SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Governor Charlie Baker awarded a Commonwealth’s Recycling Business Development Grant to a Springfield recycling business on Friday.

Northstar Pulp & Paper Company, Inc. received $90,000, and will use the money to better regrind and recycle plastic. The company also plans to purchase 3 new machines that will better separate plastic from other materials.

Despina Costa, the CFO of Northstar, told 22News, “To improve the product quality, because it’s going to remove dust and other contaminates, like metal, which are in the product that we recycle.”

The company intends to use their new machines on plastic pallets, because they’re often contaminated with dirt, fiber and metals.

The Baker administration award a total of $917,000 in grants to help Massachusetts businesses increase recycling. The following companies received grants:

• Aaron Industries in Leominster – Up to $75,000
• Abby Enterprises, Inc. in Marshfield – Up to $150,000
• Casella Waste Management of Massachusetts, Inc. in Auburn – Up to $100,000
• Northstar Pulp & Paper Company, Inc. in Springfield – Up to $90,000
• Raw Material Recovery Corporation in Gardner – Up to $150,000
• Recycleworks, Inc. in East Weymouth – Up to $200,000
• United Teen Equality Center (UTEC) in Lowell – Up to $152,000

Northstar is the largest recycling company in Massachusetts.