the weight in tons of recycled materials from all commercial and institutional establishments in the Township.
The year-long documentation process begins in mid-January with outreach efforts to local establishments, followed by reporting to the NJDEP in late-April and grant award notifications released the following January for two years prior.