Shrewsbury Gets Historic $2.7M Grant For Recycling, Composting Program

SHREWSBURY, MA — Shrewsbury celebrated a major milestone on Tuesday night after receiving the single-largest Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling in Massachusetts' history.

The town was awarded $2.7 million in federal funding, marking the second-largest award of its kind ever issued in the New England region. The grant was awarded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SWIFR grant program, the town said in a news release.

With the large amount of funding, the town said it will launch its Comprehensive Recycling and Composting Program, designed to promote sustainability and expand services for all residents. The project will include a new municipal recycling facility and upgrades to the town's current curbside collection program, to include curbside composting.

Shrewsbury was picked from a competitive national pool of 307 applications, all of which requested over $1 billion in infrastructure support. The town's project was one of 17 selected nationwide by the EPA.

"Since her first day, Solid Waste and Recycling Program Manager Gosia Stolarska has been focused on bringing a visionary future for recycling to life," said Select Board Chair Theresa Flynn. "Her persistence turned that vision into a reality, and we are deeply grateful for the critical role she played in earning this recycling investment for Shrewsbury."

The town said that the project is part of its vision to innovate waste management to benefit residents and the environment.

The Shrewsbury community celebrated its funding with a ceremony on Tuesday night. Many state and local leaders attended the event, including Town Manager Kevin Mizikar, DPW Director Timothy McInerney, Sen. Michael Moore, and members of the Shrewsbury Select Board.

“This unprecedented SWIFR grant will enable the Town to continue its efforts to be a leader in environmentally sustainable services and operations,” said Town Manager Mizikar. “We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with the U.S. EPA on these efforts.”

State Rep. Jim McGovern and U.S. Senator Ed J. Markey were not able to attend, but both praised the initiative and its mission to promote sustainability for years to come, the town said in a news release.

New Recycling Drop-off Center

As part of Shrewsbury's Comprehensive Recycling and Composting Program, the town will create a new Recycling drop-off center. The facility will be located at the Department of Public Works on South Street.

The town said this facility is a high-demand community need, as it will provide a local solution for hard-to-recycle items, such as electronics and household hazardous waste, including paint.

The new center will offer residents the opportunity to recycle those objects without having to travel to other towns for disposal or wait for a collection day.

See Also: $1M Lottery Prize Claimed In Shrewsbury

Introducing Curbside Composting

Shrewsbury will also introduce curbside composting throughout the town with the funding. This is intended to significantly expand access to sustainable food-waste disposal.

In June of 2025, the town introduced a Food Waste Drop-off Pilot Program, which was free for Shrewsbury residents. While a limited number of people were able to use the pilot program, others had to contract with private services.

Now the full composting program will expand access to the service and help reduce the community's environmental footprint.

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