MCMUA awards grants for waste reduction, recycling and community education

August 3, 2026 - 21:52

MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. - The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority has announced the recipients of its latest round of mini grants, handing out five awards of $1,500 each to local towns. The money is meant to support efforts that cut down on trash, boost recycling rates, and get residents more involved in sustainability.

The grants went to projects that range from community composting setups to educational campaigns about proper recycling habits. One town plans to use the funds to host a series of workshops on reducing single-use plastics, while another will put the cash toward new signage and bins at public parks to make recycling easier on the go.

Officials at the MCMUA said the goal is to back practical, grassroots ideas that can show measurable results without needing a big budget. The mini grant program has been running for several years, and past recipients have used the money for things like school recycling drives, household hazardous waste collection events, and even pilot programs for food waste pickup.

Municipalities that applied had to outline how their project would address local waste challenges and how they would track progress. The MCMUA reviews the proposals each cycle and picks the ones that seem most likely to have a lasting impact.

For the towns that won, the work starts now. Each project is expected to wrap up within the next year, and the MCMUA will ask for a short report on what worked and what did not. The hope is that these small investments will spark bigger changes in how residents think about what they throw away.