DEP awards record grants to assist local recycling programs

Nov, 19-2009 11:41 am

TRENTON—Cape May County municipalities will receive $281,394 in recycling tonnage grants this year, based on 2007’s recycling figures, an increase of over $110,000 from the year prior. In total, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is providing municipalities and counties a record $14.5 million in grants to boost local recycling efforts, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Mark N. Mauriello announced Monday, Nov. 15.
The $14.5 million in recycling tonnage grants is nearly double the previous record of 2008, when $8 million was awarded as the result of the implementation of the Recycling Enhancement Act, signed into law by Gov. Jon S. Corzine that year to help New Jersey reach its recycling-rate targets. This year's total is also nearly three times higher than the pre-Recycling Enhancement Act high of $5.5 million awarded in 1995.
While most municipalities received significant increases in grant money, Upper Township, Wildwood Crest and West Wildwood all endured cuts to their previous year’s grant money.
The individual grant awards for this year are based on the amount of materials municipalities and counties recycled in 2007, the year before the Recycling Enhancement Act took effect. In general, recycling rates decreased from 2006 to 2007, from 63.5 percent to 61.4 percent. However, overall, waste also saw a decrease in the county, from 605,555 tons in 2006 to 504,744 tons in 2007.
The Recycling Enhancement Act significantly increased the amount of grant money available to local governments by creating a recycling enhancement fund through a $3-per-ton surcharge on trash taken to solid-waste disposal facilities.
Municipal governments, vital to the overall success of recycling, receive 60 percent of the money the fund generates to help them enhance outreach and compliance efforts. "These grants will be of great help to local governments that want to keep doing the right thing for the environment by maintaining strong recycling programs," Mauriello said. "Local governments will use this money to help pay recycling coordinators who quarterback these efforts, fund public education campaigns, and make sure residents continue to comply with recycling laws."
The balance is awarded to county solid-waste management and household hazardous-waste collection programs, county and state promotional efforts and recycling research.
In 2007, New Jersey recycled 12.4 million tons of a total 21.6 million tons of solid waste, for a recycling rate of 57.3 percent. This includes all types of waste, including municipal solid waste as well as bulky waste such as construction and demolition debris, scrap metal and wood.
New Jersey recycled 3.8 million tons of 10.5 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in 2007, for a municipal solid waste recycling rate of 36.5 percent. Materials recycled as part of municipal programs includes paper, cardboard, glass, metal cans and plastic.
Below is the grant allocations for 2008 and 2009 in Cape May County:
2009 2008
Avalon $11,740.43 $6,614.12
Cape May $14,441.62 $8,969.76
Cape May Point $1,680.76 $391.33
Dennis $11,523.68 $6,756.96
Lower 59,893.14 $22,170.91
Middle $70,548.08 $34,872.85
North Wildwood $8,110.00 $7,103.06
Ocean City $26,842.82 $20,987.38
Sea Isle City 10,177.75 $6,874.00
Stone Harbor 5,351.26 $3,759.00
Upper 26,013.34 $32,058.45
West Cape May $2,588.25 $1,119.44
West Wildwood $663.31 $759.80
Wildwood $15,733.89 $6,402.34
Wildwood Crest $6,850.21 $7,277.93
Woodbine $9,236.94 $4,646.93