SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in its latest round of recycling grants, has awarded more than half a million dollars to Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). The grant funding of $531,690 is expected to bolster its recycling and waste management efforts.
Adam Schlachter, Recycling Program Manager, DNREC noted that the money will be utilized to fund various research projects aimed at reducing waste and expanding recycling. He identified contamination and communication as the two primary issues faced by its recycling program.
Research will be conducted on effective management of reusable shopping bags at the end of their life. By using alternative sustainable materials, it would be possible to enhance the circularity of reusable bags. A potential solution could prevent millions of such bags from ending in landfills. DNREC also plans to do research on how to identify suitable sources to redirect food waste, which accounts for a major portion of Delaware’s waste stream, Schlachter added.
DNREC plans to update Recyclopedia- the recycling search tool and analyse data from sensors on recycling containers. Also, it will use the grant money to conduct a feasibility study and pilot a program to use recycled glass sand to replenish the sand on Delaware’s beaches.
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