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MassDEP opens Spring 2026 SMRP cycle; new EPP purchasing-policy requirement and June 1 deadline
Summary
MassDEP outlined Spring 2026 Sustainable Materials Recovery Program grant opportunities, introduced a required Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP) purchasing policy for eligibility, and reminded municipalities that applications and EPP policies are due by June 1.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection staff laid out Spring 2026 grant offerings for the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) and said municipalities must submit applications and an updated Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP) purchasing policy by June 1 to meet minimum eligibility.
At a webinar opening the SMRP cycle, Rachel Smith, a regional planner and grant manager, summarized the program’s scale: MassDEP typically awards between $4 million and $5 million each year and, in the 2025 cycle, issued 347 awards totaling about $4.1 million. She said the program is funded by Waste Energy Certificate (WEC) revenue that MassDEP places into a trust to fund recycling programs, outreach, Municipal Assistance Coordinators (MACs) and grants.
Becky Ferguson, who reviewed eligibility rules, said the new requirement replaces the older buy-recycled policy: to be eligible in Spring 2026, municipalities must adopt an EPP purchasing policy that (1) commits to purchasing products and services available through the Massachusetts Operational Services Division (OSD) EPP contracts, (2) sets minimum recycled‑content criteria for office supplies and similar purchases, and (3) prioritizes reuse and donation when goods are no longer needed. Ferguson said MassDEP has posted a template and examples on the SMRP grant webpage, that over 100 municipalities already submitted updated policies, and that policies should be approved by municipal leadership and uploaded to ReTRAC.
MassDEP staff emphasized application mechanics and timing: applicants must complete the municipal recycling survey (the ReTRAC submission is a prerequisite for RDP and SMRP), attach required documentation, and submit all questions in writing to the MassDEP Q&A process. Answers from the webinar will be transcribed and posted as the official written Q&A on May 8. Ferguson reminded attendees that exceptions—account lockouts or requested edits—can be handled ad hoc, but substantive questions must follow the written process.
The department plans to evaluate applications over the summer, may reach out to applicants for clarifications, and aims to issue award letters and contracts in the fall (award timing historically ranges from September through December).
