Berkshire Waste Reduction Businesses Awarded Grants

10:50AM / Tuesday, November 26, 2024Print Story | Email Story

ADAMS, Mass. — Second Chance Composting, Dream Green Recycling of the Berkshires, and Tommy's Compost Service were awarded Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's (MassDEP) Recycling and Reuse Business Development Grants (RBDG).

Second Chance Composting of Cheshire was awarded up to $100,000.

Dream Green Recycling of the Berkshires in Adams was awarded up to $150,000.

Tommy's Compost Service in Cheshire was awarded up to $50,000.

"Massachusetts is taking action on waste reduction with smart solutions," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "We are investing in reuse, recycling, and composting. This cuts waste and sets the stage for responsible resource management."

MassDEP's RBDG Program includes collection and processing grants designed to invest in businesses that maximize the recovery of valuable materials and resources. The program will provide $565,000 to 10 businesses to improve their recycling collection for materials prohibited from disposal, including mattresses, textiles and commercial food waste. Over $1.2 million will go to support 11 businesses in stating or expanding reuse, recycling, or composting operations.

The RBDG Program requires companies that receive grants to create measurable economic benefits for Massachusetts. They must also use the grant-funded equipment only for collecting or processing specific materials in the state for at least three years. RBDG collection grants are available for projects that collect certain materials, including surplus food for donation, food waste for animal feed, composting, or anaerobic digestion, as well as mattresses and textiles. The processing grants support projects that reuse or process certain materials, such as container glass, bulky reusable items, construction and demolition materials, textiles, food, and mattresses.

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North Berkshire School Study Encouraging Stakeholders to Take Survey

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
07:22AM / Saturday, October 03, 2026

CHESHIRE, Mass. — The consultants behind the education study for North Berkshire are hoping for solid responses to its recently released survey.

The survey, released last week, can be found here.

"Our goal is somewhere between 5 and 10 percent overall survey responses, which is somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 responses," project manager Jake Eberwein told the steering committee for the North Berkshire Educational Sustainability Study at Wednesday's meeting at Hoosac Valley High School.

This is the next phase of the study of secondary education in North County being undertaken through state funding and conducted by Berkshire Educational Consulting Group, Berk12.

"Our first phase was project awareness, and that was really our you know attempt to meet the school committees, select boards, and we wrapped that up this past Monday in Williamstown," Berk12 researcher Brendan Sheran said. "And certainly, we'll be doing more of that going back out probably in the midyear or springtime. But in terms of info gathering, really, the data collection — that's where we are now."

The community survey was launched through sharing on social media, the group's stakeholder list, the press, and the district partners, which are distributing it to educators, parents and students. The window is expected to close on Friday, Oct. 9, but Sheran said they can be flexible with the date.

The survey takes about seven to 10 minutes and is open to those in the Hoosac Valley Regional and Mount Greylock Regional school districts and in North Adams, Clarksburg, Florida and Savoy.

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