Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program

Grant Summary

Download the PDF here.

Agency:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

Category:

Environment/Community Development

Eligible Applicants:

Political subdivisions of states and territories for the Recycling Grants for Communities. EPA considers counties, cities, towns, parishes, and similar units of governments that have executive and legislative functions to be political subdivisions of states and territories. 

Total IIJA Funding:

$275 million over 5 years

Overview:

The Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grant Program provides grants to implement the National Recycling Strategy to improve post-consumer materials management and infrastructure; support improvements to local post-consumer materials management and recycling programs; and assist local waste management authorities in making improvements to local waste management systems. The grant program has three categories of funding opportunities.; this bootcamp will support applicants in the Recycling Grants for Communities category (please note that the Recycling Grants for Communities is also called Recycling Grants for Political Subdivisions). 

FY2024 Grant Funding:

Based on the F Y23 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the anticipated funding will be approximately $40 million.

Match Requirements:

SWIFR grants do not require a matching contribution. However, according to the FY23 (NOFO), applicants will be evaluated based on their plan to leverage additional funds and resources beyond the grant funds awarded to support the proposed project activities.

Key Dates:

The timeline for FY24’s NOFO is TBD. Based on FY23, there will be approximately a four- month application window.

Key Funding Criteria:

Based on the FY23 NOFO, applicants can expect to be evaluated on the extent to which their proposal will:

• Address disproportionate and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related, and other cumulative impacts;
• Engage with local residents who will be affected by the project to ensure their meaningful participation with respect to the design, project planning, and performance of the project;
• And incorporate innovative approaches (e.g., not usual, routine or established practices) to support the development of infrastructure for post-consumer materials management.

Opportunities for Climate and Racial Wealth Equity:

Applicants are expected to identify whether their target sites are located in disadvantaged communities, which include Justice40 communities. Projects will also be evaluated based on the extent to which they demonstrate how the project will address environmental justice challenges. EPA anticipates approximately 40% of the funding will be awarded to projects that benefit disadvantaged communities (as defined in the NOFO, Pg. 7)

Eligible Activities:

Applications may include (but are not limited to) projects that fund:

• Innovative solutions or programs that provide or increase access to prevention, reuse, and recycling in areas that currently do not have access;
• The purchase of recycling equipment, including but not limited to sorting equipment, waste metering, trucks, processing facilities, etc.
• Upgrades to material recovery facilities (MRFs) such as optical sorters, artificial intelligence, etc.
• Development of or upgrades to composting facilities or anaerobic digesters to increase capacity for organics recycling.
• Development of or upgrades to curbside collection programs or drop-off stations for organics.
• Development of or upgrades to reuse infrastructure such as online reuse platforms, community repair spaces, technology and equipment to improve materials management reuse options, food donation, and upcycling, staging areas for material reuse/donation, reuse warehouses, and reuse centers, and electronic waste and computer recycling and refurbishing.