Newton Receives More Than $30,000 in Recycling Grants

NEWTON, MA – The City of Newton received more than $30,000 in grant money from the state, to be used to further its recycling, composting and waste reduction programs.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection awarded $1.6 million in recycling grants to 217 municipalities in the Commonwealth through its Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP).

"These recycling grants will help the Commonwealth’s communities continue their work of responsibly protecting our natural resources and the public health," said Gov. Charlie Baker in a press release. "The success we achieve reducing the waste stream across Massachusetts begins at the local level, and I am proud we are able to help communities make critical investments in their recycling programs."

Newton was one of 166 communities to qualify for the Recycling Dividends Program (RDP), which acknowledges municipalities that have established successful programs in reuse and recycling, as well as waste reduction.

Communities awarded RDP payments must reinvest the funds in their recycling programs for 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.

"Municipalities that cut the waste stream and increase recycling and composting are helping to build a stronger economy and a healthier environment," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton in a release. "The Baker-Polito Administration is committed to reducing waste disposal by 30 percent below 2008 levels, which equates to about 2 million tons per year, and these community recycling grants will ensure we reach our goals."

Through the RDP, Newton received $31,500; it also qualified for a Small-Scale Initiative Grant worth $2,000.

"MassDEP continues to build strategic partnerships with municipalities, as we work together to provide dynamic recycling programs that include all members of the community," said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg."These important efforts will capture more materials that can be reused, and that will help to reduce local waste disposal costs."

The RDP was established in 2014 as the newest initiative under the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program, which has invested more than $20 million in recycling programs since 2010.

Image by Melodi2 via Morguefile