Grants Available to Turn Massachusetts' Waste into Local Jobs
The Chelsea Center for Recycling and Economic Development announces the
availability of funding to municipalities and community based organizations
in Massachusetts to develop model recycling-based economic development
programs.
Massachusetts has set a goal of increasing its recycling from a current
rate of 34% to 46%, potentially diverting three million tons per year of
materials from landfills and incinerators. Already, Massachusetts
manufacturers are using more than this amount of recovered materials from
both in and out of state sources to make such items as paper and paper
products, asphalt, toys, glass bottles and art objects, fine wood flooring,
compost, recycling bins, plumbing parts, kayaks, and clothing-and employing
over 12,000 people while doing so.
Up to twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000) per project is available for
such efforts as:
*Infrastructure Development: Incorporating recycling-based economic
development into the municipal or regional economic development plan,
and/or creating a local or regional strategic plan for recycling economic
development.
*Assessing Local Inputs and Outputs: Assessing the waste materials
generated in the community for potential use by existing businesses, or to
develop or attract new ones.
*Public Input: Conducting public meetings determine the types of recycled
products manufacturers that would be desirable and develop a plan of action
to attract such companies, and/or work with the community and existing
recycling companies to overcome any negative attitudes that exist between
them.
*Financial and Technical Incentives: Developing and/or implementing
innovative mechanisms to retain, support, attract, and facilitate recycling
based manufacturing, and identify or implement steps to start a new
business venture(s).
In order to qualify, proposals must include at a minimum the participation
of a community-based organization, municipal recycling coordinator,
municipal economic development official, and local business leader.
According to Amy Perlmutter, Executive Director of the Chelsea Center,
"municipalities are virtual mines of raw materials that can be used to
support economic development activities. We hope this grant program will
encourage communities to look at their resources and bring together local
recyclers, economic developers, community groups, and businesses to take
advantage of these opportunities."
A full copy of the Request for Responses is available from the Chelsea
Center at 617-887-2300 or by emailing amyp@chelseacenter.org. Proposals
are due to the Chelsea Center on May 4, 1999. It is anticipated that four
to six proposals will receive funding.
The Chelsea Center is part of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.
The Center opened in 1995 for the purpose of creating jobs, supporting
recycling efforts, and helping the economy and the environment by
increasing the use of recyclable materials by manufacturers throughout the
State. The Center provides technical and business assistance to
manufacturers located, or considering locating, in Massachusetts. The
Community Economic Development program was started in order to work
directly with cities and towns to explore ways in which local communities
can expand their economic base and productive capacity by taking advantage
of the hidden values in what would otherwise be solid waste. Funding for
this project comes from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs,
through the Clean Environment Fund.
# # # # #
Amy Perlmutter
Executive Director
Chelsea Center for Recycling and
Economic Development
University of Massachusetts
180 Second Street
Chelsea, MA 02150
617-887-2300/fax 617-887-0399
visit our web site at www.chelseacenter.org