Funds will support recycling carts, mattress recycling and composting programs
LEXINGTON – Senator Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senator Mike Barrett (D-Lexington), and Representative Michelle Ciccolo (D-Lexington) applauded the announcement that the Town of Lexington received $116,000 in grant funding through the 2019 Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP). This is the second round of funding the Town has received from the program this year.
To celebrate “America Recycles Day” on November 15, 54 communities, regional groups and non-profit organizations across the Commonwealth received payments totaling $3.6 million to increase the diversion, reuse, composting and recycling of materials in the solid waste stream.
“I’m thrilled that our community has been awarded an additional grant through this program,” said Senator Friedman. “With this funding, Lexington will have the ability to increase waste reduction efforts and further protect the environment to help create a more sustainable future for all.”
“We see all these terrible images of wildlife and wilderness harmed by products that could have been—and should have been—reduced, re-used, or recycled,” said Senator Barrett. “This grant helps Lexington keep its commitment to maintaining a sustainable planet.”
“Our commitment to waste reduction must be threefold,” said Representative Ciccolo. “As a community, I know we all do what we can to reduce our waste footprint and reuse materials as we are able. Once both of those options are exhausted, we then line our streets with blue bins to recycle the rest. This grant money will allow us to continue and expand these best practices in town.”
Waste prevention and recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions by capturing the embodied energy in every-day products and packaging waste and converting these sources into new products with a smaller carbon footprint.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), SMRP funds were awarded in several categories, including start-up incentives for Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) programs, wheeled-carts for curbside collection of recyclables, large containers for collection of target materials at municipal transfer stations, school recycling assistance programs and innovative waste reduction projects.
During the first round of SMRP funding announced in October, more than $2.9 million in grants were awarded to 262 communities and solid waste districts —including $19,800 for Lexington—to help pay for new recycling bins and carts, public education and outreach, collection of difficult-to-recycle items, and implementation of recycling programs at municipal buildings, schools and public spaces.
A complete list of the municipalities, regional groups and non-profit organizations that were awarded a grant in the second round of funding can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/list-of-2019-second-round-municipalregional-grant-awards-november-2019/download.