Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling (MWRR) Grants Program

Grants to New York municipalities, county agencies, local public authorities, local benefit corporations, school districts, and Native American tribes for projects that prevent and reduce waste. Funding may be used for public education, outreach, and promotion and for recycling coordination.

The overall goal of Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling (MWRR) grants program is to assist municipalities in expanding local waste reduction and recycling programs and to increase participation in those programs. Under this grant opportunity, the MWRR State Assistance Grant program can help fund the costs of Recycling Education, Coordination, Planning and Promotion. Eligible projects are expected to enhance municipal recycling through activities that coordinate recycling activities as well as encourage participation in local recycling programs. 

What is public education/promotion/outreach? Examples include:

• Recycling guides, mailers, brochures, and webpages
• Advertising on TV, radio, newspaper, billboards, social media, etc.
• Recycling signs and displays
• Give‐a‐ways, children's shows, county fair fees, America Recycles Day items. Note: Give‐a‐way items must be consistent with a waste prevention or recycling message.
• Promotion of reuse of certain materials, refillable or reusable packaging
• Promotion of backyard or on‐site composting and of product stewardship initiatives
• Other media for educating the public on the benefits and methods of waste reduction, reuse, composting and recycling

Recycling coordination is the development, coordination and implementation of activities necessary for a successful municipal recycling program, including:

• Planning, monitoring and modifying the local recycling program
• Developing public education and promotion tools, and implementing the outreach strategies
• Establishing, monitoring and improving recyclables marketing, tracking and reporting
• Fostering inter‐governmental coordination relative to recycling
• Developing enforcement strategies

Examples of eligible costs can be found in the RFA, page 5. See Attached Files, below.