5. a. The State Recycling Fund (hereinafter referred to as the “fund”) is established as a nonlapsing, revolving fund. The fund shall be administered by the Department of Environmental Protection, and shall be credited with all recycling tax revenue collected pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2007, c.311 (C. 13:1E-96.5), and all interest received on moneys in the fund.

b. Moneys in the fund shall be appropriated annually solely for the following purposes and no others:

(1) Not less than 60% of the estimated annual balance of the fund shall be used for the annual expenses of a program for direct recycling grants to municipalities or counties in those instances where a county, at its own expense, provides for the collection, processing and marketing of recyclable materials on a regional basis. The amount of a direct recycling grant shall be calculated on the basis of the total number of tons of recyclable materials annually recycled from residential, commercial and institutional sources within a particular municipality, or group of municipalities in the case of a county recycling program. No direct recycling grant shall exceed $10 per ton of recyclable materials recycled. All grant moneys received by a municipality shall be expended only for its recycling program. The department may allocate a portion of the direct recycling grant moneys as bonus grants to municipalities and counties whenever a municipality or county, at its own expense, provides for the collection of recyclable materials in its recycling program. The department shall announce each year the total amount of moneys available in the bonus grant fund.

A municipality may distribute a portion of its direct recycling grant moneys to nonprofit groups that are located within that municipality and which have contributed to the receipt of the direct recycling grant, except that this distribution shall not exceed the value of approved documented tonnage contributed by a nonprofit group.

A municipality may designate any nonprofit group as a recycling agent. A recycling agent shall receive that part of the municipality’s direct recycling grant under this paragraph that represents the percentage of the grant received by the municipality due to the documented tonnage contributed by that recycling agent. Moneys received by a recycling agent shall be expended only for its recycling program. Any moneys not used for recycling shall be returned by the recycling agent to the municipality.

To be eligible for a direct recycling grant pursuant to this paragraph, a municipality or county in the case of a county recycling program shall demonstrate that the recyclable materials recycled by the municipal or county recycling program were not diverted from a commercial recycling program already in existence on the effective date of the ordinance or resolution establishing the municipal or county recycling program.

To remain eligible for a direct recycling grant pursuant to this paragraph, a municipality or county in the case of a county recycling program shall submit an annual recycling tonnage report to the department in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the department therefor. Following the designation of a district certified recycling coordinator pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1987, c.102 (C. 13:1E-99.13) and the designation of a municipal certified recycling coordinator pursuant to section 6 of P.L.1987, c.102 (C. 13:1E-99.16), the department shall not accept an annual recycling tonnage report from a county or municipality unless the report has been signed by a certified recycling coordinator.

No direct recycling grant to any municipality shall be used for constructing or operating any facility for the baling of wastepaper or for the shearing, baling or shredding of ferrous or nonferrous materials.

Whenever a municipality operates a municipal service system for solid waste collection pursuant to R.S.40:66-1, or provides for regular solid waste collection service under a contract awarded pursuant to the “Local Public Contracts Law,” P.L.1971, c.198 (C. 40A:11-1 et seq.), the amount of grant moneys received by the municipality shall not be less than the annual amount of recycling tax paid by the municipality pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2007, c.311 (C. 13:1E-96.5), except that all grant moneys received by the municipality shall be expended only for its recycling program;

(2) 5% of the estimated annual balance of the fund shall be used for State recycling program planning and program funding, including the administrative expenses thereof;

(3) 25% of the estimated annual balance of the fund shall be used to provide State aid to counties for preparing, revising, and implementing solid waste management plans, including the implementation of the goals of the State Recycling Plan. The moneys may also be used by the counties to support community oversight projects and to establish a citizens’ advisory committee. A county receiving State aid shall not expend more than 2% of the amount of aid received in any year for the costs of administering the aid. The State aid shall be distributed to the counties on the basis of the total amount of solid waste generated from within each county during the previous calendar year as determined by the department. In the event that the department determines that any county has failed to fulfill its district solid waste management planning responsibilities, the department may withhold for an entire year or until the county fulfills its responsibilities, all or a portion of the amount of moneys that county would have received in any year pursuant to this paragraph. Any moneys withheld for an entire year shall be distributed among the remaining counties in the same proportion as the other moneys were distributed. The moneys may also be used by the counties for household hazardous waste collection, and for recycling program planning and program funding, including the administrative expenses thereof;

(4) 5% of the estimated annual balance of the fund shall be used by counties for public information and education programs concerning recycling activities; and

(5) Not more than 5% of the estimated annual balance of the fund shall be used by the department to provide grants to institutions of higher education for recycling demonstration, research or education, including professional training.

L.1981, c.278, s.5; amended 1983, c.415; 1985, c.346, s.1; 1985, c.533, s.5; 1987, c.102, s.36; 1990, c.117; 2002, c.128, s.11; 2007, c.311, s.7; 2008, c.6, s.3.