As part of its commitment to promoting sustainability and clean communities, the Murphy Administration is awarding nearly $16.2 million in grants to communities across the state to support waste reduction and recycling programs, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.
| The annual grant awards are based on 2021 recycling performance, the most recent year for which data is available. Municipalities must use their funds for various recycling initiatives which can include sponsoring household hazardous waste collection events, providing recycling receptacles in public places or maintaining leaf composting operations.“Reducing, reusing and recycling solid waste remains one of the best ways the public can protect the environment each and every day,” said Commissioner LaTourette. “These grants help our municipalities strengthen their recycling programs and educate their residents on waste reduction. I strongly encourage all residents, businesses, schools, communities and organizations to recommit to recycling to preserve precious resources, divert waste from landfills and other disposal facilities, save energy and combat climate change.”
The grants are awarded through the state’s Recycling Enhancement Act and funded through a $3 per-ton surcharge on trash disposed statewide at solid waste facilities. The DEP returns that money to municipalities based upon how much recycling each community reports accomplishing during the calendar year. Municipalities (organized by county) receiving grants of more than $100,000 for their 2021 recycling efforts:
For a complete list of grants, visit nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/ |
State Recycling and Solid Waste Disposal Facts
Compared with data from 2020, the overall amount of material reported as recycled and disposed of increased. In addition, the total tonnage of materials reported as being disposed of increased more than the amount recycled, leading to a slight decrease in the overall recycling rate. Solid waste includes municipal waste plus construction debris and other types of non-municipal waste. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Recycling and Disposal Facts
Compared with data from 2020, the total tonnage of MSW recycled slightly decreased in 2021. In addition, the amount of MSW disposed of increased, leading to a small decrease in the MSW recycling rate. The MSW disposal and recycling data translates to New Jersey residents disposing of 3.7 pounds of solid waste and 2.2 pounds of recycling per person per day in 2021. Compared with data from 2020, there was an increase in the total solid waste disposal amounts per person, while the recycling amount stayed consistent. |
Don’t be fooled – the grant money comes from a fee for processing your garbage. To make matters worse, the grant cant be used as a refund for the fee, rather it has to be used to further the recycling programs! where most of the stuff ends up in the landfill anyway! (Besides for the waste of having an additional truck run the same routes as the garbage truck all that pollution, gas, wear and tear etc.)