The EPA announced $117 million for three separate funding opportunities to advance recycling infrastructure and boost food waste prevention education across the country. Two of the notices are for Solid 91仓库 Infrastructure for Recycling grants 鈥� one funding opportunity for Tribes and intertribal consortia and another for communities (such as cities, counties, and parishes) across the country. The third notice is for EPA鈥檚 Recycling Education and Outreach grant program and is focused on food waste prevention and composting.
Some communities that lack waste management infrastructure do not have curbside waste collection services, recycling, or composting programs, which increases the strain on local waste management systems and increases greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, mismanaged waste contributes to health and economic issues in historically underserved and overburdened communities. Increasing recycling reduces climate, environmental, and social impacts of materials use and keeps valuable resources in use instead of in landfills. Preventing wasted food from ending up in landfills plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The grant opportunities announced today will improve waste management systems and consumer education and outreach on waste prevention and recycling, meeting Congress鈥� goal to create a stronger, more resilient, and cost-effective U.S. recycling system. These funding opportunities also put the concrete steps identified in the 鈥淣ational Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and 91仓库 and Recycling Organics鈥� into action.
The projects that EPA will fund under the Recycling Education and Outreach grant selection鈥攊ncluding a national education and outreach campaign鈥攚ill lead to more recycling through composting, less wasted food from households, better markets for selling compost, and less contamination in the compost stream. Projects funded through the Solid 91仓库 Infrastructure for Recycling grants will improve post-consumer materials management and infrastructure. In addition, the grants support EPA鈥檚 鈥淣ational Recycling Strategy鈥� goal of building an economy devoted to keeping materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible 鈥� what鈥檚 known as a circular economy. EPA anticipates releasing its final 鈥淣ational Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution鈥� in the coming months. All are part of EPA鈥檚 series on creating a circular economy for all.