N.J. awards grants to Shore municipalities for recycling enhancement

New Jersey has awarded grants to Shore municipalities to enhance and promote recycling efforts.

New Jersey has awarded grants to Shore municipalities to enhance and promote recycling efforts.

Of the $14.3 million in grants from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Marlboro in Monmouth County received $119,531, while in Ocean County, the following municipalities garnered support: Brick ($153,319), Lakewood ($140,559), and Toms River ($183,933).

The grants, funded through a $3 per-ton surcharge on trash disposed at solid waste facilities statewide, are based on the respective municipal recycling efforts in 2016, according to the NJDEP.

The state says the funding is to be used to: improve a community’s recycling rate either by funding a recycling coordinator position; sponsoring household hazardous waste collection events; providing recycling receptacles and pickup in public places; maintaining leaf composting operations; doing educational outreach about the importance of recycling; or implementing curbside recycling pickup programs.

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“Recycling helps keep our communities clean, generates revenue and jobs, and lessens the amount of trash going to landfills,” NJDEP Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe said. “These grants will help communities continue the important work of promoting the benefits of recycling and having a positive impact on New Jersey’s quality of life.”

In 2016, New Jersey — the first state of mandate recycling — recycled 13.9 million tons of solid waste out of 22.6 million tons for a recycling rate of 61 percent.

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