New recycling grant program launches in Massachusetts

In honor of Earth Month, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has launched a new recycling grant program aimed at funding innovative waste reduction projects throughout Massachusetts.

The Waste Reduction Innovation Grant (WRIG), announced last week, will provide funding for new and existing businesses, nonprofits and institutions that are looking to invest in advanced equipment or technology that will have “a measurable impact on waste reduction.”

The department’s 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan established goals to reduce waste in Massachusetts by 30 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050. The plan establishes a framework for reducing and managing solid waste that is generated, reused, recycled or disposed of by Massachusetts residents and businesses.

According to MassDEP, the WRIG program targets areas of the waste stream that would benefit from innovation and will fund two categories of projects—startup or pilot projects and innovative capital investments.

"Partnering with the private sector is critical to managing our waste and improving our efforts to reduce waste, reuse and recycle,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper says. “This key investment will foster continued growth in our waste reduction industry, creating new jobs, and reducing the burden on an already strained waste stream.”

MassDEP says up to 10 projects will be eligible for startup or pilot funding awards between $50,000 and $100,000, and up to four projects will be eligible for innovative capital investment funding awards between $500,000 and $2 million. Startup or pilot projects will require a 25 percent grant match and capital investment projects will require a 50 percent match.

Materials and activities eligible for capital investment funding include reuse or recycling of bulky household items like furniture, carpet and plastics; recycling of glass from material recovery facilities; reuse or recycling of specific construction materials, including asphalt shingles, gypsum wallboard and wood; recycling of nonvehicle lithium batteries; and textile sorting and recycling.

“Not only does managing solid waste strain municipal budgets, waste emits harmful methane emissions as it sits in a landfill,” MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple says. “Reducing waste is a critical piece of our strategy to address climate change and improve air quality in our environmental justice communities. Just like with clean energy and clean transportation, our waste management industry is poised to innovate and lead the way on waste reduction.”

Grant applications are open and the deadline to apply is July 15. For more information and grant guidelines, visit the WRIG page on the MassDEP website.