Southcoast Towns and Cities Receive Major Recycling Grant

BOSTON — Senate Assistant Majority Leader and Rules Committee Chairman Mark C. Montigny of New Bedford has announced that the city of New Bedford along with the towns of Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and Mattapoisett have been awarded Recycling Dividends Grants totaling $132,600.

The Recycling Dividends Grant Program is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to help municipalities in their recycling efforts. The program provides payments to qualifying cities and towns that have implemented specific waste reduction, reuse, and recycling programs and policies.

This latest grant will provide the following incentive payments to local municipalities:

· Town of Dartmouth: $30,600
· Town of Fairhaven: $12,100
· Town of Mattapoisett: $5,400
· City of New Bedford: $84,500

In addition to the dividends program, MassDEP will soon launch a new statewide initiative to help residents and businesses identify which items can be properly recycled from those that cannot.

Recent restrictions imposed on the imports of recyclable materials under China's National Sword Policy have dramatically affected recycling in Massachusetts and beyond. Recycling has helped cities and towns in the Commonwealth reduce disposal costs while improving the environment. These new market restrictions have led to certain challenges and cost increases.

This new DEP initiative will help, in part, to ensure only proper materials make their way into recycling bins while the Recycling Dividends Grants will help offset some of the increasing costs.

“I am pleased that these municipalities are being recognized and rewarded for their efforts and commitment toward recycling at a time when uncertainty in the market has jeopardized its sustainability and increased costs. Hopefully, these grants will bring increased savings in recycling costs to taxpayers” said Senator Montigny.

Office of Mark C. Montigny