The Murphy Administration is awarding $16.2 million in grants to communities across the state to help them enhance waste reduction and recycling programs, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.
The annual awards are based on 2022 recycling performance, the most recent year for which data is available. Municipalities must use their funds for various recycling initiatives, including enhancing recycling collection, making updates to recycling depots or convenience centers, sponsoring household hazardous waste collection events, providing recycling receptacles in public places, and maintaining leaf composting operations.
“Recycling remains as important as ever and allows us to conserve resources, reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and keep communities sustainable,” said Commissioner LaTourette. “With these grants, local governments can implement a variety of education programs and recycling events that help divert waste from landfills and incinerators while helping the public demonstrate its commitment to protecting the environment.”
The grants are awarded through the state’s Recycling Enhancement Act and are funded through a $3 per-ton surcharge on trash disposed statewide at solid waste facilities. The DEP returns that money to municipalities based upon the amount of recycling each community reports during the calendar year.
In 2022, New Jersey generated 21,279,372 total tons of solid waste, including municipal solid waste and non-municipal waste such as construction debris. Of this, the state recycled 11,427,849 tons of material for a 54 percent overall recycling rate, unchanged from the previous year. More specifically, the state recycled 3,629,707 tons and disposed of 5,920,952 tons of municipal solid waste to achieve a 38 percent municipal solid waste recycling rate, a one-percent increase from the previous year. To further illustrate the data, each resident on average disposed of 3.5 pounds and recycled 2.1 pounds of waste each day.
Leading Grant Awards by County ($100,000 or more)
- Bergen County: Paramus, $129,045
- Camden County: Cherry Hill, $125,957
- Cumberland County: Millville, $114,156; Vineland, $661,250
- Essex County: East Orange, $110,047; Newark, $407,126
- Gloucester County: Logan, $236,650; West Deptford, $144,363
- Hudson County: Jersey City, $338,457; Kearny, $108,545; North Bergen, $103,601; Secaucus, $133,984; Union City, $107,944
- Mercer County: Hamilton, $185,944; Robbinsville, $103,700
- Middlesex County: Cranbury, $110,957; Edison, $264,699; Monroe, $130,576; Old Bridge, $287,769; Perth Amboy, $125,566; Piscataway, $120,051; South Brunswick, $203,617; South Plainfield, $143,926; Woodbridge, $287,342
- Monmouth County: Eatontown, $128,340; Freehold Township, $121,491; Middletown, $115,529
- Morris County: Parsippany-Troy Hills, $121,208
- Ocean County: Brick, $116,647; Lakewood, $186,333; Toms River, $220,387
- Passaic County: Clifton, $219,920; Passaic, $101,752; Paterson, $261,958; Wayne, $116,049
- Somerset County: Franklin, $119,274
For a complete list of grants by municipality, visit nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/stats.htm.
Recycling Education
In addition to shaping recycling laws and rules, DEP staff provide guidance to county and municipal recycling coordinators and attend community events to educate residents about recycling and waste reduction. The annual grants support these efforts, which are intended to create a strong recycling ethic at the community level, decrease the amount of waste disposed of each day and improve the state's recycling rate.
The DEP also encourages residents to become more effective recyclers. Recycling contamination occurs when non-acceptable items are mixed with recyclable materials. Manufacturers of recycled content products will not accept or utilize loads of recyclable materials that are contaminated with coffee cups, plastic bags, trash, and other non-acceptable items.
Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the recycling education app Recycle Coach, a free tool to help improve knowledge about what can be recycled. Within the app, residents can access their local recycling and trash collection schedules and utilize its “What Goes Where” tool, which details how to recycle materials in their specific location.
To learn more about recycling in New Jersey, visit https://www.nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/