November 22, 2021 (Barnstable, MA) – Barnstable County is pleased to announce that 18 towns on Cape Cod and Islands have been awarded a total of $207,350 through the MassDEP’s 2021 Recycling Dividends Program (RDP) under the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP). The RDP recognizes municipalities that have implemented policies and programs proven to maximize the reuse and recycling of materials and waste reduction. SMRP programs are administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
Communities that earn RDP payments must reinvest the funds in their recycling programs for things such as new recycling bins or carts, public education, and outreach campaigns, collection of hard-to-recycle items, and the establishment of recycling programs in schools, municipal buildings, and other public spaces. Municipalities receive points for managing and diverting materials from the waste stream. The value of each point is based on the number of residents served in the municipal trash program. These funds will enhance Barnstable County Government’s effort to provide technical assistance on waste reduction and recycling to towns across the Cape and the Islands.
“It is exciting to see towns on the Cape and Islands recognized for their sustainability efforts,” said Kari Parcell, Barnstable County Cape Cod Cooperative Extension’s Municipal Assistance Coordinator. Parcell provides technical assistance to communities in managing recycling and waste disposal challenges and acts as a resource in assisting municipalities in applying for SMRP grant funding. “The Recycling Dividends program helps these communities grow their reuse and recycling programs, ultimately reducing waste and helping our environment. With these funds, MassDEP has responded to the individual needs and challenges of the 18 municipalities, and this will help improve and expand programs at these solid waste facilities.”
Listed below are the towns and funding received:
Barnstable County:
Barnstable: $11,700
Bourne: $16,900
Brewster: $9,000
Chatham: $7,800
Dennis: $13,200
Eastham: $7,200
Falmouth: $42,000
Harwich: $9,900
Mashpee: $7,200
Orleans: $8,400
Provincetown: $9,600
Sandwich: $15,400
Truro: $4,550
Wellfleet: $11,400
Yarmouth: $11,700
Dukes County:
Oak Bluffs: $1,000
Tisbury: $4,800
Nantucket County: $15,600
ABOUT THE CAPE COD COOPERATIVE EXTENSION: Cape Cod Cooperative Extension is the education department for Barnstable County. Educational programs focus on agriculture, marine resources, horticulture, aquaculture, natural resources, water quality, recycling, household hazardous waste, nutrition, food safety, youth development, and the county’s environmental education issues. Extension programs are conducted in Barnstable County in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts and The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution–Sea Grant program. Learn more at www.capecodextension.org
ABOUT BARNSTABLE COUNTY REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF CAPE COD: Barnstable County is one of the last functioning counties in Massachusetts, with departments serving the 15 towns of Cape Cod. Barnstable County government consists of a legislative branch (Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates) and an executive branch (Barnstable County Commissioners). Learn more at www.barnstablecounty.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kari Parcell, Municipal Assistance Coordinator
#508-375-6974, kari.parcell@barnstablecounty.org
