Toms River To Receive $174K Recycling Grant From State

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River will receive $174,085 in funding from the state through a recycling grant program, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced Thursday.

The funding is part of $14.3 million in state grants being awarded to towns throughout the state to help them improve and increase recycling efforts through the state's Recycling Enhancement Act. The program is funded by a $3 per-ton surcharge on trash disposed at solid waste facilities across the state.

“Each of us can make a real difference for New Jersey’s environment simply by recycling,” Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said. “The impacts of recycling reach far beyond keeping our environment clean and safe. Recycling conserves resources and results in less waste going to landfills or incinerators. It helps local governments save money, and leads to economic development and job creation."

In 2014, New Jersey generated 9.6 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW). DEP documented the recycling of 3.9 million tons of MSW and the disposal of 5.6 million tons of MSW, for an MSW recycling rate of 41 percent. Martin said the goal is for New Jersey to reach 50 percent recycling in its municipalities.

By comparison, the 2014 national MSW recycling rate was 34 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Toms River recycled nearly 210,650 tons of material in 2014, including more than 120,000 tons of concrete, asphalt, brick and blocks, and more than 13,000 of corrugated cardboard, according to the DEP.

Overall, New Jersey in 2014 generated more than 20.8 million tons of solid waste, which includes municipal waste plus construction debris and other types of non-municipal waste. Of this, more than 12.8 million tons were recycled, for an overall recycling rate of 62 percent.

“New Jersey set the standard by becoming the first state to require recycling, and continues to show that the recycling culture is part of our daily lives at home, work, school, and at many institutions across the state,” said Mark Pedersen, Assistant Commissioner for Site Remediation and Waste Management. “We are glad to see that so many communities are doing their part to help pitch in and protect the environment.”

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