EPA Opens Recycling Grant Opportunities Application Portal
Date postedNovember 18, 2022
This week, the EPA provided additional information, and formally opened the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant application portal, as authorized by the Save Our Seas (SOS) Act 2.0, which was included in the approved Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Under the SWIFR approved grants, improvements to glass recycling are among the list of eligible activities, alongside other recyclable commodity and recycling program improvements. GPI's comments to the EPA earlier this year had asked that grant eligibility be expanded beyond plastics recycling efforts, plastics market development, clean up, etc., as those had been the focus of earlier SOS legislation.
While local government and municipalities are the primary direct grant award eligible recipients, they are permitted to apply with, and provide reimbursements (via a sub-award process) to not-for-profit entities, as part of the local government application process. GPI is internally reviewing potential partnering opportunities with local governments in areas of improved glass recycling need, either through GPI itself, or working with leadership at the Glass Recycling Foundation (GRF).
Applications for SWIFR grants must achieve one or more of the following objectives:
- Establish, increase, expand, or optimize collection and improve materials management infrastructure.
- Fund the creation and construction of tangible infrastructure, technology, or other improvements to reduce contamination in the recycled materials stream.
- Establish, increase, expand, or optimize capacity for materials management.
- Establish, improve, expand, or optimize end-markets for the use of recycled commodities.
- Demonstrate a significant and measurable increase in the diversion, recycling rate, and quality of materials collected for municipal solid waste.
Next Steps
The EPA will be hosting webinars on December 13th and 19th to review and explain the sub-award process. You can register to attend these webinars by clicking here. For general information on the program and its criteria, the EPA will host two earlier webinars on December 5th and 7th. The registration link for all of these webinars is the same.