More than $2.3 million in Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) grants will be awarded to 238 municipalities and regional solid waste districts to help communities maximize their recycling, composting and waste reduction programs.
The 185 communities that qualified for the Recycling Dividends Program (RDP) will receive payments ranging from $2,100 to $84,500, for a total of $2.25 million statewide. The program recognizes municipalities that have implemented policies and programs proven to maximize materials reuse and recycling, as well as waste reduction. Communities receiving RDP 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.
An additional 53 municipalities and regional entities that did not apply for or qualify for an RDP grant will be awarded a total of $53,750 for a “Small-Scale Initiatives Grant.”
The RDP began in 2014 under MassDEP’s Sustainable Materials Recovery Program, which was created by the Green Communities Act of 2008.
To read the full story, visit http://wwlp.com/2017/09/21/state-providing-funds-to-238-communities-for-recycling-programs/.