en.Wedoany.com Reported - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has awarded $16.2 million in grants to help community recycling programs improve waste reduction and recycling practices. These grants are calculated based on the recycling volumes reported by each community in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available.
Ed Potosnak, Acting Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, stated that New Jersey leads the nation in protecting natural resources through robust local recycling programs, which reduce pollution, create jobs, and support a multi-billion-dollar recycling industry. The annual grants enable communities to develop and enhance their programs while educating residents on the importance of proper recycling.
Local recycling programs use grant funds to improve recycling centers, host household hazardous waste collection events, deploy more public recycling containers, maintain leaf composting operations, and run recycling education initiatives. The grant funding comes from a $3-per-ton surcharge on waste disposed at solid waste facilities statewide, as mandated by the state's Recycling Enhancement Act.
In 2023, New Jersey generated 21,715,349 tons of solid waste, including municipal solid waste and non-municipal waste such as construction debris. Of this, 11,469,020 tons were recycled, achieving an overall recycling rate of 53%, a decrease of 1 percentage point from the previous year. Specifically, New Jersey recycled 3,442,632 tons of municipal solid waste and disposed of 6,077,402 tons, resulting in a municipal solid waste recycling rate of 36%, down 2 percentage points from 2022. Each resident disposed of an average of 3.5 pounds of waste per day and recycled 2.1 pounds of waste per day.
New Jersey's recycling industry contributes approximately $6 billion annually to the state's economy and employs nearly 27,000 people. The state has over 100 recycling centers and 23 intermediate processing facilities dedicated to recycling efforts. To support this system, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection stated that its staff assists county and municipal recycling coordinators in educating residents on proper recycling practices to avoid contamination. The department encourages residents to use the recycling education app Recycle Coach, a free tool designed to enhance knowledge of recyclable items.
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