Berkshire Communities Awarded Recycling and Waste Reduction Grants

08:09AM / Monday, November 24, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced more than $4 million in Sustainable Materials Recovery Program grants to 280 municipalities and regional collaboratives to help communities maximize recycling, composting and waste reduction.

"These grants support our communities, expand recycling and composting efforts, and target new materials to remove from the waste stream," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "We are committed to ensuring our cities and towns have the resources they need to become more sustainable and achieve their goals of reducing disposal costs and the amount of waste in our landfills."

In Berkshire County:

Recycling Dividends Program (Total: $87,060.00)

Adams: $6,000.00
Becket: $3,360.00
Dalton: $6,000.00
Egremont: $3,360.00
Great Barrington: $420.00
Hancock: $2,100.00
Hinsdale: $3,780.00
Lee: $2,520.00
New Marlborough: $1,680.00
Otis: $1,680.00
Peru: $3,360.00
Pittsfield: $21,000.00
Plainfield: $7,800.00
Richmond: $1,260.00
Sandisfield: $840.00
Savoy: $3,780.00
Sheffield: $3,780.00
Stockbridge: $1,260.00
Washington: $420.00
Williamstown: $7,200.00
Windsor: $6,600.00

Reuse Swap Shop (Total: $18,000.00)

Becket: $6,000.00
Cheshire: $6,000.00
Otis: $6,000.00

Food Waste Collection Systems - Drop-off (Total: $6,000.00)

Great Barrington: $3,000.00
New Marlborough: $3,000.00

Cardboard Compactor (Total: $10,000.00)

Washington: $10,000.00

Source-separated Glass Container (Total: $8,000.00)

Great Barrington: $8,000.00

Regional Small-Scale Initiatives (Total: $1,500.00)

Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District (NBSWMD): $1,500.00

MassDEP's Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) provides funding for recycling, composting, reuse, and source reduction activities that decrease the amount of waste disposed of in landfills and incinerators. In addition to minimizing solid waste, SMRP projects boost resiliency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing the embodied energy in everyday products and packaging materials for conversion into new products.

More than $60 million has been awarded through SMRP since 2010. This year, awards are being granted through six programs that operate under the SMRP umbrella: the Recycling Dividends Program, Regional Small-scale Initiatives, Drop-off Recycling Equipment, Food Waste Collection Carts, Pay-As-You-Throw, and Waste Reduction projects.

The Recycling Dividends Program supports municipal policies and programs proven to maximize materials reuse and recycling, as well as waste reduction. This year, 271 communities will receive awards totaling nearly $2.95 million.

Additional grant funds are being awarded to support start-up incentives for Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) waste reduction programs, wheeled carts for the curbside collection of residential food waste, recycling equipment for targeted materials at a municipal recycling drop-off or transfer station ("facility"), and regional small-scale initiatives to support regional entities working with multiple municipalities.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Restructure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to restructure the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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