MONROE – Based on its 2015 recycling performance, Monroe will receive the eighth largest grant in the state as part of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) annual initiative to enhance municipal recycling programs.
The most recent award, issued through the state’s Recycling Enhancement Act, amounted to $171,463 for Monroe.
For its part, Monroe recycled 112,351 tons of materials in 2015, a sum that includes both residential and commercial components, according to information provided by the township.
“In cooperation with the county and the state, Monroe has been a leader in recycling since the inception of our recycling division in the late 1980s,” Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro said in the statement. “I credit our Department of Public Work’s (DPW) program, as well as our staff, for its extensive educational outreach and for an efficiently run operation. I also applaud our residents and businesses for their continued participation and for their dedication to green living.”
Still early in the process, Monroe’s administration and representatives from DPW are considering using the newly allotted funds to purchase a cardboard compactor, in addition to establishing a recycling program for plastic foam, often referred to by the brand name Styrofoam, according to the statement.
“This is smart government at work,” DPW Director Wayne Horbatt said of the DEP grant program. “When municipalities have successful recycling programs, they are essentially rewarded and able to use these grant funds to even further improve upon their operations. In the past, these grants have assisted us with upgrading our infrastructure and launching various other programs and projects.”
“In this day and age, we should all be doing our part to recycle,” Monroe Councilwoman Miriam Cohen said in the statement. “This is one of the most basic actions we can take to promote sustainability and to have a positive impact on the environment.”
