Grant to help Ecomaine increase multifamily recycling rates

Ecomaine, a Portland, Maine-based solid waste and recycling solutions provider, has received a $2 million Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The grant was awarded in response to the application submitted by Ecomaine aimed at increasing recycling rates among multifamily residential buildings.

“Recycling programs in apartment buildings and multifamily dwellings have always been the most challenging to implement,” Ecomaine board member and chair of the company’s Outreach and Recycling Committee Caleb Hemphill says. “However, there are a lot of recyclable materials that are generated from these sources, and they often end up in our landfills. This critical funding will help us improve our recycling rates, particularly in communities that include multifamily dwellings, as well as disadvantaged communities that may not have regular access to recovery programs.”

The grant aims to increase the recycling rate in Maine via a targeted pilot program with dedicated educational outreach programming and single-sort recycling strategies in multifamily dwelling units, where access to participation traditionally has been limited. With this grant, Ecomaine says it plans to achieve these goals by reaching out to residents and property owners, creating informational materials, social media marketing and increasing access to recycling solutions that will help divert more recyclable material from Maine’s landfills.

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Ecomaine will partner with 73 communities to determine the highest-impact areas to target in this program. Additional work will be conducted in cooperation with community education programs, including those with resources for New Mainers (immigrants choosing to live in Maine), residents and owners of multifamily unit properties.

The coalition of municipalities and organizations has made it a priority to cater to disadvantaged communities by offering specialized educational opportunities and translated materials.

Additionally, representatives are visiting towns with lower recycling rates to encourage participation and increase education. With the help of this grant, Ecomaine will host a kick-off recycling summit which will bring together multifamily residents, property owners, homeowner associations and municipal stakeholders to identify barriers to recycling and determine how Ecomaine can direct change while providing resources to communities where recycling programs are more challenging, despite willingness among members.