Massachusetts Agency Awards Grants for Single-Stream Recycling

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued recycling grants to four cities that will be used to help offset the costs of implementing single-stream recycling collection programs. The grant money will go toward the purchase of wheeled recycling collection carts.

The grant initiative, called the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP), provides a $10-per-cart subsidy.

The four communities receiving the grants are the following:

The Town of Franklin received an $86,500 grant. Franklin implemented its single-stream, two-cart recycling program in July 2010 to 8,500 households. Since starting the program, recycling tonnage increased by 15 percent and solid waste tonnage decreased more than 18 percent. The DEP says that the conversion to the single-stream program will save the town more than $100,000 in solid waste disposal costs this fiscal year, and the town will earn $20,000 from the sale of recyclables this year.

The Town of Framingham received a $100,000 recycling grant. The city implemented its single-stream recycling program in July of 2010. In September 2010, the town began mechanized collection, which included the delivery of 17,000 carts. Since single-stream began, Framingham has seen a 14 percent increase in the recyclables collected and a 14 percent decline in trash. The town estimates that over the last seven months alone it has saved $62,100 in disposal costs. The town expects to save $1.5 million over the next five years in collection costs due to the efficiency of the new automated collection system.

The City of Springfield received a $100,000 grant. Springfield started its single-stream recycling program in 2009, delivering 42,000 carts to residents. Under the city's single-stream program, recycling increased by 60 percent since 2009, saving the city about $54,000 a month in avoided waste disposal fees.

The Town of Brookline received a grant of $100,000. Brookline implemented its single-stream recycling program in October 2010, delivering 12,000 carts to residents. In the first six months of the program, recycling increased by 13 percent and waste disposal declined by 400 tons (a 9 percent decrease).

SMRP awards are being used to support single-stream recycling, Pay-As-You-Throw programs, recycling and organics diversion, household hazardous waste collection, materials reuse, and community recycling outreach and education initiatives.