In late September, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection awarded $5.2M in grants to 283 solid waste districts to support recycling, composting, and waste reduction efforts. These funds, awarded under its Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) support the state’s goal of reducing waste by 90% by 2050.
The state awarded funding in several categories including the Recycling Dividends Program, start-up incentives for Pay-As-You-Throw programs, mattress collection containers, curbside food waste carts, equipment for collection of mercury-bearing items, and regional small-scale incentives. The majority of funding was awarded through the Recycling Dividends Program that provides payments to communities for implementing specific policies to maximize reuse, recycling, and waste reduction. This program awards a higher premium for policy implementation in areas serving a defined set of environmental justice populations. Communities receiving these funds are required to reinvest them in their recycling efforts.
A full list of 2023 awardees may be found here. The state has awarded more than $50M through the program since 2010.
