DEEP awards $15M in grants for waste management

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has awarded $15 million in grants as part of the inaugural Materials Management Infrastructure (MMI) grant program, marking the state’s largest investment in local and regional waste management infrastructure.

Grants have been made available through a competitive application process to Connecticut municipalities, councils of government and regional waste authorities to support the development of waste management infrastructure in direct response to the solid waste disposal challenges that are impacting these entities, DEEP says.  

Grant funds to develop small- to medium-scale waste management infrastructure are meant to reduce municipal solid waste and help divert recyclable and compostable material from disposal. By investing in waste separation and sorting infrastructure; composting and anaerobic digestion facilities; food scraps/food waste collection and processing equipment; infrastructure for managing hard-to-recycle materials such as plastic film and glass; and establishing a regional materials reuse exchange shop.

“The MMI grant is another example of DEEP working to provide municipalities and regional organizations with tools and resources to help them tackle the waste crisis. These funds will assist towns and cities as they work to create MSW solutions that will help reduce costs and environmental impacts,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes says. “This is the state’s largest investment to date in local and regional waste management infrastructure, and DEEP is eager to work with our partners to put these dollars to work to achieve greater system reliability, environmental sustainability and fiscal predictability.” 

RELATED: Update: Connecticut makes $15M in grant funding available for materials management infrastructure

Grants have been approved by DEEP for the following municipalities and regional entities: 

• Coventry, Connecticut - $202,896  
• Greenwich, Connecticut - $15,892 
• Housatonic Resources Regional Authority - $779,750  
• Manchester, Connecticut - $4,775,000  
• Mansfield, Connecticut - $129,500  
• New Haven, Connecticut - $3,347,876  
• Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority - $4,500,000  
• Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments - $425,711 
• Stratford, Connecticut - $544,583

“Today’s grant announcement marks a significant step forward in our commitment to creating a more sustainable and cost-effective waste management system,” says State Sen. Rick Lopes (D-New Britain), co-chair of the legislature’s environment committee. “By investing in the diversion of food scraps from the waste stream, I am hopeful we will be able to reduce our environmental footprint, lower costs for municipalities and taxpayers and empower communities to modernize their waste management practices ultimately build a cleaner, more efficient future.”