In addition to the foregoing duties the Department shall:

1. Serve as the coordinating agency between the various industry and business organizations seeking to aid in the recycling, beneficial use, and anti-litter effort;

2. Recommend to local governing bodies that they adopt ordinances similar to the provisions of this article;

3. Cooperate with all local governments to accomplish coordination of local recycling, beneficial use, and anti-litter efforts;

4. Encourage all voluntary local recycling, beneficial use, and anti-litter campaigns seeking to focus the attention of the public on the programs of the Commonwealth to control and remove litter and encourage recycling;

5. Investigate the availability of, and apply for, funds available from any private or public source to be used in the program provided for in this article;

6. Allocate funds annually for the study of available research and development in recycling and litter control, removal, and disposal, as well as study methods for implementation in the Commonwealth of such research and development. In addition, such funds may be used for the development of public educational programs concerning the litter problem and recycling. Grants shall be made available for these purposes to those persons deemed appropriate and qualified by the Board or the Department;

7. Investigate the methods and success of other techniques in recycling and the control of litter, and develop, encourage, and coordinate programs in the Commonwealth to utilize successful techniques in recycling and beneficial use and the control and elimination of litter; and

8. Expend, after receiving the recommendations of the Advisory Board, at least 95% of the funds deposited annually into the Fund pursuant to contracts with localities. The Department may enter into contracts with planning district commissions for the receipt and expenditure of funds attributable to localities which designate in writing to the Department a planning district commission as the agency to receive and expend funds hereunder.

1987, c. 234, § 10-277.9; 1988, c. 891; 1995, c. 417; 2006, c. 6; 2009, c. 409; 2018, c. 615.