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MassDEP reviews municipal waste programs, flags $8M in unspent recycling‑dividends funds
Summary
MassDEP staff updated the Solid Waste Advisory Committee in June on municipal grant, outreach and technical assistance programs that implement the agency’s 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan and reported nearly $8 million in unspent Recycling Dividends Program funds available for municipal reinvestment.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection staff updated the Solid Waste Advisory Committee in June on municipal programs tied to the agency’s 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan midcourse review, describing grants, education and technical assistance used to support residential and municipal waste reduction.
“SMRP is our largest annual grant for municipalities,” Rachel Smith, grant manager for the municipal waste reduction branch at MassDEP, told the committee. She said the branch administers the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP), an annual Reduce, Reuse and Repair microgrant, technical assistance via eight regional municipal assistance coordinators (MACs), and statewide outreach tools such as RecycleSmartMA and the Recyclopedia.
Smith reported that over the last five years the Recycling Dividends Program (RDP) has drawn broad participation: “Over the past 5 years, we’ve had 297 municipalities participate in RDP out of 352,” she said. RDP awards let municipalities implement a menu of best practices (pay‑as‑you‑throw, bulky collection fees, household hazardous waste collections, organics programs and special collection centers) and then spend earned points to strengthen programs. MassDEP staff said RDP funds have been under‑spent: roughly $8 million in RDP balances remain available for municipal reinvestment.
MassDEP described grant categories and recent award levels: SMRP awarded about $4.4 million in the 2024 cycle and the branch expects a similar budget for the current cycle, although awards depend on applications and requests. The microgrant program has grown and the branch received 92 microgrant applications in the most recent cycle.
Technical assistance is delivered through eight regional MACs who help municipalities apply for grants, develop procurement and hauling contracts, implement pay‑as‑you‑throw (PAYT) systems, and lead working groups such as the Green Team (school waste reduction) and municipal hauling contract cohorts. Smith called PAYT “the gold standard in waste reduction,” and said MACs support launches with outreach, implementation templates and procurement guidance.
Outreach products include the RecycleSmartMA suite (social posts, videos, FAQs, translations into 12 languages), the Recyclopedia search tool and the Beyond the Bin directory for non‑curbside materials. Smith said Recyclopedia and Beyond the Bin are updated regularly and recommended municipalities link to them.
MassDEP asked the committee for feedback on improving program timing, outreach and incentives so municipalities spend awarded funds and scale successful approaches. Staff suggested more year‑round outreach and earlier applicant engagement to reduce end‑of‑fiscal‑year rushes and improve project success.
MassDEP said it will continue grant review and post award materials on its website and encouraged municipalities to contact regional MACs for in‑kind technical assistance and procurement templates.
