TRENTON — New Jersey’s municipalities and counties are receiving a record $8 million in recycling grants as a result of the state’s new recycling-enhancement law, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson announced on Sept. 11.
Of Cape May County municipalities, Middle Township received the top amount with $34,873, lowest was Cape May Point with $391. Grant payouts were allocated based on the number of tons of materials they recycled in 2006.
“These grants represent the highest award total during more than 20 years of recycling in New Jersey,” Commissioner Jackson said. “They will be catalysts, giving local governments more incentive than ever to expand recycling programs that are good for the environment by conserving resources and good for local taxpayers by reducing trash disposal costs.”
The Recycling Enhancement Act, signed into law by Gov. Jon Corzine in January, boosts 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 success of recycling, receive 60 percent of the money the fund generates to help them enhance outreach and compliance efforts. The balance is awarded to county solid-waste management and household hazardous-waste collection programs, county and state promotional efforts, and recycling research.
Other Cape May County municipalities and the amounts received, to nearest dollar were:
Avalon, $6,614
Cape May, $8,970
Dennis Township, $6,757
Lower Township, $22,171
North Wildwood, $7,103
Ocean City, $20,987
Sea Isle City, $6,874
Stone Harbor, $3,759
Upper Township, $32,058
West Cape May, $1,119
West Wildwood, $760
Wildwood, $6,402
Wildwood Crest, $7,278
Woodbine, $4,647
The new law recognizes that it will take time for the recycling enhancement fund to become fully self-supporting. As a result, the law allows for an $8 million start-up appropriation from the state’s general fund to be made available as local recycling grants during the program’s first year. The appropriation will be repaid from future money generated by the trash surcharge.
The grants are double last year’s total and are $2.5 million more than the previous high of $5.5 million awarded in 1995. Money collected through the surcharge on trash disposal will be used to repay the initial appropriation.
“This new law provides the funding mechanism that allows us once again to set our sights on recycling a majority of our municipal waste,” Commissioner Jackson said. “When it comes to recycling, businesses are building the foundation for a green-collar economy.”
After years of stagnating recycling rates, the overall municipal solid-waste recycling rate for New Jersey increased to 36 percent in 2006, up two percent from the previous year. Moreover, rates increased across the board for items typically recycled in municipal programs such as paper, cardboard, glass, metal cans and plastic.
In 2006, New Jersey generated nearly 22.7 million tons of total solid waste, which includes municipal waste as well as construction and demolition debris, scrap iron, wood and other bulky items. Of this total, 12.4 million tons were recycled, resulting in an overall solid-waste recycling rate of 55 percent.
Approximately 11 million tons were categorized as municipal waste. Of this, more than 3.9 million tons of paper, glass, metal and aluminum cans, plastics and yard waste were recycled, resulting in the 36 percent municipal-waste recycling rate.
For a list of grant recipients, go to: www.nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/stats.htm
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