The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has announced that 114 cities, towns and regional recycling groups will receive a total of more than $583,000 in municipal recycling, education and equipment grants to promote waste reduction and recycling.
In addition, 11 municipalities that are hoping to implement "Pay-As-You-Throw" solid waste management programs this year -- including Townsend -- have been awarded funding, which would be used by the communities to help finance the program start-up costs.
"Pay-as-You-Throw" is a system in which residents pay for municipal solid waste management services based on how many bags or barrels of trash they discard rather than through a fixed fee or property tax. Recycling and composting collection are provided at no charge to residents.
More than 100 communities in Massachusetts already have "Pay-As-You-Throw" programs and on average, have recycling rates that are 13 percent higher than those without it.
“The on-going recycling efforts of the cities and towns bring our state closer to reaching its waste reduction goal of 70 percent by the year 2010,” said DEP Commissioner Robert W. Golledge, Jr. The Commonwealth’s 70 percent waste reduction goal is to be met through a combination of source reduction, recycling, and composting programs.
To view the list of recipients click on the following link --> Grant Winners