Ramsey Earns $44K Recycling Grant

Ramsey is set to receive over $44,000 in grant money from the state thanks to the township’s recycling efforts in past years. The grant is part of $13.1M given out statewide through the Recycling Enhancement Act, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced in a release Monday.

According to the release, the grant is funded by a $3 per ton surcharge on trash disposed at solid waste facilities. Local governments receive 60 percent of the money the fund generates to help enhance recycling outreach. The rest goes toward county waste management systems and hazardous waste collections.

According to state officials, the money can only be used to support certain recycling-related expenses.

"The grants we are announcing today will help our municipalities purchase the best and biggest recycling containers, educate residents and businesses, and support a dedicated recycling staff," DEP Assistant Commissioner for Environmental Management Jane Kozinski said in the release.

In 2010, 9.8 million tons of municipal solid waste was generated in N.J. About 40 percent of that, or 3.9 million tons, was recycled, the release said. The state is urging all towns to reach a 50 percent recycling rate.

Ramsey received the ninth highest payout amount of the municipalities in Bergen County that got grant money this year. Here’s how Ramsey’s payout, based on the amount of recycling collected in the borough in 2010, compares to other nearby municipalities:

Town

Amount Received

Mahwah

$45,577

Ramsey

$44,638

Carlstadt

$79,063

Wyckoff

$28,151

Paramus

$67,747

Waldwick

$15,788

Oakland

$29,565

Statewide, the highest grants awarded this year are to Newark at $299,903, Jersey City at $278,748 and Paterson at $238,701.

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