Monroe Township Awarded $118,000 Clean Communities Grant from DEP
Township to Receive a $12,800 Increase for 2023
MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. – May 18, 2023 – Monroe Township today announced that it is the recipient of a $118,040 Clean Communities grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Solid Waste Division.
Clean Communities grants are intended to help municipalities and counties across New Jersey promote volunteer and paid clean-up events, purchase equipment, support enforcement activities and educational opportunities.
“The Township Council and I are always looking for ways to push Monroe Township toward a cleaner, greener future,” said Mayor Stephen Dalina. “Our Department of Public Works conducts numerous programs aimed at keeping our town litter-free throughout the year. It is through programs like Clean Communities that we are able to keep our streets, open space, recreation areas and township grounds clear of litter and debris.”
This year’s grant reflects an increase of about $12,800 from the grant received in 2022. Monroe Township is the fourth-largest recipient in all of Middlesex County. This grant award allows the Township to continue to improve upon its ongoing community engagement and education initiatives.
“Monroe has consistently been one of the top municipalities in the state in regards to fighting litter,” said JoAnn Gemenden, executive director, New Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC).
“We work closely with the Township to ensure that state funds are continually maximized to develop and implement anti-litter education and programming in Monroe, as well as to coordinate local clean-ups,” she said.
This year’s funding represents a nearly $2.7 million increase from last year. In total, the NJDEP is awarding $21.4 million to eligible municipalities and $2.7 million to counties across the state to conduct cleanups, educate the public and enforce litter-related laws and ordinances. Allocations on based on statistical reports that outline the number of housing units and municipally-owned roadway mileage in a respective area.
Grants are funded by a legislated user-fee on manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that produce litter-generating products.
“Local litter abatement programs are more important than ever as we strive to prevent roadway litter from getting into our waterways,” Gemenden added. “Clean Communities grants provide local governments with critical funds to help create a Litter Free NJ.”
The NJCCC operates public awareness campaigns to educate the public, primarily youth, about the adverse environmental impacts of litter, especially on waterways.
“Litter comes from many sources and these grants help us to organize community programs that educate the public about proper trash disposal, reducing waste and the environmental impacts of litter,” municipal clean communities coordinator Joe Slomian said.
The Clean Communities grant program funds a variety of activities including volunteer cleanups of public spaces; cleanups of stormwater systems that can disperse trash into waterways; educational outreach campaigns; enforcement of local anti-littering ordinances; and purchases of trash receptacles, recycling bins and anti-litter signs. For a complete list of 2023 municipal and county grant awards, click here.
All media inquiries may be directed to the Monroe Township’s Public Information Officer Stacey Kennedy at 732-521-4400 or