BARNSTABLE COUNTY – The Cape and Islands have been awarded more than $700,000 courtesy of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s 2017 Sustainable Materials Recovery Program.
The award marks a 174 percent overall increase in funding since the previous fiscal year for initiatives which support local recycling, composting/organics, reuse, source reduction, policy development and enforcement activities that increase diversion and reduce disposal.
“It’s really targeted at residential municipal solid waste and diversion programs, so recycling and composting, reuse and repurpose,” said Program Coordinator Kari Parcell, “The whole point is to divert those waste streams into different streams that are not your landfills or your incinerators.”
The grants will enhance Barnstable County Government’s effort to provide technical assistance on waste reduction and recycling to county towns while also providing technical assistance to communities in managing recycling and waste disposal challenges and acts as a resource in assisting municipalities in applying for SMRP grant funding.
“Barnstable County is committed to helping our towns save money on waste disposal and improve the health of our communities,” said Jack Yunits, Barnstable County Administrator. “Through coordination and assistance of our Municipal Assistance Coordinator, these grant programs help increase the diversion, reuse, composting and recycling of materials in the solid waste stream”.
Each of the county’s 15 municipalities received grant awards, totaling $101,050 to continue and expand solid waste diversion programs.
Additionally, Bourne in partnership with The Paint Exchange, on behalf of all Cape Cod municipalities received $71,000 for Latex Paint Recycling.
Dennis was awarded three separate grants, including a mattress recycling incentive for a total of $35,000. Eastham received almost $50,000 to study their current municipal trash program, and Yarmouth, through four separate grants, received $450,000.
“The money goes to the municipality that applied for the grant, it just depends on what the municipalities are applying for,” said Parcell, “Yarmouth, for example, they applied for a regional anaerobic digester and that’s something that can digest food waste and divert it from the waste stream.”
By DAVID BEATTY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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