EAST LONGMEADOW — Recycling is more common than ever, with 69.1 million tons recycled in 2018, the latest year for which there is data from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. However, recycling is expensive for cities and towns. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection offers grants as part of its Recycling Dividends Program. This year, East Longmeadow was awarded $17,600.
“This is a yearly grant that we have applied for since 2009,” said Waste & Recycling Coordinator Liz Bone. “Normally, what we spend the money on is purchasing compost bins or rain barrels that we sell to our customers at a reduced rate,” or “we pay for our composting program at our schools,” Bone said. The funds have also been used to print the town’s recycling guide and recycling calendar and send it out to residents.
Bone explained that East Longmeadow’s contract with Casella Waste Systems, which includes recycling hauling, is paid for through the town’s general budget. Any grants the town secures pays for additional programs and costs that promote recycling efforts in town.
“We have almost 6,000 households in East Longmeadow and all of those need to recycle,” Bone said. “Our trash company that goes around is kind of our eyes on the ground. If they see something not disposed of correctly, they’ll flag it so we can explain that recycling is mandatory in Massachusetts.
The Recycling Dividends Program is not the only source of state waste reduction grants. Bone said, “The state offers some different grants each year. In the past, we got a grant to recycle mattresses before it was mandatory. They paid for us to have a bin at the transfer station. That was great … because now it is mandatory, and we didn’t have to pay for it. I did an air sensor grant a few years ago.” Air sensors around town to check pollution levels. A grant also paid for the full-size bins the town purchased a couple of years ago.
Bone said education is key to advancing recycling in East Longmeadow. “I would love for people to be more aware of all the different types of recycling that we promote or have access to. For example, we have access to a hazardous waste disposal. The town gives $100 to residents to use [it].”
Bone also said waste reduction goes beyond recycling. “Organics create a lot of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” she said. According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, food waste and other compostable items accounted for 51.4% of materials sent to American landfills in 2018. “Taking organics out of the trash is going to be the next big thing.”
For more information about waste reduction and recycling in East Longmeadow, visit eastlongmeadowma.gov/750/Waste-Reduction.
